The worst feeling in the world when there is an international trip coming up is to look around for the passport and realize that it is going to expire right in the middle of the trip. They are good for 10 years so it is pretty easy to forget about it if there is not a lot of traveling going on. When that day arrives, know that renewing a passport is not the time consuming or difficult task that it once was.
There are many websites available that will take of all the paperwork for you and expedite the renewing of a passport for a minor fee. This fee will be separate from any government based renewal fees, which are necessary no matter which route is taken and any shipping costs, if applicable. These service providers are located online and their websites detail the range of options for renewal with their assistance.
Because people sometimes forget to renew their passports, they may need the passport much quicker than even the regular expedited service can offer. The standard time is about 6 weeks or so and that will just not work in a pinch. To think that it used to take over six months to get it back, it is an incredible improvement, but still not quick enough.
Forms and information as to exactly what is needed are readily available through these online passport agencies or they can also be found right on the State Department website. Along with all of the forms, there is verification documentation that must also be turned into the agency. Because these documents are so sensitive and important, it is best to use an overnight service to mail them.
Most services, including the government sites, will tell applicants that they should use a reliable carrier such as UPS to handle the overnight delivery. Don’t worry, they are not getting a kickback by recommending them, it is just that they have guaranteed delivery and cant track the document trough every step. Since these documents are so sensitive, this is money well spent.
When the passport agency received the documents, they will immediately begin to process them to get them back to the applicant. It is very important that before the documents are sent out that the applicant go over the checklist to make sure everything that is needed is in the package. Something that will often slip people’s mind is the passport photo. They need to be a specific size and should be professionally done to ensure acceptance.
Other things that should be in the package are proof of citizenship and a valid, government issued ID. Proof of citizenship would be something such as a birth certificate and a drivers license will suffice for the ID. The agency required all documents to be original, so you can see why it is so important to use a guaranteed delivery service.
You will find renewing a pass port is easy as long as everything is in line. Check to make sure that all the documentation is original and that everything that is needed is in the envelope before shipping it off. By using an expedited online US passport service, next week’s trip can still happen as that little blue book can be in hand in just a few days.