In cases where you need to leave the country soon, the routine passport application is simply not an option. That’s because routine passport applications currently take around four to six weeks to complete, and if you’re really in a hurry, then that’s too long a wait.
The situation is even more important if you are faced with a family emergency and need to leave in 48 hours or less. Because of your situation, the US Department of State provides you with a way to apply for a passport without having to go through the regular passport processing times, so you can leave the country as soon as possible. They will provide you with an emergency passport.
An emergency passport is what you need in case of a family emergency that requires you to leave the country within the next two days. Emergency situations cannot wait, so emergency passports cut the waiting time you’ll spend waiting for the processing of your application. Having an emergency passport ensures that you are able to travel outside the country sooner, not later.
But just how do you apply for an emergency passport? It starts with a phone call that you’ll need to make to the National Passport Information Agency (NPIA). Tell them about your situation, and they will help you set an appointment with the passport office nearest you. The passport office will then be the one to take care of your emergency passport application.
In case the NPIA is unable to schedule an appointment for you, simply hang on the line. You will then be forwarded to a customer service representative (CSR). In turn, the CSR will handle your call and provide you with options on how you can get your emergency passport.
What if you don’t really need to travel within the next 48 hours? You have the option of just having your passport application expedited instead. As far as processing speeds go, an expedited option sits in between the routine passport application and the emergency passport.
In fact, expedited passports are recommended to those who need to leave within the next 10 weeks. The reason for this is to allow some buffer time in case something causes a delay to the passport application. Currently, expedited passports take two to three weeks to process. Also keep in mind that there will be an additional fee should you decide to have your passport application expedited. This is a small price to pay, especially if you need the speed and convenience of applying for a passport.
If you need to be with your family in family emergencies outside the country, you have the option of getting an emergency passport. Having an emergency passport will enable you to leave the country in as little as 48 hours or less. However, if you can wait for at least 2 weeks, you have the choice of having your USA Passport application expedited instead. This comes with an additional fee, but you get speed and a quick response in return.