Lost United States Passport To New Passport In A Flash
Anyone who has the tendency to lose things knows that losing a passport usually happens at the worst possible time. The bags are packed, the travel clothes are ready for the drive to the airport, and then the realization sets in that the lost pass port is nowhere to be found. The stress begins to mount and in the blink of the eye, a peaceful upcoming vacation turns into a situation that causes a meltdown.
The passport may be replaced by going online to the United States Post Office or Department of State Web sites. These sites contain all of the information and paperwork needed to obtain a new passport. However, the processing time is eight weeks for regular service and four weeks for expedited service. This is not convenient for anyone who will be traveling within that timeframe.
Further searching on the Web will reveal that there are private companies that provide passport replacement services. These companies will process a passport application and return a new passport within 24 to 48 hours. They charge an additional fee in excess of what the government charges. However, in the situation of a vacation just days away, this fee is well worth paying. The new lost pasport will be in hand the next day, and the panic of the day before is soon forgotten.
One of the quickest ways to help move this process along is to have all the necessary paperwork in order and copies made before contacting one of these services. Each lost passport that is being applied for requires that governmental forms DS-11 and DS-64 be filled out. These can easily be found online on either the service's website or the government's passport page.
The applicant will need to provide his or her official birth certificate. The document must have been issued by the city, county, or state of birth and must contain an official seal. It will expedite the process if applicants already have this document in their possession. Otherwise, it will need to be requested from the appropriate government office, and there is often processing time required for this service.
A driver's license is the next piece of identification that will be needed and this must be at least 6 months old or more. If this is not available to the individual, for whatever reason, there are secondary forms of identification that may be used. These consist of a wide range of things, but the common thread is that one must contain a picture and one a signature, even if they are separate documents. It is also possible that other forms of proof will be required such as a utility bill or even a high school diploma.
Carefully reading the list of required documents and providing everything requested will enable the passport application to be successfully processed upon submission. There is nothing more frustrating than sending everything off to the processing company only to have it returned because a document was mistakenly omitted from the package.
