Expedited Pasport – Get A US Passport Today
Sometimes life has a way of throwing some interesting curve balls our way. We think everything is going great and then all of a sudden something happens and we have to jump on a plane to Europe on short notice. If you don’t have a passport or it is expired, expedited passport services can make this problem go away in a snap.
First it is helpful to realize that the Department of State processes this paperwork each and every day and it is necessary to take one’s place in line so to speak. In the fiscal year 2009, nearly 13.5 million passports were completed. What is considered fast in government documentation is not necessarily the same as the overnight delivery options that are available when it comes to online shopping. Currently a rush document from the Department of State takes two to three weeks to receive.
This rush service that is being paid for encompasses the time from when the application is received and accepted until the passport actually shows up in the mail box at home. If this is still not fast enough, there are other passport agencies that are outside the government that can put an even quicker rush on the documents. While there services are faster, they also charge even more money.
As you can imagine, there are some significant fees for any service over and above the standard processing fees. For regular service, the applicant will have to pay $120 to get both a passport and passport card. Getting the book alone is $20 cheaper, but is a good idea to have them both. Fees for minors are slightly less.
If expedited service is needed, there will be a $60 fee tacked on to all of the other standard charges. In addition to these fees, the forms should be shipped via overnight mail for security reasons. Sending documents like this via regular mail is simply not recommended. This can be ordered when filling out all of the forms at the passport office.
The overnight delivery will cost about $15 in addition to all of the other fees that are being charged. While some people may be rolling their eyes at this point as the costs continue to add up, this is a fee that is money well spent. The documents will be secure and able to be tracked this way and considering how important they are, $15 is nothing compared to the aggravation that would ensue if they were lost.
The form to fill out for expedited service is the DS-82. Yes, the government has a form for everything, so be prepared to write. If this is not the first passport being applied for and expedited services are requested, write the word “expedite” boldly and in plain sight on the outside of the envelope. This will ensure that it gets to the right department upon delivery.
Using expedited U S A passport services is a great way to get the US passport in hand quick. For some people, the extra fees are worth it just to know that the turnaround time will not be so long. If these services are not used, the application just goes into the pile and has to work its way to the top. If you are lucky, the passport will arrive in about two months. Sometimes, that is just too long to wait.
on May 6th, 2010 at 4:45 am
The form to fill out for expedited service is not DS-82. Form DS-82 is the application for a passport renewal by mail. Not only this but any passport service can be processed using expedited service is the applicant pays the additional fee whether for a new passport, added visa pages or any other. It is important to write the word “Expedited” on the outside of the envelope so that agents can quickly identify your request.