When you apply for a passport for the first time, you are required to appear in person to do so. Does that mean that you can’t use an expediting company to get your passport quickly?
At RushMyPassport, we get this question a lot. It’s natural to be concerned, but the answer is reassuring: Of course you can! You’ll still need to appear in person at a passport acceptance facility, but there’s no need to wait weeks for your passport to arrive like it you would if you submitted it without our help.
Passport acceptance offices are often located in post offices or libraries, so there’s almost certain to be one in your area. You can find the nearest one by searching for your city and state on the Department of State’s website.
When you go to the acceptance facility, bring the following documents:
- Proof of identity
- Proof of citizenship
- 2 passport photos
- A check or money order to pay the required fees.
- A copy of your itinerary to show that you need your passport in a hurry.
- An “authorization letter” from the expediting company
At the acceptance facility, you’ll fill out passport application form DS-11, show the acceptance agent your ID and provide them with your proof of citizenship. Let the acceptance agent know that you are using a private expediting company, show them the authorization letter, and the agent will place your documents into a special sealed envelope that you can then send overnight to the expediting company.
This process saves you the hassle of having to make an appointment and possibly travel out of your way to an emergency passport office, while still allowing you to get your application processed in as little as 24 hours. When you consider that standard processing times at a passport acceptance office without the assistance of an expediting company are 6 weeks or longer for routine service and 3 weeks for “expedited” service, the advantage of using an expediting company is clear.
For passport help, contact us today!