You can request expedited passport renewal by mail, apply at a passport agency when you qualify for urgent travel service, or use a registered passport courier for an eligible urgent application.
The correct option depends on your renewal eligibility, international travel date, need for a foreign visa, and ability to visit a passport agency. Processing estimates do not include all mailing time, and urgent service does not guarantee issuance on a particular day.
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✈️ Need Your Passport Fast?
Save 10% on VIP expedited courier service with processing as fast as 2–4 business days. For a more affordable option, choose the popular Priority Service with 7–9 business day processing. Check current available processing speeds.
Assess Your Renewal Timeline
Start with the amount of time remaining before international travel:
| Time Before Travel | Option to Consider |
|---|---|
| At least six weeks | Routine renewal may fit your schedule. Eligible adults can also renew online, but online renewal cannot be expedited. |
| Three to six weeks | Request expedited service by mail and use a trackable mailing method. |
| Less than three weeks | Prepare for an urgent passport agency appointment. The appointment must fall within 14 calendar days of international travel, or within 28 days when a foreign visa is required. |
| Urgent travel when an agency trip is impractical | Check the current service options offered by registered passport couriers. |
Routine processing currently takes 4 to 6 weeks. Expedited processing currently takes 2 to 3 weeks. Mailing time is separate from both estimates.
Do not submit a second application. If you already applied and your international travel date is now within 14 days, call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778.
Confirm You Can Renew
You can generally renew with Form DS-82 if your most recent passport:
- Can be submitted with the application
- Has not been reported lost or stolen
- Was issued within the last 15 years; otherwise, review whether to renew the expired passport or apply for a new one
- Was issued when you were age 16 or older
- Was valid for 10 years
- Is not damaged beyond normal wear
- Shows your current name, or you can provide acceptable documentation of the name change
If you do not meet these requirements, you must apply in person using Form DS-11 instead of renewing with Form DS-82.
Choose an Expedited Renewal Method
Compare the application route, travel-date requirements, government fees, mailing time, and travel required for each option.
Before submitting the application, confirm that Form DS-82 is complete and signed, the photo meets current passport photo requirements, and the payment amount is correct. Missing information or unacceptable supporting documents can delay processing.
Option 1: Expedited Renewal by Mail
How Long It Takes
Expedited processing currently takes 2 to 3 weeks. Add the time required for the application to reach the processing center and for the completed passport to be delivered.
How to Apply
- Complete and sign Form DS-82.
- Include your most recent passport. It will be returned separately after the renewal is processed.
- Include one current passport photo.
- Include payment for the renewal fee and the additional expedite fee. Check the current amount on our passport fees page.
- Write EXPEDITE on the outside of the envelope.
- Mail the application through the United States Postal Service to:
National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90955
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955
Use a trackable mailing service. Processing begins after the application reaches the passport agency or center. Optional faster return delivery applies only after the passport has been issued.
Official source: Renew a Passport by Mail.
Option 2: Urgent Passport Agency Appointment
Who Qualifies
You may request an appointment when you have international travel within 14 calendar days or need a foreign visa within 28 calendar days.
A passport agency appointment is required. Do not rely on obtaining walk-in service. Appointment availability is not guaranteed, and the agency determines when and how the completed passport will be provided.
How to Apply
- Request an appointment: If you have not submitted the renewal application, use the online passport appointment system. If you already submitted the application and travel is now within 14 days, call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778.
- Prepare the application: Bring the completed Form DS-82, your most recent passport, one passport photo, payment, and proof of international travel.
- Follow the confirmation instructions: Bring the appointment confirmation and arrive at the time stated in the confirmation.
- Confirm delivery or pickup: The agency will explain when and how the passport will be provided based on the travel date and application.
Read our complete guide to applying at a regional passport agency.
Life-or-Death Emergency Appointments
You may qualify for life-or-death emergency service when an immediate family member outside the United States has died, is dying or in hospice care, or has a life-threatening illness or injury, and you must travel abroad within 14 days. Documentation of the emergency and travel is required.
Official source: Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency.
Option 3: Use a Registered Passport Courier
A registered passport courier may be useful when you qualify for urgent service but traveling to a passport agency would require significant time, distance, or expense.
What a Courier Can Do
- Review the application package for common errors or missing items
- Provide instructions for the required authorization and proof of travel
- Coordinate submission through available courier channels
- Track the application and communicate status updates
- Coordinate passport pickup and return delivery when available
What the Applicant Must Do
You must complete and sign the application, provide the required original passport and supporting documents, supply an acceptable photo, pay government fees and courier fees, and meet the State Department's eligibility requirements.
A courier cannot waive government rules, guarantee passport issuance, guarantee a particular completion date, or obtain an agency appointment that can be transferred to you.
How to Compare Courier Services
- Confirm that the requested renewal type is eligible.
- Check the service speeds currently available for your travel date.
- Review the courier fee separately from State Department fees and shipping.
- Confirm the document-review, tracking, pickup, and delivery services included.
- Review the cancellation and refund terms before ordering. See the passport expediting FAQ for common courier questions.
Use our passport courier directory to compare providers, or read how to evaluate whether a passport expediting service is legitimate.
Track Your Application
It may take up to two weeks after mailing Form DS-82 for the first status to appear. Review where to check on a renewed passport if the application remains unavailable or appears delayed.
- Mail or passport agency application: Use the State Department's online passport status system.
- Courier application: Check both the State Department status system and any tracking or status service provided by the courier.
If you already applied and your international travel date is now within 14 days, call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778. Do not submit a duplicate application.
Your previous passport and other supporting documents are returned separately by First Class Mail. They may arrive up to four weeks after the new passport.
✈️ Need Your Passport Fast?
Save 10% on VIP expedited courier service with processing as fast as 2–4 business days. For a more affordable option, choose the popular Priority Service with 7–9 business day processing. Check current available processing speeds.
Expedited Passport Renewal FAQs
These answers cover the most common questions about expedited passport renewal, online renewal, fees, urgent travel, and delayed applications.
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Should I choose routine or expedited renewal service?
Routine processing currently takes 4 to 6 weeks. Expedited processing currently takes 2 to 3 weeks. Mailing time is separate.
Read our comparison of routine and expedited passport service and our guide to passport processing and delivery time.
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Can I expedite an online passport renewal?
No. Eligible adults can renew online, but online renewal is available only with routine service. You must be at least 25, have a qualifying 10-year passport, meet the other online eligibility requirements, and have no international travel planned for at least six weeks after submitting the application.
Use our online passport renewal guide to check eligibility. Choose mail renewal, a passport agency appointment, or an eligible courier service when expedited processing is required.
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How much does expedited passport renewal cost?
Expedited renewal includes the standard passport application fee and the additional State Department expedite fee. Optional faster return delivery costs extra.
Passport couriers charge their own service and shipping fees in addition to government fees. When comparing the options, include the government application fee, expedite fee, optional faster return delivery, mailing expenses, courier fees, and any travel or lodging required for an agency appointment.
Check the current amounts on our passport fees page.
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What should I do if the expedited passport does not arrive before travel?
If international travel is within 14 days, follow the steps for a passport that has not arrived before an imminent trip and call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778. Travelers who used a courier should also contact the courier for the latest application and delivery status.
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What should I do when the renewed passport arrives?
Check the name, date of birth, place of birth, sex marker, issue date, and expiration date. Request a passport correction if the State Department printed any information incorrectly.
Sign an adult passport in blue or black ink. Store it in a cool, dry, secure place, and update any Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI account with the new passport information.
Read what to do when a new passport arrives for the complete checklist.
For additional questions, see our passport renewal FAQ.
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.
