Important Due to Covid-19, processing times for passports are taking longer than normal for both standard and expedited services.

Practical Tips to Help You Prevent Passport Expediting Problems

All the tips for regular passport processing also apply when expediting your passport but there are three more that are specifically relevant to acquiring your passport quickly.

Get a New Passport Application Adjudicated.

Some people mail their application for a new passport directly to the passport expeditor thinking that the courier can present it to the passport acceptance agent to be adjudicated. This is not possible. The person applying for a new passport must personally appear before the acceptance agent.

Applicants who are submitting Form DS-11 for a new passport must appear in person before an authorized agent who will review their documents and witness the signing of the application form. Only after this has been done can the application be mailed to a registered passport courier.

Send Two Authorization Letters

No passport expediting company can submit your passport application to the State Department without your written authorization. You can get this form from the passport expeditor you choose to contract. Print the authorization form, fill it out and sign it.

If you are applying for a new passport, make sure that you prepare two authorization letters. One should be given to the acceptance agent to include in the sealed envelope with your completed form and supporting documents.

The second authorization letter should be sent with the sealed envelope to the courier service that will present your passport application for processing.

Include Your Itinerary.

Proof of travel is required when requesting expedited service. If you purchased your ticket online (e-ticket), you can print either the confirmation message in your browser screen or the email confirmation and send that. If you go through a travel agency, ask your travel agent to print out a copy for you. If no printed itinerary is available, you can personally type one and print it out.

COVID-19 UPDATE: Mailing delays are impacting passport processing. The Department of State's processing times begin when applications are received and not when you mail them. Standard service may take up to 14 weeks from the day the application is submitted to the day the passport arrives at your door. This timeframe includes both processing of the application and delivery time.

Expedited service may take up to 10 weeks from the day an application is submitted to the day a new passport is received. These door-to-door timeframes include both our processing times and mailing times on the front and back end. Delays may be significant so requesting 1-2-day mailing may greatly help.

Regional passport agencies are offering extremely limited in-person services if you need to travel internationally in the next 72 hours. Those with qualified life-or-death emergencies are prioritized.

Life-or-death emergencies are serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, and grandparent) that require you to travel outside the United States within 72 hours (3 business days).

If you need to travel due to a qualified life-or-death emergency, please call the National Passport Information Center for an appointment.

Mondays through Fridays 8 AM to 5PM, call ET 1-877-487-2778 (TDD/TTY:1-888-874-7793) Outside of these hours, 202-647-4000

Rush My Passport has been obtaining expedited passport in 4.5 weeks. Apply online for expedited passport service.