Travel is a great thing, but there are plenty of things that can take an anticipated trip and turn it into an absolute nightmare. While many of these things are beyond our control, something like an expired passport can be avoided. If the expiration date on the passport is before the trip that is scheduled in a few weeks, expedited United States passport renewal is there to help save the day.
Picture this scenario: the dream trip is all set up, the tickets have been purchased, the hotels have been booked, and vacation times have been scheduled at work. Everything is planned perfectly, right down to the last detail, until you read the fine print on your passport. Unfortunately, it is set to expire in a few weeks and the trip is right around the corner. Although the obvious first move in this situation is to panic, panic is not necessary.
This is a perfect example of a situation that warrants expedited passport renewal. Passports are only valid for ten years. After ten years, an expired passport must be renewed. Just like new passport applications, renewal applications may be expedited at an additional fee.
The beauty of passport renewal is that there is no need to have to wait in line. The whole process can be handled through the mail with little to no worries. The DS-82 form can be picked up at most post offices or downloaded right off the Internet. It will have to be filled out and then put in an envelope with the old passport and a new one will be on its way in about two months (sooner if the expedited service is paid for).
Since the old passport and copies of the current ID documents will be included in the package, it is best to take some extra measures to make sure that everything gets to its destination safely. First, it is recommended by the State Department that Tyvek packing is used for the contents. In addition to that, we recommend that overnight shipping is used with delivery confirmation for an added level of security.
Currently, the Department of State estimates the processing time for a normal passport application to be about four to six weeks. Any passport needed in less than six weeks is a candidate for an expedited application. The fee for expediting a passport is $60 dollars, plus the normal application fee, and the two-way overnight delivery fee.
The current turnaround time for an expedited passport is about three weeks. This can fluctuate with travel schedules. If a popular overseas travel time is coming up, it is very likely that more people are using this service and the passport may not come back in the three week span. However, there are other services that can be utilized to get it back even quicker.
There are so many things that can go wrong on a trip; it is a shame to add one more, like having an expired U S passport, that is our own fault. The glory of this mistake is that it is still very fixable, even up to the very last moment. Using expedited American passport renewal can literally turn that frown upside down and allow everyone to enjoy their trip as planned.