Expedited Passports

In an attempt to keep up with increasing demand, the US Department of State is expanding the number of regional passport agency offices capable of issuing emergency passports. One new office is planned for San Diego, California. On August 10th, the Department of State is holding a tour of the future site of the new office, which is currently scheduled to open to the public in the spring of next year.

In a press release, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services Brenda S. Sprague commented, “I’m very excited about expanding our presence to the San Diego area. As passports are required for cross-border travel to Mexico, the new agency will help us better serve U.S. citizens in the region and create jobs and contribute to the local economy.”

The office, which will be located in the Columbia Center at 401 West A Street, will issue passports to US citizens who are traveling within 14 days, or who are traveling within 4 weeks but also need to obtain a foreign visa. An appointment will be required for services at this passport office. Currently, residents of San Diego who need an emergency passport must travel to Los Angeles or San Francisco.

While the new passport office should make things easier for people living in the San Diego area, getting to the office during business hours will still be a problem or at least an inconvenience for many. That’s why it’s nice to know that making an appointment and waiting in line at a Regional Passport Agency office isn’t the only way to get an emergency passport. You can also use a private passport expediting company and let them deal with the State Department for you.

When you work with RushMyPassport.com, for example, you get assigned a passport specialist who helps answer any questions you might have about the application process and helps you avoid common mistakes that could delay your passport. Then, we hand-deliver your paperwork to the Department of State for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Want to skip the passport office? Apply with us today!

Ohio State University is trying to make sure its incoming freshman class considers a passport as much of a college essential as pens, pencils and a laptop.  According to the Columbus Dispatch, OSU intends to double the number of passport-carrying students attending the university, primarily by encouraging its incoming freshman to apply and by creating shorter, more accessible study-abroad programs.

For example, students are being encouraged to get a passport at freshman orientation, and the school is offering a variety of month-long study abroad programs in different countries, to give students  a chance to travel overseas.

According to university president E. Gordon Gee, getting a passport opens the door to a variety of rich educational experiences as well as different careers. The school’s Office of International Affairs features this quote from Gee on its website:

“Opportunities for service trips and sessions abroad can come quickly. Having a passport in hand will empower students by giving them access to those life-changing experiences.”

If you have the opportunity to travel abroad, don’t pass it up just because you still have to get a passport. The standard processing time for a passport application is at least 6 weeks, but if you are in a hurry you can get one faster. By paying an additional $60 plus the cost of overnight delivery to and from the passport office, you can get expedited processing and have your passport in about 3 weeks.

If you need your passport sooner, you have two options: go to a Regional Passport Agency office or use a private passport expediting company.  There are only 18 Regional Passport Agency offices in the US currently, so there may or may not be one near you. Also, they process passport applications by appointment only, so you can’t just walk in. Finally, they have limited hours of operation so if you work weekdays you will need to ask for additional time off.

Since you don’t need to make an appointment or wait in line to use an expediting company, hiring an expediter is often a worthwhile investment. RushMyPassport personally delivers your application to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Don’t let the world pass you by-get a passport today!

Geese migrate south in the fall, and now you can, too.  According to Jaunted, Virgin America is scheduled to start flights south of the border in the fall, to Cancun and Cab0 San Lucas.  The new route was announced at an anniversary party commemorating the launch of Virgin America’s first international destination, Toronto, last year.

If you’d like to be one of the first to fly Virgin’s new Mexican routes, you’d better get your passport application in now. Flights are expected to leave from San Francisco and Los Angeles starting this fall. Jaunted explains:

Virgin America CEO David Cush says that there’s no official date yet set for the first Mexico flights, but we’re guessing they’ll begin when fall temperatures drop the US back into jacket weather and people start dreaming of hot sun and bikinis again.

Passports are required for flights to Mexico, and you won’t be able to board the plane without one.

When you order a passport, you should expect to wait at least 6 weeks for it to arrive in the mail, assuming you order it with normal processing. If you need it sooner, you can expedite your passport application with the Department of State, but you should still allow at least 3 weeks for it to arrive.

What do you do if you find a great last-minute deal? If you have tickets to leave for Mexico in less than 2 weeks and you don’t have a valid passport, you can make an appointment at a Regional Passport Agency office to get one issued. However, bear in mind that the passport agency is appointment only-you can’t just walk in whenever it’s convenient for you to turn in your passport application.  Also, passport agency offices have limited office hours, and are usually only open on weekdays. Finally, there are only 18 of these passport offices to serve the entire US.

A more convenient option is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport. RushMyPassport delivers your passport application directly to the Department of State, for processing times as quick as 24 hours and no need to wait in line or visit a passport agency.

Let us expedite your passport application today!

Fans of the “Godfather” series of books and movies now have a new reason to get a passport: Naples has repossessed the properties of  mafia leaders and is turning them into retreats for tourists, according to the New York Times. For example, a 17th-century farmhouse owned by Bernardo Brusca, former capo of one of Sicily’s more notorious crime families, is now a luxurious bed and breakfast.  In the Times article, Emiliano Rocchi, the head chef of the bed and breakfast, explains:

“All the municipalities in the area were part of a long, violent mafioso history that they wanted to leave behind. Turning these Mafia properties into socially beneficial projects is a way of doing that.”

One such bed and breakfast is even located in the town of Corleone, made famous as the ancestral home of the Corleone family in “The Godfather.” Agriturismo Terre Di Corleone was once owned by Salvatore Riina, the leader of the entire Sicilian Mafia.  Nowadays, the gorgeous, peaceful scenery and local, organic food makes it a great base for exploring Sicily.

Visitors to one of these bed and breakfasts may be attracted in part by their histories, but the program is actually helping local Sicilians shake free from mafia domination. The New York Times interviewed Francesco Galante of Libera Terra, who explained that with the bed and breakfasts and increases in tourism, people now have other options:

“The people from the surrounding towns now get to choose where they work,” said Mr. Galante. “They no longer depend on the favor of Mafia firms, or Mafia-connected businessmen. They feel the difference.”

To visit Sicily, you will need to get a passport, of course.  Make sure to apply early- it can take 6 weeks or longer to get a passport if you apply with normal processing.  If you pay an extra $60 to order expedited service from the Department of State,  you can cut the waiting time in half, down to 3 weeks.

However, if you need to get a passport more quickly, the quickest and easiest way is to use a private passport expediting company, like RushMyPassport.com. With an expediting company, you can get a passport in as little as 24 hours with no need to make an appointment or travel to a passport agency office.

Need to get a passport? Apply with us today!

According to the US Department of State, it usually takes about 6 weeks to process a passport application and issue a new passport. But what if you can’t wait?  There are lots of reasons you could need an expedited passport; anything from a sudden unexpected international trip to a passport that isn’t where it was last time you checked. Philadelphia residents who are unable to wait 6 weeks for a new passport have 3 options.

Expedited Passport Processing

The first option is to simply request expedited passport processing when you apply for your new passport. This costs an additional $60, plus overnight delivery fees to and from the passport processing facility, and it cuts processing time down to 3 weeks.

If 3 weeks is still too long, the other two options are faster.

Making an Appointment at the Philadelphia Passport Agency

The Philadelphia Passport Agency office can issue passports on-site. However, you can’t just walk in. You must make an appointment either online or by calling 1-877-487-2778. Appointments will only be granted if you have tickets to leave the country in the next 2 weeks or if you are traveling internationally in the next 4 weeks and you need a visa.

Additionally, the Philadelphia Passport Agency office is only open from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday. So, you’ll more than likely have to take some time off work, which could be tricky if you already have time off scheduled for your trip.

Using a Private Passport Expediting Service

The most convenient option for getting an expedited passport in Philadelphia is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. With an expediting company, you pay an extra fee, but the process of expediting your passport is much smoother and more convenient. You get expert help with your application and a handy checklist, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting something important and delaying your application when you can least afford to. Plus, you don’t have to worry about getting additional time off from work to make an appointment at the Passport Agency.  The expediting service handles all of that for you!

RushMyPassport offers quick, professional service with processing times as low as 24 hours. Apply for your expedited passport today!

Every child knows the stories of Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood. If you’ve already done Disney, you might consider getting a US passport renewal, grabbing your kids, and heading to Germany to drive down the Fairy Tale Road to take them to the scene of these enchanting stories.

The New York Times just ran a feature on the  Fairy Tale road, which connects the real, historical homes of the Brothers Grimm with sites that fit the descriptions of the settings of classic fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood.For example, the Dornröschenschloss Sababurg is an old castle near where Kassel, where the brothers Grimm collected many of their fairy tales. When the brothers were alive, the castle was deserted and surrounded by masses of briars and wild roses, just like in Sleeping Beauty. Nowadays, of course, there’s the obligatory museum with a gift shop where you can treat your own little princess to a souvenir.

Then there’s Rotkäppchenland, which roughly translates to “Little Red Cap” land in English.   Long ago, the people inhabiting this valley wore clothes that indicated their ages and social position.  Little girls wore red caps-hence, “Little Red Riding Hood.”

In addition to the New York Times article referenced above, Weather.com also has an excellent guide to the Fairy Tale Road that can help you plan your trip.  But if you want your trip to have a happy ending, check the expiration date on your passport, and make sure to apply for a US passport renewal well in advance if necessary!

It takes about 6 weeks to get your passport renewed if you apply with normal processing, and about 3 weeks if you request the government’s expedited service. Also, don’t forget that your kids need passports too, no matter how little they are.

If you’re about to leave the country and looking for a fairy godmother to get you your passport on time, don’t despair! You can either make an appointment at a regional passport agency office or use a private passport expediting service like RushMyPassport.com. An expediting service is much faster and more convenient-there’s no need to make an appointment at a passport agency or wait in line. The expediting agency delivers your documents directly to the Department of State for you, for processing times as low as 24 hours. It’s like magic!

Apply for your US passport renewal today!

If you’re going on a cruise, you’ll have a much better time if you have everything you need with you when you get on the boat. It can be tough to remember everything you need to pack. This packing list will help you get started:

• Clothes: Mostly light, summer stuff, but also include some comfortable warmer clothes as well. Additionally, most cruise ships don’t allow jeans and T-shirts in the dining cabin for dinner, so bring appropriate clothing for that. Bring at least one (preferably 2) formal outfits for the formal dinner nights.
• Sunscreen: SPF 15 or higher
• Aloe vera or other sunburn treatment
• Sunglasses
• Personal care necessities, like your toothbrush, hairbrush and toiletries.
• Swimwear
• Medical insurance information
• Travel insurance information, if applicable
• Tickets and other documentation related to the cruise
• Airline ticket information and hotel confirmations, if applicable
• Your camera
• Basic medical stuff, like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, band-aids, antibiotic ointment, antacids and anti-diarrheal medication
• Dramamine or other medication for motion sickness
• Insect repellant
• Money belt or pouch to keep your money protected during shore excursions
• Stuff to read and/or listen to

If you’ll be leaving the country on your cruise, there’s one item that should be on the top of your list: Your US passport. Passports are required unless you are traveling to Mexico, the Caribbean or Canada on a closed-loop cruise, one that begins and ends at the same US port. For a closed-loop cruise to one of these regions, you can get by with a driver’s license and a birth certificate (or other form of US citizenship.)

However, even for closed-loop cruises, it’s still a good idea to bring your US passport with you.  You need a passport to fly anywhere outside of the US, so having your passport with you will make it much easier to get home in a hurry if you have an emergency of some sort. Also, if you don’t make it back to the boat on time during a shore excursion, if you have your passport you can fly to the next port and catch up with it. Finally, some cruise lines may require you to bring a passport even for closed-loop cruises, so call and ask if you have any questions.

If you need a US passport in a hurry, we can help. RushMyPassport can deliver your application directly to the Department of State, for processing times as fast as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport today!

Can you imagine spending $5000 for a passport renewal? A New Zealand man recently did just that, after he discovered at the last minute that he would need his passport replaced to attend the World Cup in South Africa. According to the New Zealand Herald, Dave Barrett was about to board a plane to fly from Auckland to Johannesburg when officials noticed he didn’t have any clean pages in the back of his passport book. So, they told him he couldn’t board the flight.

Apparently, if you are a British citizen living in New Zealand, getting a passport renewal is a long process. Mr. Barrett was told that he would have to wait at least a month for a new passport, by which time the games would be over. So, he decided to fly from New Zealand to England to get a same-day passport renewal, and then fly to South Africa.

He told the New Zealand Herald:

“I thought about going to Hong Kong, but in the end I decided that the best thing to do was to cancel my original flight and go to London for a new passport…It was a long and expensive trip, yes. The new ticket cost me the equivalent of $5000, but I had no option,” he said.

Fortunately, he was able to get his passport renewed in London to attend the World Cup. Although I personally can’t imagine paying an extra 5 grand for the privilege of hearing those obnoxious vuvuzela horns in person, I’m glad Mr. Barrett’s story has a happy ending.

Fortunately, Americans don’t have to get a passport renewal when they run out of pages. As long as your passport is valid, you can simply add pages to the back. If you’re overseas, you can stop by a US Embassy or consulate. If you’re in the US, you’ll have to send it off- see “How to Get New Pages For Your Passport” for details.

If you need it in a hurry, you can either make an appointment at a Regional Passport Agency office or use a private passport expediting service, neither of which will cost you $5,000. In fact, RushMyPassport will personally deliver your application for extra pages to the Department of State for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Add pages to your passport today!

In some countries, getting a passport is almost second nature.  Not here, though. According to this recent post on The Expeditioner.com, only 22% Americans have a passport. That’s less than a quarter of the population! For a little perspective,  compare that rate to our neighbors in Canada. According to Wikipedia, 56.2% of Canadians have a Canadian passport.

Why is it so different here? The Expeditioner lays out a couple of possible reasons, both of which I basically agree with:

• Money: Most families don’t have enough extra lying around right now for a passport, much less all of the other expenses associated with international travel. Getting a passport for a family of 4 is no joke, financially speaking, and the US Department of State’s proposed passport fee increases certainly aren’t going to help matters.
• Culture: Traveling abroad isn’t as much a part of the culture here as it is in, say, Europe for example. The Expeditioner attributes this to Europe’s history of colonizing other parts of the world, while America pretty much kept to itself. I think you could also argue that America’s size plays a part-you can do and see a lot without leaving the US, and unless you live next to Canada and Mexico, it’s not as easy to visit another country as it is in Europe.

Here’s another factor I think the Expeditioner might have left out:

• Paperwork: Getting a passport requires dealing with paperwork, forms and bureaucrats, all of which Americans are historically impatient with.

In fact, if you have a deadline coming up and you need your passport quickly, the paperwork and time involved can go from intimidating to downright terrifying. Did I fill out this form correctly? Is there anything that could hold up my application?

In times like these, you may want to consider using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. When you apply through us, you get helpful instructions and checklists to make sure that nothing is missed, and you get the assistance of a private passport specialist who can answer any questions you may have.  Then, we deliver your application directly to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours.

Apply today to see how easy getting a passport can be!

Soon, El Paso residents who wish to apply for a passport will no longer be able to use the El Paso county passport office. The office, which accepted applications for regular and expedited processing, is located inside the El Paso County District Clerk’s office at 500 E. San Antonio.

County District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez announced the planned closure on Monday.  He blamed it on budget cuts and an “unsupportive” commissioner’s court, though the office was making money and the commissioners’ court is sorry to see it go.

Sanchez told the local Fox 14 station that he was closing the office because “It’s a non-mandated function. My position here is to service the courts. Commissioner (Veronica) Escobar has said why don’t they go to the post office…The people of El Paso had two years to get their passport. The post office is still open and they can get it by other means.”

The passport office will be closing next month unless something changes.  But if you’re in El Paso, don’t worry…there are actually multiple post offices throughout the city that will be happy to accept your passport application.  Visit the Department of State’s website for a list of passport offices in El Paso.

Like the office in the County District Clerk’s office, these passport offices are all passport acceptance facilities, which means they can only take applications for regular processing, which can take 6 weeks or more, or the government’s expedited processing, which can take 3 weeks.

If you need your passport more quickly, you’ll have to make an appointment at a different type of passport office, called a Regional Passport Agency office. These offices can issue same-day passports, but the nearest one is in Tucson, Arizona.

If you don’t want to go that far out of your way or you just don’t want to go through the hassle of making an appointment, a private expediting company like RushMyPassport.com may be a better fit for you.  With an expediting company, you can just go to the post office as usual and have them “seal” your documents. Then, send them to the expediting company and the expediting company will hand-deliver them to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your expedited passport today!