A stolen passport can feel like an invasion of privacy. A passport contains a wealth of personal information and losing it can feel like the loss of identity. Not to mention that without a passport no travel abroad may take place until it has been replaced. Someone who has his or her passport stolen while on vacation faces the added worry of wondering if re-entrance into the home country will be permitted. This situation could end up costing the traveler much more money and time than was ever intended when departing on vacation.

The federal government maintains a hotline for reporting stolen passports. In addition to making this call, the victim will need to complete a form reporting the situation. There is no government-provided quick replacement service for stolen passports. The person will have to go through the same passport application process as those who are applying for their first passport. The standard processing time is eight weeks, and the expedited service takes four weeks. Many times, this will be far too long for someone to wait, especially if travel is planned in the near future. There are private companies that offer processing within 24 to 48 hours if necessary.

These companies require that a few forms be completed in addition to the standard government passport application and stolen passport reporting form. The forms and instructions are housed on the company and government Web sites. The forms may not be submitted online because they require a handwritten signature, but they may be completed online then printed.

The applicant will need to provide documentation proving identification and citizenship. These include a birth certificate and driver’s license. If the traveler does not have the birth certificate on hand, it will need to be sent to them via an overnight courier. If the identifying document is not readily available, several forms of secondary identification will be acceptable. All acceptable documents are clearly listed on the government and processing service Web sites.

The person will also need to provide two new passport photos. These photos must adhere to certain guidelines in order to be used in a passport, so if traveling it may be best to have a passport photographer take the photos. These photographers know exactly what to do and locating one can be done via Internet or phone book search.

Once all the paperwork is rounded up, there will be an 800 number listed on the website that will needed to be called. The provider will then give the information as to where it should be sent and how. The majority will use some type of private courier such as FedEx or their local equivalent.

These private companies charge additional fees for processing passport applications but it is a small price to pay in order to get back home. The fees range from approximately $150 for three-day processing to $300 for next-day processing. These charges are in addition to the government fees for passport processing. Several forms of payment are accepted, so the traveler should not have a problem making payment as long as the funds are available.

A Stolen Passports does not need to be the cause for a ruined vacation because there are service providers who can assist with American passport replacement. The traveler can rest assured that the stolen passport will be canceled. The new passport will be in the traveler’s hands within the next day, if desired, and the trip may resume as if this whole nasty situation never occurred.

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