Expedited Passports

A Wisconsin high school student going on a school trip to Peru was not allowed to leave the US after his dog damaged his passport. The dog, a 1-year-old golden retriever named Sunshine, found the passport in a waistband the student had borrowed to keep his valuables secure in Peru.  She only nibbled off the top corner, but the damage was done.

Chicago airport officials let the boy fly to Miami with his class despite the chewed-up passport. However, once he was in Miami, officials there refused to allow him on the plane to Peru because of the damage. He flew back to Chicago, where his parents picked him and tried to arrange getting an emergency passport from the passport office in Miami. However, the passport office said that due a backlog of applications, there was no way for them to process an emergency passport application that quickly.

The moral of this story? If your passport is damaged, you need to replace it before the trip-even if it’s still mostly intact! Also, you should be aware that applying for an emergency passport is often easier if you use a private passport expediting company. RushMyPassport.com offers processing times as short as 24 hours, and we have walk-in service available at our West Palm Beach office.

To replace a damaged passport, you’ll need to use passport application form DS-11 and Form D-64, an affidavit that describes how the damage occurred. Basically, a damaged passport is handled just like a lost or stolen passport. If you’re applying to replace a damaged passport through RushMyPassport.com, you should select the option for replacing a lost or stolen passport.

Need a passport quickly? Apply for an emergency passport today!

At the beginning of this month,  new passport rules went into effect for travel between the US and Canada,  Mexico and the Caribbean.  Before June 1st, you could have traveled to these countries with a birth certificate and a driver’s license. Now, you need a US passport or another approved document.

Why were these new passport rules necessary? Why isn’t it enough to be able to produce a valid driver’s license or state ID card to prove your identity, and a valid birth certificate to prove that you are a US citizen? Over on the Dual Citizenship blog, there’s a great post by Fred Burton, formerly the Deputy Chief of the Counter-Terrorism Division of the US State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, that explains the rationale behind the new rules.

According to Burton, the main problem with the old system was that driver’s licenses and birth certificates are relatively easy to fake and to obtain on the black market: (more…)

Are you looking for an excuse to get away? How does a free hotel room sound? Marriott has an awesome special running right now, where you can stay for three nights and get one night free. However, the offer is only good at Marriott hotels located outside of the US and Canada. So, to take advantage of it, you’ll need to have a passport.

You’ll also need to book your rooms (and flight)  by August  21st. Fortunately,  there are a  lot  of  last-minute international flight deals available right now, too. Compare prices on flights using one or more of the major travel search engines, and you’ll be amazed at what you can find! Of course, leaving at the last minute is only possible if you have a passport ready. Getting a passport can take 6 weeks or longer if you apply with normal processing. If you apply for an expedited passport directly through the government can take at least 3 weeks.

However, there is a faster way to apply for an expedited passport. By applying through a private passport expediting company, you can your expedited passport application processed in as little as 24 hours. Plus, you’ll get personal assistance with your passport application from a knowledge passport professional, to help you get your application processed quickly the first time.

So, go ahead, start planning that last-minute vacation-apply for your expedited passport today!

The Berlin Wall has been down for almost 20 years. However, Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous border crossing between East and West Berlin, is still a major tourist attraction. And, for a fee, you can still get your passport stamped just as you would have if you crossed from East Berlin to West Berlin when the wall was still up.

“Souvenir” passport stamps are also available from popular tourist destinations like Machu Picchu. Plus, tiny countries like Liechtenstein and San Marino may not bother to stamp your passport unless you pay them for the privilege.

Think carefully before you do! Jaunted points out that since US passports are technically supposed to be legal documents that document the countries you’ve been to, fake passport stamps from street vendors at tourist destinations might cause problems at some border crossings. However, “souvenir” passport stamps from actual countries like Liechenstein should be fine.

If you’ve already filled up your passport’s visa pages, you’ll need to make sure you have enough room for additional stamps before you travel out of the country again.Most countries require 2 to 4 blank pages. For more details, see How to Add New Pages To Your US Passport.

Whether you need to add pages, renew your passport or get a brand new one, a private passport expediting company can help simplify the process. You’ll get personal assistance from a trained passport export, as well as speedy processing time, so you won’t have to worry about missing your vacation.

Apply for your US passports today!

On June 1st, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative became law. The new laws require that Americans traveling to Canada by land or sea carry passports with them. Apparently, obtaining a passport is too much trouble for many Americans, as tour operators are reporting a shift towards domestic destinations.

According to this article on Canada.com, motor coach tours to visit destinations in Canada are down by 30% over the past year. This is almost the same as the percentage of tour members who stated that they didn’t have a passport and didn’t want to get one. Since 2001, after security became more of a concern and travel regulations became stricter, day trips are down by 70%.

So, is obtaining a passport to go to Canada really worth it? Definitely! For more details, check out the Top Reasons to Get an Express Passport and Visit Canada This Summer.

If you’d like to travel to Canada, you’ll need to allow at least 6 weeks for processing if you apply through the government with normal processing. The government’s expedited processing takes at least 3 weeks. For faster processing and better customer service, consider using a private passport expediting company. You’ll have knowledgeable, professional passport experts to help you through the application process, and processing times as fast as 24 hours!

Obtaining a passport is easy with RushMyPassport.com-apply today!

So, you just got your new passport in the mail? How exciting! An adult passport is good for 10 years if cared for properly. To avoid having to apply for another passport before your renewal date, here are some tips on how to take care of your new passport and protect it from being lost, stolen or damaged.

1. Invest in a passport case. A case will keep your passport from being bent or frayed in your pocket or purse. As long as your passport stays closed, nobody should be able to read the information stored in the RFID chip in your passport. However, an RFID-proof case can provide an extra layer of protection.
2. Always store your passport in the same place when you aren’t using it. This will help keep it from getting lost.
3. When you travel, make copies of the information on your passport. Leave a copy with family at home and keep a copy in your bag. Keep the passport itself close to you, on the front side of your body and underneath your clothing, so you’ll feel it if someone tries to get a little too “friendly” with it.
4. Keep your passport dry. A little bit of moisture won’t hurt it, but if it goes through the washing machine, you’ll have to get  a new one.
5. Store it out of the reach of children and pets.

If your passport gets lost, stolen or damaged, you’ll need to fill out and application for a new passport along with the lost/stolen/damaged passport form DS-64. Expect to wait at least 6 weeks if you apply with normal processing, and at least 3 weeks if you use the government’s expediting service.

Replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport is easier and faster when you use a private passport expediting company. An expediting company can save you time and frustration by providing you with easy instructions on how to apply for a new passport. Then, they’ll deliver your new passport application by hand to the US Department of State, resulting in processing times as quick as 24 hours.

Apply for your new passport today!

Passports have changed a lot over the years. We recently wrote about a 400-year-old passport that a popular BBC show discovered in May. Back then, passports were letters written on parchment, signed by the king, that gave the bearer the right to travel the world on the king’s behalf. Obviously, passports have evolved a great deal.  What will they look like in the future?

Samsung thinks it knows. The company has developed a prototype electronic passport that uses a flexible OLED screen to display a rotating, 3-D image of your head. The electronic passport is powered by the RFID chip inside of the passport, so it never needs to be charged. Engadget has a video posted.

Is this the US passport of the future? Who knows…it’s still in the early stages. Currently, US passports already have an RFID chip to make them harder to forge, so perhaps someday this will be the next step.

If you need a passport, a private passport expediting company is the easiest way to get one. You’ll get personal assistance and detailed instructions on how to apply for a passport, to make sure that the application process goes smoothly. You’ll also get much faster processing-sometimes as fast as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport today!

If you’d like to visit another country without going too far from home,  consider going to Canada this summer.  Canada is an exciting vacation destination, with enough different activities to appeal to almost anyone. Let’s take a look at the top 5 reasons to visit Canada this summer:

• Fishing- Canada is an excellent destination for sport fishermen. This post on Destinations for Leisure highlights the best lakes to fish in Canada, especially for the delicious northern walleye pike.
• Golf: Canada also has several world-class golfing opportunities with well-designed courses set against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery. This post describes the 10 best golf courses in Canada. If you like to watch as well as participate, check out the 2009 RBC Canadian Open in Toronto, July 20-26th.
  
• Whale Watching: Starting in May and continuing on through October, Vancouver Island offers some incredible whale-watching tours. See dolphins, orcas, gray whales and more.
  
• Music- The International Festival de Jazz de Montreal takes place June 30th through July 12th and features performances by famous artists such as Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Jeff Beck and more.
  
• Niagara Falls- The most powerful waterfall in North America is an incredible sight to behold-and you’ll get the best view of it from the Canadian side of the river.  In the summer,  families can enjoy free fireworks and concerts at Queen Victoria park every Friday and Sunday night. Also, check out the S.C.E.N.E festival on June 28th, with more than 100 bands playing live.
  

If you want to go to Canada this summer, don’t forget your passport! On June 1st, travel regulations changed. Now, passports are required for American citizens trying to re-enter the US from Canada. If you haven’t applied for a passport yet, you’ll need to get an express passport. The easiest way to order an express passport is to use a private passport expediting company.

An expediting company can get your passport application processed quickly, sometimes in as little as 24 hours. Plus, you won’t have to make an appointment at a Passport Agency office or wait in line.  Make the most of your summer vacation: order your express passport today!

A new change in the rules for getting a passport will make things easier for same-sex couples married in Massachusetts and other states that allow  same-sex  marriage. Under the new rules, same sex couples who change their names after marriage will be allowed to apply for a passport using their spouse’s last name if they choose to change their names after marriage.

Before this ruling, in order to have the same last name as their spouse, one spouse would have to legally apply for  a legal  name change in court instead of simply being given the option to apply for a passport under their married names. To make things even more confusing, these couples were able to get state driver’s licenses and other identification documents in their married names without having to go through an additional name change process in court. Now, getting a passport name change is possible for these couples with a copy of the marriage certificate, just like it is for other marriages.

In a statement quoted in the Boston Globe, Keith Toney, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit that prompted the rule change, described what a hassle it was having a driver’s license in his married name and a passport in his old name when he traveled with his family:

“We’re thrilled that we will no longer have to worry about being interrogated when we go through airport security, or anywhere else outside of the US simply because of a discrepancy in my legal identification documents.”

Do you need to get your name changed on your passport? To find out how to get your new passport as fast as possible, read How to Rush a Passport Name Change.

Do you need to get a passport name change in a hurry? RushMyPassport.com makes getting a passport name change fast and easy.  Our passport specialists will provide you with instructions for filling out the paperwork. Then, we’ll hand-deliver your application to the Department of State for processing. With RushMyPassport.com, your application could be processed in as little as 24 hours!

Get your passport application in today!

Four US states (Washington, Michigan, New York and Vermont) have started offering enhanced driver’s licenses (EDL’s), which can be used instead of a passport to travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.  If you live in one of these states, should you trade your old license in for an EDL, or should you get a passport?

Ultimately, the decision is yours to make, based on how often you travel out of the country and whether you usually drive or fly. Here are some factors to consider:

• Cost: EDL’s are less expensive than getting a passport, but they still cost more than a traditional driver’s license. In Washington, it’s an additional $15 over the cost of a regular driver’s license renewal. In Vermont, it’s an additional $25. In Michigan, it’s $45. In New York, it’s $30.
• Time: Because EDL’s are accepted as proof of citizenship, you must bring your official birth certificate or other proof of citizenship to apply. Also, you may have to go to a special DMV office to get an EDL.
• To apply for a passport, you’ll still need proof of identification and proof of citizenship, but the process may go a little bit faster since you can apply at a passport acceptance facility (often your local post office) instead of having to go to a DMV.
• EDL’s are only good for land or sea travel to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. They won’t work if you’re traveling by plane, or if you’re traveling to any other countries.  Passports are good everywhere.
• Passports are good for 10 years. EDLs are only good for five.

If you decide to get an EDL, you’ll have to wait for your application to processed and the license to be sent to you in the mail. The processing time depends on the state, but may take around 3 weeks. Processing time for a passport varies: at least 6 weeks with regular processing and at least 3 weeks with expedited processing.

The bottom line is that an EDL is great for someone who frequently drives into Canada or Mexico for day trips. If you prefer to travel by plane or you plan to visit countries that are not in the Western Hemisphere, getting a passport is probably a better idea for you.

If you need to a get a passport for an upcoming trip, getting a passport through a private passport expediting company is your best bet. Expediting companies simplify the process of getting a passport by making sure you know exactly how to fill out the paperwork and which documents are needed. By hand-delivering your documents to the US Passport Agency, they can also dramtically reduce the time that getting a passport takes, sometimes to as little as 24 hours!

Get ready to travel this summer-apply for a passport today!