Are Expedited Passport Services Worth the Money? - Expedited Passports

Traveling in a hurry? There are several ways to get an expedited passport.

According to State Department spokesman Peter Velasco, the Department of State has 26 passport agencies across the nation that can assist U.S. travelers who need their travel documents immediately. The Department of State charges an additional $60 fee for expedited passport service.

If you have to travel abroad for business or family emergencies and you need to leave in a day or two, applying for an expedited passport through the State Department will not solve your problem. But you do have other options.

US Passport Agency – Standard – 4-7 Weeks, Expedited 2-3 weeks
RushMyPassport.com – Standard – 8-12 Days, Expedited 24 hours

If you need your expedited U.S. passport for immediate travel, a passport expediting service is the ideal solution. If one of the tasks on your “to do” list involves getting or renewing your passport, you may discover that an expedited passport service is actually a godsend. Yes, you’ll pay a fee for the service. But you won’t have to do any of the legwork.

People take advantage of expedited passport services when renewing a U.S. passport or getting a first time passport, because the process takes a lot of time and energy. In addition to all the required paperwork, passport applicants can often wait in long lines for hours, eating up all your valuable time. Many feel it simply isn’t worth the hassle. Overseas travelers have plenty of loose ends to tie up before their trips – and very little spare time in which to do it.

How much is your time worth? Is it worth missing a day of work and the aggravation of standing in line at the post office or passport office to handle the passport paperwork yourself? More and more people are saying “no”. When time is at a premium, our expedited passport services can deliver a lot of peace of mind.

Summer travel season is almost here. Even with our current economic challenges, vacation getaways still rank at the top of our “most wanted” list. But with less discretionary income for vacation travel, most people are looking for ways to cut costs.

Some airlines offer last-minute travel deals when booking 3 to 14 days before departure. These deals can be a great bargain, but you are also risking that no last-minute seats will be available.

Booking at least 21 days in advance of your departure date is one way to save. Usually, the more available seats on the flight the cheaper the ticket will be. Fares increase steadily as you get closer to your departure date.  This is illustrated in the chart below, with data provided by Orbitz.com, for the average airfare price based on advance purchase.

You can always save on travel agent commissions by booking the trip yourself. Major airline ticket resellers offer discount fares. Booking and traveling on the right days can make a major difference in the cost of fares.  Here are some details to keep in mind when booking your own travel:

• Book your flight on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday – the best fares are usually available at the beginning of the week.
• Be flexible with your travel dates and you will find the cheapest available flights.
• The cheapest days of the week to fly are usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
• Search for flights three days before and three days after your targeted travel dates and choose the travel dates that offer the best deals.

So if you’re planning a summer vacation, remember to plan ahead and book your air travel well in advance. And if this is your summer for international travel, make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row. More international travelers could mean longer delays in getting your passport and other necessary travel documents.

More than ever before, our pets are considered part of our family. Since a recent survey from AAA and Best Western International shows 51 percent of Americans take their pets along when they travel, here is some helpful information about traveling internationally with pets.

Check the Airline’s restrictions.

Airlines like AirCanada, AirFrance, Delta, JetBlue, United and Virgin America allow small pets to travel with you in the cabin with certain restrictions. Requirements differ from airline to airline with a limited number of in-cabin pets per flight. Some pet-friendly airlines like JetBlue even offer frequent flyer miles for pets.

Check the visiting country’s requirements.

Each country has its own restrictions for pet travel. Unlike your passport, which allows you to easily travel from country to country, pet travel rules vary from country to country (rabies vaccination, tapeworm treatment, micro chipping, etc.).   Find out what forms the country requires, what vaccinations your pet must have, and any other restrictions the country places on pets.  This information can be found at the consulate or embassy of the country you are traveling to.

Visit your veterinarian before your trip.

Have a USDA certified Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service veterinarian give the vaccines and complete the health certificate. Have the health certificate endorsed by your state’s USDA Veterinary Services center. Include all necessary documentation like a signed certificate for the rabies vaccination and documentation of any lab work.

Make sure to travel with the country’s specific veterinary documentation before travel or your pet could be denied entry. Your pet could be sent home immediately on a departing flight, or placed in quarantine – at your expense – if they do not have the appropriate paperwork.

Plan ahead for international travel with your pet.

Recently Justin Bieber’s pet capuchin monkey, Mally, didn’t have the necessary documentation to enter Germany. Mally was confiscated by customs officials and is now being held in quarantine, fate undetermined. Make sure that doesn’t happen to your pet. Follow the pet immigration rules of the country where you and your pet will be traveling.

RushMyPassport.com offers expedited passports for adults and children. While an express passport for pets does not exist, there are websites that offer pet passports with the correct documentation forms and travel requirements for your specific destination country to help simplify the process.

If you are about to go on your honeymoon and are traveling internationally, what are your choices if your name is going to change? Well, here are a few options:

For those flying, your tickets need to match your passport. If this is your first time traveling internationally, you should be able to travel under your maiden name as long as your documents match. Simply visit a U.S. Post Office before your wedding and fill out an application. This will prevent you from paying additional fees. Remember, passport applications that are not expedited normally take at least 6 to 8 weeks to process, so make sure you leave enough time.

Americans traveling internationally that already had their name legally changed will definitely need a new passport. If you are limited in time, one expedited passport option is by using a U.S. passport service like RushMyPassport.com. This expedited passport service provides turnkey U.S. passports in as little as 24 hours at a very affordable price. Additionally they provide users with customer support to help in assisting with all aspects of the process.

Most people are aware that you need a passport to go to Europe, Africa and Asia. But what if you’re staying closer to home?

A decade ago, getting into Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean was as easy as saying “I’m an American citizen,” but not anymore.  After 9-11, The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was enacted making it much harder to get in and out of the US without a passport.

Don’t get caught off-guard if you’re heading to one of these destinations:

Canada

Visiting Canada? Check your passport, eh? You definitely need one if you’re flying in or out of the country, unless you have a NEXUS trusted traveler card and you are flying to a Canadian preclearance airport with a NEXUS kiosk.

If you’re traveling by land or sea, you need one of the following to re-enter the US: a passport, a passport card, an enhanced driver’s license (currently only 4 states offer these), or a NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI trusted traveler card.

Mexico

If you’re flying to or from Mexico, you need a valid passport.

If you’re traveling by land or sea, Mexico requires all US citizens to have a passport if they’re traveling beyond the “border zone,” about 12 miles in. However, the US government requirements for re-entering the US are the same as for Canada above, regardless of whether you stay within the “border zone” or not.

Aruba

To visit Aruba, you need a passport if you’re flying and a passport or a passport card if you’re traveling by sea.

St. Martin

To hang out in this island paradise, you need a passport and a ticket back out of the country.

Bermuda

Bermuda requires all US citizens to present a passport to get into the country.

The Bahamas

If you’re traveling by air, you need a passport book.

If you’re traveling by sea, you can use a passport, passport card, enhanced driver’s license, NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI card.

The British Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands are part of the United States, but should you want to visit their British siblings, you’ll need a valid passport book if you’re traveling by air.

If you’re traveling by sea, you’ll need a passport, a passport card, an enhanced driver’s license or a NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI card.

The Cayman Islands

As of January 23, 2007, you must have a valid passport book to enter the Caymans.

Trinidad and Tobago

Unlike many Caribbean countries, a US passport book is the only accepted form of ID to enter this island nation, no matter how you’re traveling. (more…)

You know you shouldn’t travel on a damaged passport, but how much of a beating does your passport have to take before it qualifies as damaged? If you travel frequently, your passport will eventually end up in less-than-pristine condition. How do you tell the difference between “normal, acceptable wear and tear” and “too damaged to travel”?

One Family’s Story 

Unfortunately, there’s not a bright line between these two states. As one Colorado family learned recently, that means that should you encounter an overzealous official, even normal wear-and-tear can leave you grounded.

Kyle, Dana and little Kye Gosnell were all set to head to Belize for a beach vacation.

Unfortunately, Kyle Gosnell’s well-used, well-loved passport had a large crease on the back cover. Though the family received boarding passes from Denver to Belize, they had to change planes in Dallas, Texas. After airline officials there noticed the crease on Mr. Gosnell’s passport, that is where their trip ended.

As Mr. Gosnell explained to Fox 31 Denver, “They took a look at our passports and said that my passport was mutilated, therefore I wasn’t able to fly.”

The Gosnells are unhappy about missing the first part of their vacation, of course, but what makes it even worse is that they got all the way to Dallas before they got stopped. As Dana Gosnell explained, it would have been better if they’d been stopped at the Denver airport, close to home: “There was no protocol. They don’t have the same system of rules for the Denver airport that they do for the Dallas airport.”

That’s because enforcement of the rules is left to the discretion of the airline. Since airlines can be fined heavily if they let you on an international flight without the proper documents, there’s an incentive for them to be overly cautious.

Definition of a Damaged Passport

So, should a crease in the back of your passport keep you from traveling? Not according to the Department of State, which told the news station that “From Passport Services perspective this problem seems to originate with the airlines. We generally don’t consider a crease to be damaged or mutilated such that it would prevent travel.”

According to the State Department’s website, the following conditions DO qualify as damage:

• Water Damage
• A rip or tear
• Markings on personal data page
• Visa pages that have been torn out
• A hole punch
• Other significant injuries

Of course, once you’ve been denied boarding, being in the right is cold comfort, indeed. If your passport is worn out enough to be a concern, you may decide to renew it anyway, just to be on the safe side.

If your passport is damaged, you’ll need to apply for a replacement in person. See Passport Replacement Services for more details on what to do.

Need help replacing a damaged passport quickly? Contact us today!

Without a doubt, Niagara Falls is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the world. The sheer amount of water surging around you is simply sublime. In fact, when Austrian composer Gustave Mahler first encountered the falls, he is said to have exclaimed, “At last, fortissimo!”

Over 28 million tourists visit the falls every year. If you’d like to be one of them, first make sure you have the travel documents you need for your desired itinerary.  Do you need a passport to go to Niagara Falls?  The Niagara River straddles the Canadian border, so the answer depends on which side of the attraction you’ll be touring.  The American Falls and Bridal Veils Falls are both on the US side of the border.  However, their bigger brother Horseshoe Falls is on the Canadian  side. There are plenty of waterfall-related activities and vantage points on both sides of the border, but the view from the Canadian side is generally considered to be the most impressive.

Obviously, if you’re going to stay in New York, you won’t need a passport. However, if you want the full Niagara Falls experience, you’ll need to cross the border into Ontario. In that case, you may need a passport.  Here’s what Niagara Falls Live has to say about the matter:

U.S. CITIZENS RETURNING TO THE U.S. AFTER VISITING NIAGARA FALLS CANADA ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A PASSPORT, PASSPORT CARD OR ENHANCED DRIVERS LICENSE AT THE IMMIGRATION CHECKPOINT. If you  are a U.S. citizen living in the U.S. and cross the border to Canada and attempt to re-enter the U.S. you will need one of the above listed forms of identification.

Until June of 2009, this wasn’t the case, and you can see from the emphatic combination of all-caps and red font that many travelers still show up unprepared.  Don’t be one of them- get a passport, a passport card or another acceptable form of ID.  Trusted traveler cards like NEXUS, FAST and SENTRI cards can also be used to cross, though they are much less common and more of a hassle to acquire.  Please note, if you are flying from the US to Canada, you’ll need a passport book, not a passport card and not one of the alternate IDs. See Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada? for more information. (more…)

It’s completely normal to feel just a wee bit nervous after you drop your passport application in the mail, especially if you’re on a deadline. After all, not only do you need your passport for travel, the application packet also contains important personal documents like your birth certificate.

Being able to track your passport application provides peace of mind while you wait for your new passport to arrive at your doorstep. The Department of State provides the ability to track applications via its website using the following steps:

• Go to the passport section of the State Department website.
• Select “Application Status” from the menu on the left side of the screen.
• Click on the “Check Application Status” link.
• Read the relevant privacy disclosures and hit “OK.”
• Look up your application using your last name (including hyphens and suffixes when appropriate), your date of birth and the last four digits of your social security number. (more…)

Most travel experts tell you to apply for a passport at least a couple of months before you plan to leave the country, and that’s definitely the safest way to go. However, depending on how much time and energy you’re willing to put into the endeavor, you may be able to acquire one much more quickly than that.

Regular  Processing

If you apply for your passport by mail or at the post office and don’t request any sort of special handling, you can expect to get it back in around six weeks, depending on the State Department’s workload at the time. Be sure you read the application instructions carefully, as mistakes can delay your passport.

Expedited Processing

If regular processing takes too long, the Department of State does offer an expedited processing option for an additional $60 charge. If you pay the $60 and spring for overnight delivery to and from the passport office, you should have your passport in about three weeks’ time.

If that still doesn’t cut it, you can get your passport even more quickly by making an appointment at one of the country’s 24 regional passport agency offices. These offices issue emergency passports only, so in order to make an appointment you must have already booked a trip out of the country that leaves in the next 14 days.

However, if you also need to get a visa for your destination country, you have a little bit more leeway and can make an appointment within four weeks of your travel date. Once at the office, you should have your passport within 24 hours provided you brought all of the required documents.

Of course, with only 24 offices serving the entire country, visiting a regional passport agency in person is extremely inconvenient for many people. Office hours tend to be limited, so people who work during the day have to take additional time off.  Plus, depending on where you live, it could take hours to get to the nearest office, or you might even have to take a plane.

An expediting service like RushMyPassport is a worthwhile investment because you don’t have to make an appointment or travel. Just go to the nearest post office, get your documents officially “sealed,” and send them to us. We personally deliver them to the Department of State, then FedEx your passport right back to you, often in as little as 24 hours. Plus, we take you through the application process one step at a time,  so you can avoid making common mistakes that might slow down your passport.

Need to get a passport quickly? Contact us today!

One question that keeps coming up again and again in the comments section is this: “Do babies need passports of their own?” It’s not necessarily an unreasonable question– after all, they don’t necessarily need their own plane tickets, so why would they need their own ID?

Alas, in most countries the era of the “family passport” has long since passed.  Even the smallest infants now require their own documents for most international travel. Let’s take a look at the question in a little bit more depth:

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) governs travel between the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.  Within these areas, your baby may be able to travel passport-free as long as you are not flying. Here are the applicable rules:

• All air travel requires a passport, no matter how young your baby is.
• For land or sea travel, adults should have a passport, a passport card, or another WHTI-compliant ID like a NEXUS card, FAST card, SENTRI card or an enhanced driver’s license (offered in a limited number of states at this time.)
• Babies (and any other children under the age of 16) traveling by land or sea may do so with just a birth certificate.
• US citizens of any age traveling on a closed-loop cruise (one that begins and ends at the same US port) may cruise with just state-issued ID (if adults) and a birth certificate.

Outside the Western Hemisphere

If you are going outside of the Western Hemisphere, your baby needs a passport no matter what your mode of travel.

Also, when taking your baby to any foreign country, if you aren’t traveling with the other parent, you may need a signed, notarized letter granting permission for the trip. Some countries require this as a safeguard to prevent child abduction. Contact the embassy of your destination country for details.

Now that you know whether or not you need a passport for your baby, here’s  How to Get a Child Passport.

Bear in mind that your child’s new passport may take six weeks to come in if you apply with regular processing.  Pay an additional $60 for expedited processing, and you’re still looking at 3 weeks processing time. For faster service, either make an appointment at one of the nation’s 24 regional passport agencies, or use a private company like RushMyPassport. We personally deliver your child’s paperwork to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours. Plus, there’s no need to make an appointment or wait in line at a passport agency with a fussy infant.

For help getting your child a passport quickly, contact us today!