Apply for Expedited Service at a Regional Passport Agency

Regional passport agencies are located in several major U.S. cities. These agencies attend U.S. citizens who need to obtain a passport in two weeks or less or a passport and entry visa in four weeks or less.

The first step to applying for a new passport at a regional agency is to schedule an appointment. You do this by calling the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778. The center’s automated appointment system operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, customer service representatives are only available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., EST.

You should arrive for your appointment no more than 15 minutes early. You will need your Social Security card or your confirmation number. Upon entering, you will have to pass through security, including metal detectors. You will then be directed to the appropriate location.

Your appointment will be verified at the check-in desk. You will receive a numbered ticket with the current waiting time. When your number appears on the monitor, you should go to the appropriate window.

You need to take the passport application form with you to the appointment. Do not mail it. The same supporting documents you would submit at a passport application acceptance facility need to be submitted at the regional agency. This includes proof of citizenship, proof of identity, a copy of your identification document and two passport-style photos.

Some applicants wrote to inform us that they were able to get in and out of a regional agency in less than 30 minutes. Others took more than two hours to complete their submissions. Much depends on the regional agency where you will be submitting your application and the current volume of applications that they agency has to process. Prepare yourself for a long wait. If you get done quickly, make good use of your "extra" time to prepare for your umcoming trip.

Applications that are submitted during the morning hours and present no problems are usually processed the same day. Again, this depends on the demand at the time. It is very likely that you could receive your passport only a few hours after applying for it. You may have to wait until the following day to pick it up.

NEXT: Apply for Expedited Service through a Passport Expediter

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