New Emergency Passport Office to Open in El Paso - Expedited Passports

El Paso residents in need of emergency passport services will soon be able to obtain one close to home. The new El Paso passport agency office is expected to be open in March, and the Department of State held a pre-opening event this week to celebrate. At the event, Jacqueline Harley-Bell of passport operations explained the how the new office will help citizens of El Paso and surrounding areas:

“When they go to acceptance facilities, which are the post offices and clerks of court, it normally takes them anywhere from 4-6 weeks to get the passport book or card processed. It’ll be more convenient for them having a passport agency in their own backyard.”

So what’s the difference between an acceptance facility and a passport agency office? As Ms. Harley-Bell noted, acceptance facilities have a much longer processing time. When you apply at a an acceptance facility, you can choose from regular or expedited processing. Regular processing takes about 6 weeks, but even if you pay the additional $60 for expedited processing at an acceptance facility, you’re still stuck waiting two to three weeks for your passport to arrive.

Passport agency offices like the one currently being built in El Paso offer emergency passport processing. If you need a passport for travel in two weeks or less, you qualify for an appointment at a passport agency office. However, the closest passport agency office to El Paso that’s open right now is the one in Tucson, and that’s 319 miles away!

The new office will be more conveniently located, obviously, but will it be the best option for everyone? Not necessarily. Passport agencies tend to have very limited hours of operation, and are only open on weekdays, which can make them inconvenient for people who work during the day. They are also open by appointment only, and you can’t just walk in.

In contrast, using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport is much easier. There’s no need to make an appointment or take off work to get to a passport agency office. Just send your application and supporting documents to the expediting company and they’ll deal with the Department of State for you.

When you use RushMyPassport, you also get walked through the application process by your own passport specialist, and we offer turnaround times as low as 24 hours.

Get in touch to apply for an emergency passport the easy way!

Ahhh, Wal-Mart in December…screaming children, endless lines to check out, and shopping cart traffic jams blocking the aisles. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Wal-Mart may be the quintessential American Christmas shopping experience, but this time of year makes me dream longingly of Europe’s Christmas markets. A tradition that started in Germany and has now spread all over Europe, Christmas markets feature lots of food, drinks and unique items to fill your family’s stockings. There’s also glühwein, hot mulled wine that’s often fortified with brandy. If that won’t get you into the holiday spirit, I’m afraid you must be an incurable Scrooge.

According to Wikipedia, the tradition of the holiday market dates back to 1294, with the city of Vienna’s “December Market.” Here’s the scoop on 5 of the oldest and/or most popular holiday markets today:

• The Nuremberg Christmas Market runs until Christmas Eve. The Nuremberg Christmas Angel presides over the ceremonies, which attract about 2 million people each year. Canned Christmas carols are strictly verboten.
• The Dresden Christmas Market dates back to 1434 and is one of the oldest holiday markets. It also runs until Christmas Eve. Highlights include handblown glass, handmade candles, traditional handmade toys, wine punch, rum punch, and a list of delightful-sounding goodies like stuffed apples and deep-fried cheese balls. Also, Santa goes through the market once a day and delivers a toy to each and every child. Magical.
• Stuttgart’s Christmas Market is probably the largest in Europe. It’s also one of the most heavily visited, attracting around 3.5 million people every year.
• The Christmas Market in Birmingham, England is the largest in the UK. Like the other markets, it features lots of German goodies, live music and presents.
• The Fira de Santa Llúcia, in Barcelona, Spain, has been held since 1786. It is famous for amazing handcrafted sculptures made of cork. Another claim to fame: little figurines of people relieving themselves. Called caganer, these figures are commonly placed in nativity scenes.

Of course, to get to a Christmas market before Christmas Eve, you’ll need a last-minute flight deal and an express passport if you don’t already have one. Express passports can be obtained at a Passport Agency office, but given that there still only 21 of them open to the general public in the entire US, a private passport expediting company like RushmyPassport is probably a more convenient option.

We deliver your express passport application to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours. Beat that, Santa!

Apply for an express passport today!

“If I could work my will, nephew, every idiot who goes about with “Merry Christmas” on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.” — Ebenezer Scrooge

It’s officially the holiday season and while most of us are (fortunately) less bitter than Mr. Scrooge, wanting to get away from it all is actually a fairly normal reaction. I love Christmas in theory, but in practice the packed shopping malls and obnoxious Christmas music usually have me saying “Bah, Humbug!” halfway through December.

If Ebenezer Scrooge were alive today, he’d probably apply for a fast passport and cool his heels somewhere far away until the holiday season is over. If you want a ticket away from all of the hustle and bustle that is Christmas-time in America, you have several possible choices. For example, according to this article on NewsChief.com, a winter cruise is a great way to escape. Since decorations and dinner are handled for you, you get the best of the season without all of the work. The article quotes Ben Carpenter of Winter Haven, Florida, who says “”The holidays are the best time to take a cruise. I’ll golf on four islands this season and share festivities with brand new friends each year.” While it’s certainly not a miserly way to celebrate the holiday, it isn’t traditional, either.

Or, you could go a step further and go somewhere where Christmas is not celebrated at all. Over at AlmostFearless.com, Christine Gilbert is spending the holidays in Thailand. She writes:

“If you travel to the other side of the world, the holiday season means absolutely nothing. That’s all it takes. A move to another country, another life, and suddenly, that big-deal-holiday that you’ve celebrated every year of your life evaporates. It’s gone. “

For me personally, Thailand sounds particularly inviting whenever I’m out and about and hear those annoying “Alvin and the Chipmunks” Christmas carols.

But if you want to escape the holiday madness, you’ll need to get a fast passport if you don’t have one already. Normal passport processing takes about 6 weeks, while expedited service through the Department of State takes 2 to 3 weeks. For truly fast passport processing, you have two options: make an appointment to apply in person at a Regional Passport Agency office, or use a passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com. Let us handle the appointment with the passport agency for you, and you’ll have more time to do last-minute shopping and send out cards. Just try not to gloat about spending Christmas, lest your Christmas Eve pad thai turn into the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Need a fast passport for the holidays? Let us help!

According to Canada.com, Manitoba NDP MP Jim Maloway has been on a mission to lower passport application fees, not just for Canadians but also for US citizens. The idea is that lower passport application fees would enable more people on each side of the border to afford passports, which would encourage cross-border tourism.

Apparently, Maloway introduces his petition to lower passport fees about once a day. Every day, he reads the following resolutions issued by the Midwest Legislative Conference over the summer:

“RESOLVED that the Midwestern Legislative Conference calls on President Barack Obama and…[the Canadian Prime Minister] to immediately examine a reduced fee for passports to facilitate cross-border tourism; and be it further RESOLVED, that…[the Conference] encourage the governments to examine the idea of a limited-time two-for-one passport renewal or new application. To be a fair process, these passport fees have to be reduced on both sides of the border. Therefore, the petitioners call on the government to work with the American government to examine a mutual reduction in passport fees to facilitate tourism and, finally, promote a limited-time two-for-one passport renewal or new application fee on a mutual basis with the United States.”

You’ve got to admire the gentleman’s persistence, but unfortunately the US State Department seems to be moving in the opposite direction. Passport fees increased over the summer, plus fees were added for previously free services like adding pages. For example, applying for a new adult passport now costs $135 instead of $100. Submitting an adult passport application now costs $110 instead of $75.

Applying early can minimize your costs. You’ll need at least 6 to 8 weeks before your trip for normal passport processing. If you don’t have that long, you’ll be stuck paying an additional $60 fee on top of the normal application fees in order to get it three weeks’ time.

If you have less than 3 weeks, RushMyPassport is a convenient alternative. We’ll assist you with your application and then personally deliver it to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours. Plus, when you consider the time and money that you’d have to spend to take off work and travel to a Regional Passport Agency, you may very well find that we are the most cost-effective alternative as well as the most convenient.

Let us help expedite your passport application today!

Rome might seem like an unlikely place to travel and celebrate Halloween. After all, what’s scary about pasta, pizza, fine wine and gelato (except, perhaps, for the resulting effects on your waistline)?

The Eternal City is beautiful and filled with life, but there’s also a darker, haunting undertone to the city as well. And what better time to explore it than Halloween, traditionally the day when the spirits of the dead get to come back and mingle with the living? Here are 4 reasons to get a fast passport and celebrate Halloween in Rome:

• The Catacombs- When Christianity was still new, most of Rome was pagan and burying dead bodies was still something of a novelty. Most people who died were simply cremated. Burials were also forbidden within city walls, so wealthy Christians living outside the walls donated land to be used as burial sites. The dead were buried in underground tunnels. Today, these catacombs are open for tours, although most of the bodies have since been moved.

• The Capuchin Crypt: Below the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini, Capuchin friars buried their dead, then later exhumed the skeletons and used them for a super-creepy interior decorating project: bones adorn the walls of the crypt in intricate patterns, bones form chandeliers and light fixtures, and entire human skeletons are arranged in various poses. The entire crypt functions as a memento mori (reminder of death), pointedly brought home by the inscription in one of the rooms: “What you are now we used to be; what we are now you will be..”

• The Colosseum: Thousands of people and countless wild animals died in the gory “games” held in the Colosseum. Is it any wonder that some people consider it to be haunted? According to WorldReviewer.com, many people have even claimed to see the ghosts of gladiators re-enacting their last battles.
• Castel Sant’Angelo- Originally built as the burial place of the emperor Hadrian and his family, the Castel Sant’Angelo was later used as a prison, with executions being held inside.

If you’d like to visit Rome for Halloween, you’ll need to get a fast passport. Regular passport processing takes about 6 weeks, while the government’s expedited processing option takes about 3. But never fear- fast passport processing that takes as little as 24 hours is available at Regional Passport Agency offices or from private expediting companies like RushMyPassport.com.

Apply for a fast passport with us today!

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!