The Department of State just announced that it will celebrating “Passport Day in the USA” later on this month, providing citizens with an opportunity to submit their passport applications during special Saturday hours at regional passport agency offices and passport acceptance facilities around the country.
This is the second year in a row that the Department of State has celebrated Passport Day. In addition to being open on a Saturday, for this one day you won’t have to make an appointment in advance to apply for a passport at one of the regional passport agencies. You also won’t have to pay a $60 expedite fee or bring a copy of your itinerary showing that you plan to leave the country in 14 days. There are 23 regional passport agencies scattered throughout the country. They will be open from 10:00 am to 3:00pm.
If you don’t have a regional passport agency office nearby and you need to get a passport, check with your local passport acceptance facility to see what hours they will be open on that Saturday. Passport acceptance facilities are often located inside post offices, libraries or county clerks’ offices-you can find the one that’s closest to you here.
In a statement on the Department of State’s website, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services Brenda S. Sprague commented on the event:
“Passport Day in the USA is a great opportunity for Americans to apply for their passports. Since it is on a Saturday, people can drop by a passport agency or their nearest passport acceptance facility and still have plenty of time to enjoy their weekend.”
Passport Day in the USA is a great opportunity if you don’t have imminent travel plans and just want to get a passport without having to take time off work. However, it is not for people with urgent travel plans.
The only expedited service available at this event costs $60 and will get you your passport in around 2 weeks or longer as opposed to 6 weeks or longer. If you need your passport sooner than that, you still have to make an appointment at the nearest regional passport agency (an acceptance facility can’t help you) during normal business hours and bring proof of travel.
If you need to get a passport in a hurry and either can’t make it to a regional passport agency office or just don’t want to take the time, a private expediting company like RushMyPassport.com can help.
Rather than you having to take off work and drive to an agency office that could be hours away, you would simply submit your application to the expediting company and the expediting company will deliver it to the Department of State for you. We offer processing times as low as 24 hours and a level of personal attention and service you won’t find anywhere else.
Ready to get a passport? Apply for one today!