Sometimes There Isn't Any Other Alternative But To Get An Emergency US Passport
Going through a family tragedy is tough enough without it happening and not having a way to get to that family member. Having a child get hurt abroad can be a horrifying experience, especially if you don't have a valid passport and no way to get over to be with them. Luckily, the State Department does have provision for emergency American passport services.
If there is an emergency, the first thing that needs to be done is contact the Department of State's Passport Information Center. The people there are prepared for this type of situation and will be able to guide the family through the process of getting a passport as quickly as possible. The situation will have to fall into their guidelines, but if it does, a passport may be in hand in as little as 24 hours.
There is a National Passport Information Center that has an automatic phone appointment system that can be accessed 24/7. If it is impossible to get an appointment time that meets the family's needs, a live person can be reached at a call center from 6AM to 12 midnight, ET, on weekdays. A customer service representative can supply direction on what to do in this case.
Because the government options do not always fit into our plan, there are also plenty of private USA passport expediting companies that offer services to issue emergency passports. These agencies are approved by the State Department to help cut some of the hassle out of getting a passport. They will of course charge a fee for their services, but when people are dealing with an emergency the fee is nothing compared to the aggravation that it saves.
If the passport is needed in 24 hours, services like this can usually make that happen without a problem. They have been known to put a passport in people's hands by the end of the same day. Because of this, the family can get their tickets that much quicker and be on their international flight as soon as possible.
To find these private agencies, all you need to do is get online and do a search. We would issue a word of warning though to make sure that the agency is checked out. A great way to do this is to check with the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any live complaints against the company or to see if they have a history of unsatisfied customers.
Naturally, the cost of using a private agency is going to be more than simply going the government route alone, but it is true that time is money. The comfort of leaving the details to someone else can be worth its weight in gold. A two to three day turn around will cost the applicant about $200. Bear in mind that the government fees will also be assessed on top of the agency's fees, so figure that everything will cost about $300 or more.
