The average period within which a replacement US passport can be achieved is eight weeks. There are many things that might necessitate the replacement of a passport. One of them may be due to theft, ordinary loss or server anomalies in the document. Any one traveling must be in possession of a valid travelling document. It is against the law to travel without one. The urgency of the replacement depends on how immediate your traveling plans are.
Use The Internet
For travelers with urgent travel plans who require the passport quickly, an Internet search is a good option. There are a number of companies available online that offer these services. These providers can deliver a new document within a very short time, as short as 24 hours. However, it should be noted that these companies charge an additional fee for urgent documents. The additional charges can be as high as 300 US dollars but it varies depending on the urgency. Those processed in a longer time will have lower fees.
The Government Connection
The expedition companies work in collaboration with government agencies in charge of issuing passports. This gives them an advantage over individual applicants because they can push through the application fast. The best individual applicants can try do is hurry the application through government agencies but the process will still take about 3-4 weeks.
Your Responsibility
When an applicant works with an independent processing company, he/she will bear some responsibility. All the government application standards must be completed in addition to completion of all the forms required by the service company. The government application forms can either be obtained from the governmental site or that of the company. Just like the government, the company issues a set of instructions in regard to form completion.
Passport Photos
To get a new document, you will need two photographs taken recently and in accordance to the required measurements. The measurements will be 2×2 inches and should be taken in full color from a frontal view. All instructions in regard to this should be closely followed to avoid rejection of your application. It is advisable to have the photographs taken by a professional.
Submission
Once all the above requirements have been put in place, it will be important to now prepare for sending the documents. Put all the application forms and the required support identification documents together and send them to the company via a mailing service provider. The courier agency you choose must allow for tracking of the documents.
Return Old Passport
To accompany the replacement package, include your original old American passports. This old passport will be cancelled by the government but will be returned to you to be kept with your important records. Although it will be returned to you, you cannot use it because it will be invalid.