There once was time when people would get sick to their stomachs when they realized that they had a trip coming up and had forgotten about renewing a passport. Thankfully, online services are now in place to alleviate that sick feeling. They may tap your wallet for a few bucks, but it is better than seeing an entire trip fall by the wayside.
Anyone that is looking to renew their passport can go online and get most of the things that they need, including expedited service if it comes down to that. They will of course charge a fee and it will be in addition to, not including, all of the normal service fees that the government charges for the renewals. While there will of course be some brick and mortal establishments that do this, it is usually something that can be handled via the mail and online.
For those finding the need for a speedy renewal due to a spur of the moment trip or emergency, these websites may be a blessing. They offer a service whereby the passport renewal may be expedited up to and including an overnight service. The other options leave the time frame hovering somewhere between 4 to 6 weeks depending, on if all the paperwork is correct.
All of the forms are available right on the government website as well as the site for many of these expediting companies. There should also be a list of documents that will have to be included with the forms for the passport application to be accepted and pushed through. Knowing how sensitive these documents are, it is may be best to use an overnight service so that the documents get to where they are needed and back to you as soon as possible.
Any decent site will tell the applicants to use something like FedEx or UPS overnight delivery. This is not because they have an allegiance to these services; it is more about the fact that they have guaranteed overnight delivery and all documents can be tracked from one location to the next. Documents are much less likely to be misplaced when using this type of service over any other.
The agency will get the process rolling as soon as they receive the package and check to make sure that everything is in order. This is why it is so important to double and triple check and make sure that everything is in there. It is not uncommon for people to miss something and then have to send everything back again. One item that is often on the “oops list” is the passport photos.
Along with the new photos, the old passport must also be sent in along with any documentation supporting informational changes such as name or address. This can be in the form of a court document, such as a marriage license for the name change or a court order stating that this has been obtained legally. These documents must be from the issuing body and not copies, even if they are certified or notarized.
The service is invaluable that these websites offer for updating and renewing a pass port. They take all the hassle out of filing the paperwork and getting your new passport back in record time. By going online and doing a brief but detailed search, all of these providers will be brought directly to you for comparison.