hellokittie

H cannot find his passport which we need for a European trip in 2wks. Do the replacement companies advertising on the net work? How quickly can you get one replaced and what is involved? Thanks.

Anonymous

Yikes, good thing he found out.

No, those replacement companies are just serving as intermediariies for government services that you can probably manage faster on your own. Take a look at the services available directly:

http://www.travel.state.gov/passport...sing_1740.html

P_M

I don't know much about those replacement services, but I suggest looking at the State Department's web page. If you scroll to the section at the bottom of this page, there are some instructions for how to replace a lost passport. If you live near a city with a passport office, it might be faster and cheaper to do it yourself. Good luck.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/lost/us/us_848.html

Birdie

We just replaced a lost passport and did it with expedited service. I think it arrived in about 10 days. If you can't get to a passport office, it may be worth a shot to try expedited. Just make sure you fill out the extra form for the lost passport that is required and go to the post office first to buy your two overnight stamps. We also needed two checks, one for the passport and one for the courthouse.

matnikstym

you better get on it if you leave in 2 weeks and govt. offices closed til tuesday. if you're near a passport office, have him go in person, that's the quickest for replacement. if not, then expedited would be the only way to possibly get them in time

soleil17

Don't use a company. That just adds on another layer and an extra cost.

This has info on lost passports:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/lost/us/us_848.html

Note -- you can't replace a lost passport just by mail. You must appear somewhere - agency or acceptance facility. Start now -- if you only have two weeks you are pushing it - even expedited service only guarantees it within 2 weeks. If you do not follow the lost passport instructions then you have no hope of getting it in time.

Good luck.

suze

I would do this yourself direct with the government, not thru one of those specialty agencies.

kgk52

If you are going to go to a passport office you will probably need an appointment and I would get right on this. My husband had to wait 10 days just for the appointment and it was the state department that lost his passport in the first place!

GBelle

I believe you can get passports at the local post office. It's usually one of the larger ones in your area. Call there first and ask if they can do replacement passports (expedited) and what is necessary.

poyopoyo91

My sister almost lost her passport in Sydney AU and we found out you can file for an emergency passport. Not exactly sure how long it takes but getting a regular passport takes about 6-8 weeks.

soleil17

The process when replacing a lost passport in the U.S. is different than the one overseas. Replacement passports issued overseas are limited validity - enough to get you back home. You then have to reapply for a full validity passport. Call the National Passport Information Center (State Department's one-stop passport center) at 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778).

"Emergency passports" are only issued in the U.S. for "life and death" travel emergencies. Going on vacation does not count as a life or death travel emergency. This refers to family in the hospital, deaths, etc. Even then, it still usually takes a couple days.

Expedited service with two-day shipping will get you a passport in two weeks.

Birdie

A friend's daughter (teenaged) could not find her passport on the day she was supposed to leave for a European school trip. They were able to go into the Philly passport office and get a replacement the following day.

soleil17

Yes, the best option is definitely getting yourself to a real passport agency. But a next-day turn around is still not guaranteed.

angethereader

In order to get a passport same day you need to go to the passport office. And it needs to be an emergency.
A guy I work with did this last year (drove to Chicago) and because they left on their trip next day he did not need an appointment. I believe they did call first and relay the emergency.

steviegene

I just got my name changed on my passport. I filled out the form and paid for expedited service . I got the replacement back in a little less than 2 weeks. But if I were you, I would go to a passport office - so they can issue you a replacement immediately. I think you have to make an appointment - so better do it ASAP!!