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If you need an emergency passport renewal because an immediate family member outside the United States has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury, the process is different from a regular urgent renewal.
Here’s what to do now: confirm whether your situation qualifies, gather the required proof, and choose the right appointment path based on whether you are in the U.S. or already abroad.
Do You Qualify for Emergency Passport Renewal?
You may qualify for life-or-death emergency service if you need to travel internationally within 14 days because an immediate family member outside the United States has died, is dying in hospice care, or has a life-threatening illness or injury.
- Not every last-minute trip qualifies for life-or-death emergency service.
- You need documentation of the emergency and proof of international travel.
- If your travel is urgent but not life-or-death, use the urgent renewal process instead.
- If you are already outside the United States, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Our role: U.S. Passport Service Guide is an independent passport information resource. We explain the official emergency and urgent travel rules first, then help you compare other options when getting to an agency is not realistic.
Important: Life-or-death emergency passport service is handled by the U.S. Department of State. Passport expediting services are private companies. They cannot approve your emergency, bypass State Department rules, or guarantee passport issuance.
What Counts as a Life-or-Death Emergency?
The State Department uses a specific definition for life-or-death emergency passport appointments. It is not the same as simply needing a passport quickly.
| Question | Emergency renewal answer | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Is your travel within 14 days? | Life-or-death emergency appointments are for qualifying international travel in the next 14 days. | Gather proof of travel and move to the emergency appointment steps. |
| Is the emergency outside the U.S.? | The qualifying immediate family member must be outside the United States. | Gather medical, hospice, mortuary, or death documentation. |
| Is the person an immediate family member? | Parents/legal guardians, children, spouses, siblings, and grandparents qualify. | Aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives do not qualify for this service. |
| Is your travel urgent but not life-or-death? | You may still qualify for urgent travel service, but not the life-or-death emergency path. | Use our urgent passport renewal guide. |
| Are you already abroad? | Do not try to use a U.S. regional agency appointment from abroad. | Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. |
When an Expediting Service May Help
For life-or-death cases, start with the official emergency appointment process. A registered passport expediter may be useful only if your documents and timeline fit the service and you need help getting the application submitted and returned quickly.
Private expediting fees are separate from government fees. An expediting service cannot approve your emergency, bypass appointment rules, or guarantee issuance. If getting to an agency is not realistic, compare registered passport expediting services or see the expediting service we recommend.
Before traveling to a distant agency, compare the hidden costs of urgent passport applications.
What Proof Do You Need?
For a life-or-death emergency appointment, expect to show both proof of the emergency and proof that you are traveling internationally soon.
Prepare these items before you call or schedule
- Documentation of the emergency, such as a death certificate, a statement from a mortuary, or a hospital letter on letterhead signed by a doctor.
- A professional English translation if the emergency document is not in English.
- Proof of international travel, such as an itinerary or airline ticket.
- The correct passport application form and a compliant passport photo.
- Valid government-issued photo identification.
If your situation is urgent but does not meet the life-or-death standard, you may still need proof of travel for expedited passport service.
How to Make an Emergency Passport Appointment
The correct appointment path depends on whether you have already applied for a passport and whether you can find an appointment online.
- If you have not already applied, first try the State Department online passport appointment system.
- If you cannot get an online appointment, or you have already applied, call 1-877-487-2778 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
- If you have a life-or-death emergency after 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on weekdays, or on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, call 202-647-4000.
- Do not use the after-hours emergency number for ordinary urgent travel service.
Do not count on walking in. Passport agencies and centers require appointments. Appointment availability is not guaranteed, and appointments cannot be transferred to someone else.
For more help with the scheduling process, see our guide to making a passport appointment online.
What to Bring to the Appointment
Bring complete documents. In a true emergency, even a small paperwork problem can cost you time you may not have.
Common emergency renewal checklist
- Completed and signed Form DS-82, if you qualify to renew
- Your most recent passport book or card
- A compliant passport photo
- Valid government-issued photo ID
- Documentation of the life-or-death emergency
- Proof of international travel within the required window
- Name-change documentation, if applicable
- Payment for government passport fees and any expedited service or delivery options
If your passport is lost, stolen, significantly damaged, or you are not eligible to renew, you may need to apply with Form DS-11 instead. For a these situations, see our guide to getting a first-time passport in an emergency.
Emergency Renewal While Traveling Abroad
If you are outside the United States, do not try to use a U.S. regional passport agency or a domestic courier service. Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for emergency passport help.
What to know abroad
- U.S. embassies and consulates can issue emergency or limited-validity passports in qualifying cases.
- Emergency passports issued abroad are often limited-validity documents.
- You may need to replace a limited-validity passport later with a full-validity passport.
Start with our U.S. embassy and consulate list to find the nearest office.
What If It Is Urgent but Not Life-or-Death?
If your trip is close but does not involve a qualifying life-or-death emergency, use urgent travel service instead. This is the more common path for travelers who need a renewal in less than two or three weeks.
For non-emergency urgent travel, start with our urgent passport renewal guide or our same-day passport renewal guide.
✈️ Need Your Passport Fast?
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Emergency Passports for Minors
A child’s passport cannot be renewed, even in an emergency. Children must apply for a new passport using the minor passport process.
If a child needs a passport quickly, see our guide to expedited passports for minors.
Emergency Passport Renewal FAQ
It may be possible in a qualifying life-or-death emergency, but issuance is not guaranteed. Your timing depends on appointment availability, your documents, proof of the emergency, and State Department processing.
The emergency must involve an immediate family member outside the United States who has died, is dying in hospice care, or has a life-threatening illness or injury.
No. The State Department defines immediate family for this service as a parent or legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent.
No. Passport agencies and centers require appointments. If you cannot get an appointment online or you already applied, call the State Department using the appropriate emergency or urgent-travel number for your situation.
A registered passport expediter may help with logistics in some cases, but it cannot approve your emergency, guarantee an appointment, bypass State Department rules, or issue the passport. Start with the official emergency process first.
More Emergency and Urgent Passport Help
- Urgent Passport Renewal
- Same-Day Passport Renewal
- Emergency Passport Service
- Fast Passport Guide
- Schedule a Passport Appointment Online
- Apply at a Regional Passport Agency
- Form DS-82 Renewal Guide
- Passport Fees
- Regional Passport Agencies
- U.S. Embassy and Consulate List
- Passport Expediting Services Directory
Compare Your Fast Passport Options
If routine service is too slow, you may need an agency appointment or help from a registered courier. Compare your options before you decide.
Last reviewed: May 13, 2026.
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