Your travel advisors will probably have the right one on speed dial, especially now.īut congressional flags are not always effective for last-minute passport issues, particularly when it's down to the final hours. There are two staffers in charge of constituent advocacy who can probably help. Hargett has a direct line to her junior senator’s office in Alabama, Katie Britt. So what do you need to know? Each congressional representative will have at least one liaison who works with the State Department and who handles last-minute requests. "This takes knowing someone and a little work to get it done quickly, but I have had numerous clients have success with this method - one just this week." "If you have been waiting a while and have an upcoming trip, you can reach out to your representative in Congress and ask for a congressional flag to expedite the passport," says Julie Ann Hargett, a travel advisor and CEO of H Luxury Travel. If the usual choices don't work for you, there are two other options, say experts. getty Option #1 for a last-minute passport: Call your representative You elected representative can place a Congressional flag on your passport application to expedite. With the clock counting down my brother's departure date, I started to feel nervous for him. It's hard to think straight when you see your imminent departure date and you know with 100 percent certainty that you won't be allowed on the plane without a passport. Maybe this goes without saying, but the biggest challenge of getting a last-minute passport is the anxiety it creates. And, although a passport agency employee processed his passport application, he had to come back a few days later, where he nervously stood in line hoping to get his government ID. Wasserman recalls looking at the poor travelers, knowing the government could not accommodate all of their requests, and being happy that he still had time. "Some were scheduled to fly out that same day and were begging for some piece of government paper to let them travel." "We showed up for the appointment to a very crowded room filled with anxious people," he recalls. With only days before a scheduled trip to Portugal, he managed to get an urgent appointment at the Dallas Passport Agency. Jim Wasserman, a retired teacher from Atlanta, found himself in such a bind earlier this year, when he damaged his passport and needed to get a new one. getty The suspense is killing us!Įven under ideal circumstances, getting a last-minute passport can be a nerve-wracking experience. There are ways to get a passport at the last minute. I have details on travel ID requirements in my ultimate guide to passports and paperwork on my consumer advocacy site.
An emergency passport requires an in-person appointment passports are issued the same day. Practically speaking, more desperate travelers are choosing the emergency passport option, arguing that the government itself, through its delays, has created an emergency. (Technically, a "life-or-death" emergency is someone dying, or in hospice, or with a "life-threatening" illness. The State Department says you should only choose this service if you have a "life-or-death emergency" that requires international travel within 72 hours. You have to schedule your appointment within 5 calendar days of your international travel date.Įmergency.
You'll have to make an appointment at a passport agency or center. If you can prove that you're within 14 calendar days of your international travel date - and if you can get an in-person appointment - this option is for you. You should have your passport within 10 weeks. You can request an expedited passport at an acceptance facility or expedite a renewal by mail. The State Department says it takes 7 to 9 weeks, but that's a tad optimistic. It costs an extra $60 above the regular passport fees. If you're less than 20 weeks away from your trip, this is the one for you. Give yourself a minimum of 20 weeks to get it.Įxpedited. Go to the post office to get your routine passport processed. In some industries, such as tours or cruise lines, last-minute is sometimes defined in months since many cruises are booked years in advance. This is not a last-minute option unless you define "last minute" in weeks instead of days or hours.
citizen looking for a passport, you have four basic options for getting a passport - at least officially. getty What are your options for a last-minute passport?
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