In a Rush? Here’s How to Get a U.S. Passport in 24 Hours or Less

Realizing you need a new passport right before you leave for vacation might just be the most terrifying feeling. 

And when it comes to filing for a new passport with the U.S. Department of State, there’s currently a wait time that extends into months.

So if you’re in a hurry and are short on time, here are the options you can take to get your passport faster. 

First, according to the U.S. Department of State, passports may be expedited for two reasons including life-or-death emergencies or an urgent travel. 

However, there are few qualifying requirements to determine a life-or-death emergency or urgent travel. 

For life-or-death emergency scenarios that require traveling internationally within 72 hours, individuals must call the U.S. Department of State at 1-877-487-2778 to make an appointment.

You will as well need to show proof of an emergency.

Individuals with urgent travel trips that require traveling internationally within 9 weeks must also call the U.S. Department of State at the same number.

Although, it’s best to keep in mind that even with a life-or-death emergency travel scenario passports are not guaranteed to be issued on time and appointments are limited for urgent travel trips.

It’s important to note that the U.S. Department of State does offers 26 agencies that can issue same-day passports for urgent international travel that require in-person appointments.

So don’t worry, you can find the agencies complied onto a map from the U.S. Department of State’s website, so all you have to do now is simply click here.

For trips that do not fall in either of the two categories, you can also reach out to a registered passport expediter that may be able to get you a passport faster than the U.S Department of State.

Registered passport expediters that are not apart of the U.S Department of State may be able to quicken the typical passport wait time based on your needs.

There are a few common websites you can visit such as FastportPassport.com that can do the job in 24 hours according to their website, Rush My Passport, passportsandvisas.com or Swift Passport Services for a faster wait time.

However, expedited passport sources can be costly, so be prepared to spend a pretty buck.

For example, Rush My Passport can total up to nearly $800 for a week wait time.

Expedited services from the U.S. Department of State also chargers extra fees for faster service.

Of course, before deciding on whether or not you would like for your passport to be expedited, keep in mind that the turnaround time will vary from depending on the expeditor.

So in retrospect, it all comes down to your personal needs and the details of your travels, how much time you have to wait, and the amount of cash you’re willing to spend for expediting a passport.