It is a universal requirement that a traveler crossing borders into another country have valid travel documents. In the US, passport renewal is done for those who have one that they obtained at the age of 18 years and above. If it expired more than 5 years, a new one will have to be applied for. Sometimes, one may need to travel as a matter of emergency and they may not have the time to wait for their travel document to be renewed in the amount of time is usually takes. In such cases, expedited passport renewal services are necessary.

3 Steps

One can do this in one of three ways. The first is to make an application by mail and the other is to make an application at the passport agencies that are in every region. The third alternative is to engage the services of a private expediter. You can get passport pages faster too.

Application

To make the application by mail, one needs to send the requirements as Form DS-82 which has been duly filled in and completed as well as the necessary payment. This needs to be sent in a padded envelope and it should be marked with the word expedite in block letters.

National Processing

The application should be sent by overnight express to reach the national processing center the next day. It then takes two to three weeks to get renewal done. Sometimes, it may take longer if the office is busy at the time you apply such as during holiday seasons which is peak travel period.

Local Office

The other alternative is to expedite through a regional office. This is the best option if the document is needed within a fortnight. This is the time it takes to get it if it is renewed this way. It starts with calling the National Passport Information Center and getting an appointment.

Automatic Service

The service is automatic and is on all day every day of the week. It can get busy during holidays when many people are trying to renew their passports to that they can travel. Upon being given an appointment, you need to go with the completed Form DS 82, the fees, the expired document and photos. The document will then be renewed within two weeks. The contacts and locations for the passport centers for every region can be found online.

Private Service

The third option is to hire the services of a private expediter. This is the way to go if the passport needs to be renewed in a very short time such as within a week. It is also a convenient option if one is not near one of the regional offices. Most of these companies also offer visa expediting services. Applying through such a company gives the expediter the mandate to appear on their behalf at the regional offices. Once the document is obtained, it is sent express to the client.

With private expedition services, the renewed process can be obtained in a few days or even the next day. The shorter the time it takes, the more the fees payable. To be sure you will get your passport at the time required, take the time to be sure that the company is a registered one and that the services they offer are guaranteed. Check that they have experience in expedited pasport renewal and that there have been no complaints or negative reports made against them. Sometimes all you need are new passport pages.

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