Emergency passport renewals are only available to travelers with a documented life-or-death emergency that requires urgent international travel within the next 24-72 hours. This express passport renewal option can be used to renew an expired passport or one that does not meet the validity requirement for the country you need to visit.
Some reasons your passport may not be valid include:
In situations like these, you only have two ways to get your travel document quickly. You can either submit your application at a regional agency or you can request emergency passport renewal through an authorized expediting service.
In some circumstances, it is possible to get a passport renewal in 24 hours. However, processing delays can extend the wait time for an emergency passport to up to 3 business days.
Be advised: you can only renew a passport if you meet the following criteria:
The Department of State approves emergency passport applications for new and first time passports as long as you can provide sufficient proof of your urgent travel needs. If you have an emergency that requires traveling internationally but don't qualify for a passport renewal, check out our guide to emergency passport service.
If you do not have proof of urgent travel plans, there are several other methods of US passport renewal that you should explore instead.
Again, be aware that getting a same-day or one-day passport renewal is typically only available to those who have sufficent proof of a life-or-death emergency.
The fastest tier of passport service offered by the Department of State is for emergency travel that involves a serious health issues for you or a family member.
Per the U.S. Department of State website:
To qualify for life-or-death emergency service, your immediate family member must be a parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent.
To be clear, other relatives such as aunts, uncles, cousins do not qualify for life-or-death emergency service. Furthermore, simply visiting another country for medical treatments or medication doesn't qualify, either.
Note: You will need to supply sufficient proof to the Department of State to qualify for this level of expedited service.
The process remains the same as getting an emergency passport renewal for urgent travel, with the exception being how you make the appointment.
If you choose to attempt an emergency passport renewal on your own, know that there is no room for error. Even a simple mistake can delay your international travel.
There are three steps that must must happen in order for you to renew a US passport at a regional processing center.
Depending on the time of year and the passport agency you call, it may require several attempts to finally reach a representative.
A walk in appointment is possible, but it is a big risk-especially if you have an emergency. Calling to make an appointment ahead of time is a better choice.
When applying in person at a passport office, you can pay your passport fees with cash (exact amount only), check, money order, or most credit or debit cards (including most pre-paid cards).
Regional agencies are located in major cities such as Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York just to mention a few. There are three in California (Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco) and three in Texas (Dallas, El Paso and Houston). You can access the full list of locations on our passport agency page.
Applicants who do not want to take the time to make an appointment or who are unable to travel to the nearest regional agency, can authorize a registered expediter to submit the US passport renewal application form on their behalf. For some people, this is the fastest, and most cost-effective way to get emergency passports. It also reduces the risk of errors or delays.
Based on our over 20 years of experience helping travelers with their passport and travel document needs, we have compiled a directory of the top passport expediting services for U.S. travelers.
To get emergency passport service through a passport expediting service, follow the steps below:
Since you need a passport so quickly, you should select same day passport service and send your documents using two-way overnight delivery like priority mail express.
At this point, you should receive a status update including projected processing times for your emergency passport renewal.
If you need to get your travel document in 24-48 hours, click the link for emergency passport renewal.
American citizens who are traveling abroad and need to renew a United States passport quickly due to an emergency can do this at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate general. Emergency or limited-validity passports can be issued the same day. They are usually valid for one year but can be replaced before the expiration date for a full-validity passport at no additional cost. If you find yourself in this situation, you can find a U.S. embassy or consulate general here.
As mentioned previously, passports for a minor cannot be renewed-even in an emergency. However, you can still get a passport for a child quickly, whether there is an emergency need to travel or not.
There are a very unique set of steps you must follow. Check out our guide for expediting a passport for a minor.
Read them in order or click the question you most want answered.