I booked my flight tickets to Cancun and found that my son's passport has been expired. I am in a big trouble and need your advice what to do now? Is there any possibility to get it within 24 hours?
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Note that it is quite relevant whether you are currently in the US. Since your user profile says you are in the UK, see london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/acs/passports/urgent.html– Michael HamptonJan 13, 2016 at 13:50
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1 Answer
It is possible to get a passport renewed very quickly, however the fastest service is reserved for life or death emergencies, for which I would not imagine a holiday to Cancun can count. Getting the passport renewed will require your son to make an in person (required for persons under 16 anyway) visit to a passport agency, having already made an appointment.
According to the US Bureau of Consular AFfairs:
Expedited Service at a Passport Agency
If you need a passport very quickly, the best method may be to apply at a U.S. Department of State Passport Agency.
There are 28 passport agencies around the country that can provide expedited service. Many have opened in the last few years and there may be one closer to you than you think. Appointments and proof of immediate international travel are required to apply at U.S. Department of State passport agencies. For a complete list of agencies, click here.
To schedule an appointment, please call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778; 1-888-874-7793 (TDD/TTY). The $60 expedite fee is required for each application submitted in person at a Passport Agency or Center. Payment methods include:
- Major Credit Card – Visa, MasterCard, American Express Discover
- Debit/Check cards (not ATM cards)
- Checks, bank drafts, money orders
- Cash payments must be exact change. No change is given.
The passport agency will determine how best to return the passport in order to meet the customer's documented travel plans. Will Call service is offered for life/death emergencies and immediate travel. Proof of immediate international travel is required for will call service.
The timescale they normally give for these is < 8 days, so I'd say you'll be doing very well to get a passport in the 24 hours you ask for (although user @Aleks G indicates that an acquanintance of theirs was able to get one in this timescale). Still, call the number and give it a try (if you can travel to one of the agencies)
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2I can't really think of a situation where life or death emergencies would require a passport renewal. If there's a deadly storm coming, I'll just take my car and drive to the border, passport or no passport. Or is it "death" as in my relative is dying and I have to travel to see them? Jan 12, 2016 at 15:05
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3@DmitryGrigoryev I do think they mean, in part, for funerals or to see a dying family member, but I could see needing immediate medical treatment that's not available in the US or something similar also.– JoeJan 12, 2016 at 17:00
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1That said - I read "Life or death emergencies and immediate travel" as meaning two separate things (emergencies | immediate travel), particularly as they clarify with the next sentence as needing proof of travel.– JoeJan 12, 2016 at 17:03
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2I can confirm that immediate international travel is sufficient. My aunt once arrived to the airport (Boston Logan) to travel to Tbilisi for 2 weeks by Lufthansa. Lufthansa refused her boarding because her passport had less than 6 months validity. (Technically, they said that they could carry her to Munich, but not to Tbilisi.) They agreed to change her tickets to the next day - and she got her new passport in Boston in one day. That said, this was a couple of years ago, so things may have changed.– Aleks GJan 12, 2016 at 23:07
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3@J.Williams why are you using a private service that can do it "within a week" over the potentially next day service direct from the passport agency (who you will have to visit anyway)?– CMasterJan 14, 2016 at 8:20