Getting a passport can be a long, drawn-out process. As they say, the waiting is the hardest part-especially when you have a plane or a boat waiting for you! The US Department of State urges people to apply well in advance, but sometimes, unavoidable circumstances or accidents make applying in advance impossible. Here are the the top 5 reasons that you might have to rush your passport:
Reason #1: Your passport went AWOL
It’s 11:00 pm. Do you know where your passport is? No matter how careful you are about keeping it someplace safe, a lost passport can happen to anyone. And if you don’t realize it’s missing until a week or even a few days before you are supposed to depart, you’ll have no choice but to rush your passport.
Reason #2: Sudden Need to Travel
If you have friends or family overseas, you should try to keep a valid passport at all times. You never know when something, either good or bad, will come up that requires your immediate presence in another country.
Reason #3: Your Passport is Expired
Passports are good for 10 years. That’s a long time-but sometimes it goes by more quickly than you’d think. If you have a trip planned and don’t notice that your passport is expired until it’s too late, you could be in trouble. Also, keep in mind that some countries won’t let you in unless you have at least 6 months left before your passport expires.
Reason #4: Application Problems
On the other hand, you might have applied for your passport in plenty of time, but if you made a mistake on the application, forget to enclose a check or a document, or submitted a photo that wasn’t up to par, you could have to re-submit in a hurry!
For more information on common mistakes, see our post: The Top 10 Reasons for Delays in Getting Your Passport
Reason #5: You Didn’t Know You Needed It Until It Was Too Late!
Recent changes in passport law have left a lot of people confused about whether or not they need a passport for certain trips. Back in the day, you didn’t need a passport to go to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean. Now, in most cases, you do.
No matter why you need to rush your passport, RushMyPassport can help. We will assist you with your application, providing personal help from a trained passport specialist and an easy-to-read checklist to help you navigate the required paperwork. Then, we forward your application by hand to the US Department of State, for processing times as quick as 24 hours!
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