Anyone traveling outside of the United States today must have either a passport book or passport card. This law went into effect June 1, 2009. In order to re-enter the U. S., even from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, or Bermuda, persons must have this documentation. This applies to persons traveling by land, air or sea, so if you have family living outside of the U. S. you will need to make preparation for emergency situations. This can prevent need of having to apply for an emergency American passport.
As soon as you find out that a close family member is moving out of the United States, you should apply for your passport. If you ever intend to visit, you will have to have this documentation. Having a passport means freedom to visit family when you want to make the visit.
In order to obtain that passport, you will need to follow the rules that the State Department has established. These rules, as well as the applicable forms, can be found on the website for the U. S. Department of State. The application will need to be returned to a passport processing center. There is at least one in most cities of any size. Currently, the return time is four to six weeks.
If you plan to travel in less than fourteen days you can pay an additional fee of sixty dollars for an expedited passport. You can also pay for overnight delivery of the materials to and from the passport agency. You will also need proof of transportation such as a plane ticket for the travel.
If you pay this extra fee, you can get your passport in two to three weeks. For many people this may get the passport in time for their travel plans.
If you are facing a life or death situation, you can get an emergency passport. These emergency passports can be obtained in a 24 hour period, however, you may have to travel to one of the regional passport centers or pay an agent to make application for you. You can call the toll-free number of the State Department to schedule an appointment at the center. Centers are open Monday through Friday during normal business hours and closed weekends and federal holidays. If you take the completed application to the center at your appointment along with proof of travel, you can get your passport immediately.
When an individual needs an emergency passport but is unable to travel to the regional agency, an agent can be hired to take care of processing the application. These agents often use overnight delivery companies to receive your application and to ship your passport. Many are able to obtain your passport within twenty-four hours. These professionals are experienced at dealing with the State Department.
If you employ a service to act as your American passport agent, in addition to the fee you will need to pay the government for the passport of $135, you will need to pay the agencies fees for the service and the fees for overnight or priority shipping. This can often triple the actual cost of an emergency USA passport, but is often less expensive and stressful than having to travel to the regional center yourself.