How to Replace a Lost Passport Overseas - Expedited Passports

There’s almost nothing worse than losing your passport the day before you are supposed to leave on an international trip-except, perhaps, losing it while you are far from home in another country. What should you do if this happens to you? The following process will help you get your lost passport replaced ASAP.

Step 1: Calm Down

Losing a passport in another country can send you in panic mode faster than almost anything else. Panic accomplishes nothing, so the first step is simply to take a few deep breaths and calm down.

Step 2:  Contact the Nearest US Embassy or Consulate

In order to report your passport lost or stolen while you are overseas, you must contact the nearest US embassy or consulate. They will be able to cancel your old passport and assist you in getting a new one.

Don’t have the address or phone number? This site has a list of all of the US embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions in the world, sorted by country for your convenience.

Step 3: Visit the Embassy or Consulate to Have Your Passport Replaced

The next step is to go to the embassy or consulate and apply for a replacement passport. The process will be quicker and easier if you have remembered to bring the following items with you on your trip:

• A copy of the identification page of your passport (the page with all of your personal info)
• A copy of your birth certificate or other proof of citizenship
• Photo ID
• 2 passport photos

That said, if you don’t have all of those documents with you, don’t despair-just call the embassy and they will help you figure it out.  That’s what they are there for.

If you lose your passport while you are in the United States, the process for a replacing a lost passport is a little bit easier. You will need to apply in person at an acceptance facility (often a post office), and you should expect to wait at least 6 weeks for regular service and 3 weeks for the government’s expedited service.

If you are in the US and need your lost passport replaced more quickly, you can either make an appointment at the nearest Regional Passport Agency Office or use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.  An expediting company is the quickest, most convenient way to go.

Replace your lost passport today!

US citizens born to midwives near the US-Mexican border will get a chance to get new passports next month by applying at special mobile units set up by the Department of State.  The mobile units are being set up as part of the settlement for a class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU on behalf of American citizens who were born at home to midwives near the border.

Because the government suspected some midwives of fraudulently issuing American birth certificates to children born in Mexico, many citizens who had lived their entire lives as US citizens were unable to get a passport.

Now, “certified class members” who have birth certificates signed by midwives, applied for a new passport between April 8, 2003 and Aug. 14, 2009 and had their applications “”filed without further action, “abandoned” or “closed” will be able to reapply for a new passport free of charge. In order to apply at one of the special sites, you will need to have the Department of State verify that you are indeed a certified class member. You can request to be certified as a member of the class here. Getting verified can take up to 4 weeks, but the Brownsville Herald is reporting that it is often much faster.

The mobile units will be set up in the following Texas cities from May 18th to May 23rd: Laredo, San Antonio, El Paso, McAllen, San Antonio, Del Rio, Eagle Pass and Brownsville. For more details, please see the Department of State’s website (link above).

If you qualify as a member of the class, you can reapply without having to pay an application fee. If you apply at one of the sites listed above or at a Regional Passport Agency office, you will also be exempt from paying the $25 execution fee. However, if you resubmit your passport application at an acceptance facility (like your local post office), you will have to pay the $25.00 execution fee.

Getting a new passport generally takes about 6 weeks if you apply with regular processing and about 3 weeks if you apply using the government’s expedited service. Need it faster? RushMyPassport  can submit your passport application directly to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your new passport today!

News of natural disasters or political violence in other countries leaves most people simply shaking their heads. However, for some travelers, bad news in an otherwise attractive travel destination means that it’s time to double-check the expiration date on your passport.

Why would you want to travel to an area that’s experiencing difficulties? Most people choose to stay home or go somewhere else when conditions in a particular destination are less than ideal, which means that you can often score excellent deals on hotels and flights. For example, when the New York Times’ Frugal Traveler covered the topic, they interviewed  Jeff Waldman, a California man who hopes that the political unrest in Thailand can help him snag a cheap vacation there. To Mr. Waldman, it’s all a question of risks vs. benefits:

“If Thailand erupted into civil war tomorrow, I don’t think that I’d be going. But a few little protests that are scaring off some of the less-risky travelers? I’ll absolutely take advantage of that.”

There’s no doubt that you can save money, but is it right to take advantage? What’s the difference between bargain-hunting and profiting from the misfortunes of others? Really, it depends on the situation. For example, spending money in Mexico during the H1N1 scare could actually have been beneficial, as long as you chose a time and an area of the country that was not severely affected and overwhelmed by large numbers of sick people. The economic crisis in Greece is also fair game.  In general, according to the Frugal Traveler, visiting during an economic or mild political crisis is fine, even a help to the affected communities. Visiting during a natural disaster is not, unless you are going as a volunteer to help.

Want to take advantage of the volcanic ash eruption in Iceland or the economic crash in Greece? Getting a passport is the first step. The application process usually takes about 6 weeks if you apply for normal processing and about 3 weeks if you apply for the government’s expedited processing. If you need your passport more quickly, the easiest and most convenient way is to use a private passport expediting company. An expediting company can make getting your passport a breeze, offering help with the application process and hand-delivering your paperwork to the Department of State for lightning-fast processing.

Getting a passport? Let us help!

The idea of a World’s Fair may seem somewhat quaint, calling to mind the first Great Exposition in London, England in 1851 or the electrical exhibits at the the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. However, the practice of holding international expositions has continued to this day.  Now, as then, the expositions provide countries with an opportunity to show off, whether it be by displaying new technologies or through cultural and artistic exhibitions.

This year, China is hosting a world’s fair in Shanghai. The Shanghai World Expo started on May 1st and will continue until October 31st, 2010. The theme of the expo is “Better City: Better Life,” and as you might imagine, China has gone all out to get the city of Shanghai in the best possible shape for the event, spending approximately $45 billion to prepare the city for the Expo. The opening ceremony featured a fantastic fireworks display, and additional festivities are planned throughout the event, which is expected to attract more than $75 million people (via the New York Times).

Each country participating in the Expo has a pavilion designed to show visitors the country at its best- France has brought some of its most famous art works, including paintings by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Bonnard and Cezanne, as well as a statue by Rodin. Denmark has made its famous “Little Mermaid” statue the centerpiece of its pavilion.  According to the NileGuidance blog, even tiny Kazakhstan has managed to put together a pavilion that exemplifies its “wealth of culture and open invitation to tourists.”

If you’d like to go to the Shanghai World Expo, you might want to apply for a passport, quick.  Once your passport application is submitted, you can expect to spend about 6 weeks waiting for it if you apply with regular processing, and about 3 weeks if you apply using the government’s expedited processing.

If you need a passport more quickly, the easiest and most convenient way is to use an expediting service like RushMyPassport.com. With an expediter, you get personal, one-on-one attention from  a passport specialist to help you complete the application. Then, we deliver your application by hand to the Department of State to ensure you get your passport quick, with processing times as low as 24 hours!

Need a passport quick? Apply with us today!

Something old? Check.  Something new? Check. Something borrowed? Check. Valid passport? Hey,wait a minute…

These days, cruise ship weddings are replacing more expensive destination weddings as the ceremony of choice for budget-conscious couples who love to travel. The NileGuidance blog reports that the number of couples getting married on a cruise ship has risen by 60% in the past decade.  Cruise ship weddings are quite affordable, even if you don’t have a lot of money to spend-Carnival Cruise’s basic ceremony costs $1,195, and for an additional $600, you get a reception with your family and friends before the boat sails. Just make sure nobody tries to stow away in your cabin!

According to SmartMoney.com, the average wedding in the US costs between $21,000 and $24,000, making the cost of a cruise ship wedding seem downright frugal in comparison. Plus, you don’t have to worry about planning your honeymoon-just sail off into the sunset once you’ve said your vows.

If you’re sailing out of the country, one must-have cruise ship wedding accessory is a US passport. Since June of 2009, a passport has been required to cross the border into Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean by land or sea. Technically, you can get by with just a driver’s license and birth certificate if you are sailing to one of those three regions and your cruise begins and ends at the same US port.  However, passports are required for all international air travel, so you’re much better off if you have one with you just in case something comes up during the cruise and you have to fly back.

Applying for a passport usually takes approximately 6 weeks for regular service and three weeks for the government’s expedited service. You can get an expedited passport more quickly bu using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.  We provide detailed, clear instructions to help you complete your expedited passport application; and then we hand-deliver it to the US Department of State.  With our service, your expedited passport could be on its way back to you in as little as 24 hours!

Apply for your expedited passport today!