Expedited Passports

According to the Telegraph, a British woman who legally changed her name to Mrs. Pudsey Bear to help raise money for charity was denied a passport by the British government.  The 37-year-old woman, born Eileen De Bont, changed her name to raise £4,000 for the BBC charity Children in Need. She has changed her name successfully on her bank account, credit cards and tax records, but the Identity & Passport Service refused to issue her a passport in the new name, saying they considered the name change “frivolous.”

Could this happen here? Can you get a US passport with a name like “Pudsey Bear,” or will the US Department of State turn you down?

Have no fear, Pudsey Bears of the United States! In the US, if you can convince a judge to change your name to Pudsey Bear, you can convince the US Passport Agency as well.

To request a name change on your passport, all you need to do is fill out the appropriate passport form (DS-5504 if your passport was issued less than 1 year ago, DS-82 if it was issued more than 1 year ago). Send the form in with a copy of the court order supporting your name change, passport photos and any applicable fees, and in a couple of months, you’ll get your new passport.

If you are traveling within the next couple of months, it’s a good idea to use a passport expediting service to speed up the process.  An expediting company will provide you with detailed guidance on how to fill out the paperwork, so you’ll know everything is in order. Then, they’ll deliver your passport name change application directly to the US Passport Agency for faster processing. With an expediting company, you could have a passport with your new name on it (however silly that name may be) on its way to you in as little as 24 hours!

Get your name changed on your US passport the easy way!

If you’ve gotten married, it can take a long time to get everything changed over from your maiden name to your married name.  Some documents, inevitably, will get lost in the shuffle.  So, what happens when you book a vacation overseas, only to discover a few days before you’re scheduled to leave that your passport is in your old name?

There are a few different options available for rushing a passport name change, depending on how much time you have at your disposal.  The US Department of State offers an expedited processing option, but even using this option, it could still take 3 weeks or longer to get your passport back.

If you happen to live near one of the 15 US Regional Passport Agency offices, you can make an appointment to have the name changed on your passport. This can be difficult, since the offices require appointments and are only open when most people are at work.

The easiest way to rush a passport name change is to use a private passport expediting company. An expediting company will take your application to the US Passport Agency for you and deliver it by hand, ensuring faster processing. There’s no appointments, no waiting, and  no stress! With an expediting company, your passport name change could be processed in as little as 24 hours!

No matter how you choose to rush your passport name change, you’ll need the following documents:

• Your current US passport
• The appropriate passport application form: Form DS-5504 if your passport was issued less than 1 year ago, DS-82 if you’ve had your passport for longer than a year.
• 2 passport photos
• A copy of your marriage certificate. If you can’t find a copy, go to the county clerk where you were married or order one online at the CDC website.
• Government Fees: If your passport is less a year old, getting your name changed is free, but you’ll have to pay $60.00 for the government’s expedited service.  If it’s more than a year old, you’ll pay the $75.00 renewal fee plus $60.00 to have it expedited.

RushMyPassport is one of the nation’s leading passport expediting companies. We make it easy for you to get your passport on time. Rush your passport name change with us today!

Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes, so does the US Passport Agency. Whenever you get a new passport, you should look it over carefully, just to make sure all of the information is correct. If there is a printing error, you’ll need to get it corrected before you travel.

How do you fix a printing error on your US passport? Fortunately, you don’t have to go through the entire application process again. Instead, submit Form DS-5504. You’ll also need to send in your US passport, and evidence to show that the change you’ve requested is valid. For example, you can send in a copy of your birth certificate if you need to have the spelling of your name or your birthday corrected. If it’s been more than 90 days since your US passport was issued, you’ll also need to get new passport photos taken.

Fixing a printing error is free if you request regular processing. However, it could take several weeks for you to get your passport back in the mail. If you have an international trip planned in the near future, a private expediting service like RushmyPassport.com can have your passport sent to you more quickly. Depending on how long you have before you have to travel, an expediting company can get your passport in as little as 24 hours!  The price of the service varies depending on the processing time you select, and more affordable options are available that take just a few days more. Considering how much money you’ll lose on your international trip if you don’t have a passport in time, the expediting fee is a bargain!

Are you traveling overseas? Go to RushMYPassport.com to make sure your passport is ready when you are!

Whether you’ve changed your name due to marriage, divorce, or “just because,” the paperwork involved can be a huge hassle. There are so many different people and institutions that you have to call- your bank, credit card companies, the DMV…the list goes on and on. If you’re planning on traveling overseas anytime soon, don’t forget to include the US Passport Agency on that list, too! You’ll need to get a new passport with your new name to avoid getting stuck at the border.

How do you request a US Passport renewal with a name change? If you have the appropriate legal documents, you can simply place them in the mail with your US passport renewal application. Here are the details:

• If your passport was issued less than a year ago, you can submit Form DS-5504. There’s no fee for using this form unless you need it expedited. However, if your passport was issued more than 90 days ago, you do need to include new photos.
• If your passport was issued more than a year ago, you can submit the US passport renewal application, form DS-82. You will be charged the normal US passport renewal fees. (more…)