Passport Renewal in Boston - Expedited Passports

One of America’s oldest cities, Boston has been one of the country’s gateways to the rest of the world since before the US even existed.  Today at Logan International Airport, you can catch a plane that will take you directly to Canada. Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa. Later this year, Japan Airlines will add service to Asia, as well.

Renewing Your Passport in Boston

Of course, to take advantage of these convenient international travel opportunities, you’ll need a valid passport. If yours has been gathering dust in a drawer for too long, here’s what you need to know to renew it.

The first step is figuring out whether or not you are eligible to apply for your passport renewal by mail. Take this quick quiz to see whether or not this will be an option for you:

• Is your current passport still undamaged and in your possession?
• Was your current passport issued to you after your 16th birthday?
• Was your current passport issued to you less than 15 years ago?
• Are you still using the name that your last passport was issued under, OR do you have legal documents to support a name change request?

If you answered yes to all of the following questions, you can apply for your passport renewal by mail. Here’s how:

• Fill out passport renewal form DS-82, and send it in to the address listed on the form. Also include the following items:
• Your current passport.
• One new passport photo
• If you need to change your name on your next passport, include legal documents like a marriage certificate or court order to support your request.
• A check or money order to cover the required passport fees. (more…)

Until yesterday, it was impossible to apply for a US passport exclusively online. Sure, there are application forms and other resources available to get the ball rolling, but you had to use snail mail to send in the application. Now, if you already have a passport and would like a passport card as well, you can take advantage of a new online application procedure that allows you to send off for the card without entering a post office or even licking an envelope.

This option may not be around forever- at the moment, it is part of a 90-day pilot program being conducted by the Department of State.  According to a State Department press release, “This pilot program is the Department’s signature initiative under Presidential Executive Order 13571 to simplify customer service interactions and streamline related processes, making them more efficient.”

The online application is available here. To be eligible to participate, you must already have a US passport book, valid for ten years from the date on which it was issued.  You’ll also need a digital passport photo that meets the applicable State Department requirements, and a credit card and/or a bank account so that you can pay for your passport card on the Pay.gov website.Finally, you must have an email address so that the Department of State can communicate with you about your application. (more…)

Just married? Newly divorced? Whatever the story behind your new name, you need to make sure that the change is reflected on your passport. Here are the steps to take to make that happen.

If Your Passport is Less Than a Year Old

If your passport is less than one year old, you can get your name changed free of charge.  Simply complete passport application Form DS-5504 and mail it in to address listed on the form, along with the following documents:

• Your current, valid US passport.
• Legal evidence to back up your name change request, such as a copy of your marriage certificate or a court order referencing the change.  Send either the original document or a certified copy, not a photocopy.
• One new passport photo.
• The Department of State will correct passports less than one year old for free. However, if you need your updated passport in the next six weeks, it’s a good idea to go ahead and pay the $60 expedite fee. This will reduce the processing time to approximately three weeks.

If Your Passport Was Issued More Than a Year Ago

If your passport was issued more than one year ago, you’ll need to go ahead and renew it in order to get your name changed.  To start, fill out passport renewal Form DS-82. Send it in to the address listed on the form, along with the following documents:

• Your current, undamaged US passport.
• One new passport photo.
• Legal documentation, such as a marriage certificate or court order, that supports your request for a name change.
• A check or money order to pay the fees. A passport book alone is $110, a passport card (valid only for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean) is $30, and both together are $140.

Passport applications are generally processed within six weeks, though you can pay an additional $60 expedite fee to cut that time down to three weeks. If you need the name on your passport changed more quickly than that, you have a choice of either making an appointment at one of the State Department’s 24 regional passport agency offices, or using a private company like RushMyPassport.

We take your paperwork and deliver it directly to the State Department for priority processing, often in as little as 24 hours. There’s no need to make an appointment, wait in line, or travel out of town to a passport agency. Plus, we walk you through the process, step-by-step, reducing the chance of errors that can cause delays.

For a quick passport name change with a minimum amount of hassle, contact us today!

Home to one of the fastest-growing international in the United States, Houston is a convenient place to start an international journey. Hundreds of international flights leave from George W. Bush Intercontinental Airport each day, carrying travelers all over the globe. Soon, when flights from Houston to Auckland, New Zealand commence, the airport will become one of only four in the world that offers service to all six continents.

In other words, living in Houston means living with the world at your doorstep. But to actually see it, you’ll need a valid passport. If yours has expired, no worries: this guide will help you through the process of getting a passport renewal in Houston, step by step.

Passport Renewal by Mail

Most Houstonians are eligible to apply for a passport renewal by mail.  You can replace an expired or expiring passport by mail as long as all of the following statements are true:

• Your current passport is in your possession, has never been reported lost or stolen and is not damaged.
• Your current was issued after your 16th birthday AND it was issued less than 15 years ago.
• If your name has changed since your last passport was issued, you have the necessary legal documents to support your name change request.

If you’re eligible to renew by mail, submit all of the following to the address listed on the passport renewal form:

• Your current passport
• A completed copy of passport renewal form DS-82
• One new passport photo
• A check to pay the required fees

Houston Passport Acceptance Offices

If you aren’t eligible to renew by mail, you’ll need to apply in person at one of the city’s 29 passport acceptance offices. These tend to be located in post offices and other government buildings; you can find the closest one to your home or work by visiting the Department of State’s website.

Houston Passport Agency

The standard processing time for a passport renewal application is about six weeks. If you pay an additional $60 expedite fee, you can cut streamline the process somewhat, but it will still take about three weeks to get your passport.

If you are traveling sooner than that, you can make an appointment at the Houston Passport Agency office, located in the Mickey Leland Federal Building on Smith Street. This office can issue emergency passports and passport renewals within 24 hours, but the downside is that the office is only open by appointment only and has limited operating hours between 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

A more convenient option is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport. We hand-deliver your paperwork to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours.  Contact us today for quick, courteous passport renewal help!

Sunny Florida is a paradise in and of itself, but it’s also located temptingly close to other, more exotic tropical retreats. To the south, the Caribbean beckons, while Mexico is just a short plane ride away.

Without a valid passport, these destinations could remain just out of reach, though there are some exceptions, like closed-loop cruises, for which passports are not required. To determine whether or not you need a passport, see Do You Need a Passport to Go to the Caribbean? and Do You Need a Passport to Go to Mexico?

Getting a Passport in Florida

If you are applying for a passport for the first time or you need a replace an existing passport that has been lost, stolen or damaged, you are required to apply in person at one of the 262 passport acceptance facilities located in the state. These offices are usually located in post offices, libraries and other government buildings. The easiest way to find the one closest to you is to use the Department of State website.

When you apply, you’ll need to bring a new passport photo, proof of identity and proof of citizenship. Depending on your situation, other documents may be required. See the following for details:

How to Get a New Passport

Passport Replacement Services (For lost, stolen or damaged passports)

How to Get a Child Passport (For children aged 16 and younger)

Passport Renewals

In most cases, if you are simply renewing an old passport, you may do so by mail. To see if you’re eligible and for a list of the required documents, see How to Apply for a Passport Renewal. (more…)

San Francisco is an amazing place to live, but it’s also an excellent jumping-off point for international travel. In fact, San Francisco International Airport is the 10th busiest airport in the US. Flights leave every day for destinations all over the world, though the city’s West Coast location means that many of the most frequented destinations are Asian. In 2008, the airport was voted the Best International Airport in North America in the World Airports Survey.

So, if you live in San Francisco, you have a major incentive to keep your passport up-to-date. That means renewing it in a timely manner, preferably at least 9 months before it expires. Here’s how:

Passport Renewal By Mail

Most people are able to apply for passport renewal by mail. You can apply to renew your passport by mail as long as all of the following statements are true for you:

• You still have your current passport, and it hasn’t been damaged or mutilated.
• Your current passport was issued after you turned 16, and it was printed less than 15 years ago.
• Either your name has not changed since you got your last passport, or you can provide the Department of State with legal documents to back up any name change requests.

As long as you can renew by mail, all you have to do is print out a copy of passport renewal Form DS-82 and send it in along with your current passport, a check or money order for the renewal fees, one passport photo and if applicable, documents to support a name change.

If you aren’t eligible to renew by mail, you’ll need to apply in person at one of San Francisco’s 26 passport acceptance facilities, located in post offices across the state. The required forms and documents will vary; see How to Apply for a New Passport and Passport Replacement Services for details. (more…)

After losing everything in a natural disaster, it’s a tremendous burden to have to put your life back together again. Important documents are lost, your life is in complete and utter turmoil, and insurance doesn’t cover everything even if you’re lucky enough to have it.

Under those circumstances, having to pay $135 to apply for passport replacement is like adding insult to injury.  To help, US Representative Bill Owens of New York just introduced a bill allowing the Secretary of State to waive passport replacement fees for people who live in a county that has been declared a federal distaster area and who have lost their passports in the disaster. Some parts of New York recently experienced terrible flooding, and a waiver of passport fees was requested by many of Owens’ constituents and county clerks alike, according to the Adirondack Daily Dispatch. Essex County Clerk Joe Provoncha told the paper of his own experiences trying to help the people he served after the disaster:

“[The Department of State] said, ‘They’re going to have to pay the full amount for replacement, and I was infuriated…This wasn’t a situation where someone went swimming and left their passport in their pocket. If they had completed the appropriate forms, they should be able to come into our office and get the replacement passport free of charge.”

In a statement, Rep. Owens noted that New Yorkers often travel across the northern border, which now required a passport due to stricter border controls put into place in the decade after 9/11.

“As New York begins to rebuild … it is critical that we provide all the support available to New Yorkers to get their lives back in order. Many New Yorkers in our district frequently travel to Canada for business or pleasure, and they don’t need to be hit with a $110 passport replacement fee during financially trying times.”

There’s no telling whether or not this bill will pass, of course, but it would be a nice thing for people afflicted by natural disasters if they didn’t have to pay a hefty passport application fee on top of everything else.

For more about what you need to get your passport replaced, see  “Passport Replacement Services.”

Also, keep in mind that getting a replacement passport can take at least 6 weeks if you apply for regular service, and at least 3 weeks if you pay the additional $60 for expedited service from the Department of State. If you need your passport more quickly, you can either make an appointment at a regional passport agency office, or avoid the lines, hassle and potential need to travel by choosing a private expediter like RushMyPassport.

We personally deliver your passport application to the Department of State, for processing in as little as 24 hours.

Contact us today for fast, professional passport replacement help!

For many Americans, the ability to apply for a new passport completely online ranks high on their travel wish list. Unfortunately, as of right now, you can only start the process online by filling out and printing the relevant application forms. If you’ve never had a passport before (or you are otherwise ineligible to renew your passport by mail), you still have to go down to the nearest passport acceptance facility (most likely a post office) to turn in the paperwork.

Will you ever be able to apply for a new passport without having to leave your desk? Probably not for the foreseeable future. A US passport is more than just a travel document- it’s also proof that you are a US citizen and entitled to all the rights and benefits that US citizens receive. By making you apply in person, the government helps ensure that only people who have the necessary documentation get a passport.

However, current US passport holders may soon be able to apply for a new passport card online, according to InformationWeek.com:

The State Department aims to simplify another bureaucratic process for Americans as part of its customer service plan—applying for a passport card, which will be valid for travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.

The department is developing a pilot so people who already have a valid U.S. passport book can apply for a passport card online by uploading a digital photo and making an online payment. The pilot is experimenting with electronic signatures to see if they are viable for this type of passport processing, which the department does more than a million times a year.

That’s great news, but travelers do need to be aware that the US passport card has both advantages and disadvantages when compared to a regular, full-sized passport. For example, the main disadvantage of a passport card is that it cannot be used for air travel.

At RushMyPassport, we enable people who need passports in a hurry to complete as much of the process online as possible. Find out what documents you need, fill out paperwork and print it. If you’re applying for a new passport, you still do have to make a trip to the post office to get your application package “sealed,” but we walk you through the process to ensure it goes smoothly and with minimal hassles. Finally, we personally take your paperwork to the Department of State, for processing in as little as 24 hours.

Let us help you get your new passport quickly and easily!

University of Rhode Island students had chance to get some help with their passport applications last week, thanks to a unique event held by the University’s International Office.

During the event, the International Office gave away 50 free passports, covering the application fees for those students lucky enough to be able to snag one. In addition, the office helped 30 more students with the passport application paperwork.

In the university’s student newspaper, University of Rhode Island Student Abroad and National Student Exchange Advisor Kendrick Delaney explained that the event had two main goals: helping students get a passport who might not otherwise be able to afford it, and increasing awareness of the passport office among the student body. Mr. Delaney, who has lived in the Caribbean, said,

“I’m living in a foreign country, and I want to help students get that experience. We believe that every student deserves to have a passport. Giving students passports is really giving them a key to open their world. Hopefully we can get more funding to continue this program…We want people to know what we do, find where we are, and who we serve. We do incoming, international and national student exchange. We inform students about our programs and scholarships.”

It’s amazing how getting a passport opens your eyes to the possibility of travel, even if you haven’t decided on a destination yet. Student Sara Klempe, lured in by the offer of a free passport, told the newspaper:

“I don’t really know where I’d want to go yet. But, I figured that not a lot of people had heard about it and if it’s free I thought, ‘why not?’”

Why not, indeed? Submitting a passport application is not cheap- it costs $135 to apply for a new one, a fee those 50 lucky students didn’t have to worry about. However, despite the initial upfront investment, a passport gives good long-term value as it’s valid for 10 years. $1.35 per year isn’t that bad for a document that makes the entire world your oyster, is it?

If you need a passport, be sure to apply well in advance of your expected travel dates, as regular processing can take six weeks or more. Expedited processing is available from the State Department for an additional $60 fee, but still takes about three weeks.

For faster service, you must either make an appointment at a regional passport agency office or use a private expediting company like RushMyPassport. Of the two options, an expediting company is definitely more convenient, as there’s no need to make an appointment or travel any further than your local post office.

Let us help you expedite your passport application today!

Winter is traditionally low season in Iceland, but the “Inspired by Iceland”  campaign aims to fix that. To entice more tourists to visit Iceland during the cold winter months, the campaign encourages Icelanders to open up their homes to tourists eager to have locals show them around the country.  It has received support from no less a public figure than Iceland’s prime minister,  Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who posted a video on the Inspired by Iceland website encouraging others to take part. In the video, Prime Minister Grimsson says,

“Now at the beginning of winter, we traditionally see fewer tourists in Iceland. This is a development we want to change…Me and my wife Dorrit will also take part here at our residence at Bessastadir, invite a good group to come here for traditional Icelandic pancakes. Dorrit also wants to treat them to vegetables we grow in greenhouses…Then we will take a scenic walk around here and see the birdlife and the majestic views.”

Pancakes and a nature walk…that’s my idea of a good time. You’re on!

Visiting the Inspired by Iceland website, it appears that a fair number of Icelanders have decided to follow the Prime Minister’s example. Musicians Mugison and Sigga would love to entertain you with traditional Icelandic music, while Ragnar would be delighted to take you on a traditional Icelandic ice cream car ride. Very hardy souls can arrange to go sea swimming with Benedikt, who promises that afterwards “you will feel like a new person.” Meanwhile, another gentleman named Ragnar will teach you how to take breathtaking photographs of the Northern Lights.

Sounds tempting, no? If you want to head to Iceland this winter, you’ll need to get a passport. Apply as soon as possible, since regular processing can take up to six weeks. The State Department’s expedited processing option will get your passport to you in about three weeks, though you’ll pay an additional $60 for the privilege.

Should you find a last-minute deal that’s good to pass up, don’t despair. There are a couple of ways you can get your passport more quickly. One is to make an appointment at a regional passport agency office. These offices can issue emergency passports within 24 hours, though there are only 24 of them to serve the entire country.  An easier option is to use a private passport expediter like RushMyPassport. We deliver your application to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours, with no need to make an appointment, wait in line or travel any further afield than your local post office.

Need to get your passport quickly? Let us help!