Maybe you have a family emergency abroad. Or perhaps you realize your passport has expired one week before your international trip. Suddenly, expediting your U.S. passport application becomes priority number one.
Having to do so is not uncommon, as myriad situations may require a new or renewed passport in a hurry. For example, some countries don’t permit entry if your passport has less than six months of validity. Some, like South Africa, require that you have at least two consecutive blank pages in your passport book. If you have any concerns about whether your existing passport will be accepted for your flight, check the U.S. State Department’s website for each country’s visa and passport requirements, or contact your airline or travel agency.
How to get a new U.S. passport fast
Expedited
Expedited service takes two to three weeks, not including mailing time. This applies whether you’re renewing your passport or applying for your first. There is no expedited option when you renew your passport online. The expedited passport service costs $190 total—$130 for the passport, $60 for the rush fee.
Urgent travel
If you have a life-or-death emergency or urgent international travel coming up within 14 days, you can make an in-person appointment at one of the 29 passport agencies throughout the United States. If you need the passport to get a visa (for another country) within 28 days, it’s the same process. You must have an appointment to visit an agency; none accepts walk-ins. Make an appointment online or by calling 1-877-487-2778. These appointments can be difficult to get and should not be used for taking a last-minute trip on a whim.
How long does it take to get an expedited passport?
If you apply for an expedited passport directly through the U.S. State Department, it will take two to three weeks. But it’s very important to note that this does not include mail delivery times. The State Department says, “It may take two weeks for your application to get to us, and two weeks for you to get your passport after we mail it,” although this depends on the area of the U.S. in which you live.
For a faster turnaround, consider an expediter like RushMyPassport.com, which offers expedited passport services ranging from one business day to three weeks from the time documents are received by the State Department. These will cost you. The price to get your passport back in one business day is $740 (as of this writing, it’s discounted to $629); for a turnaround of two to four business days, the cost is $479; and for a turnaround of seven to nine business days, it’s $299.
Services like RushMyPassport.com rely on a subset of appointments being available, so although RushMyPassport’s fastest service is listed as one business day, even this can be limited in availability.
David Alwadish, CEO and founder of ItsEasy.com Passport & Visa Services, notes that the expediting slots are snatched up quickly. ItsEasy.com Passport & Visa currently charges $685 for its three-day passport-processing service and $585 for four- to six-day service. Call for one-business-day pricing (from $190, plus a service fee).
Note: All of the above prices exclude a State Department fee of $212.05. That means getting a new U.S. passport in one business day costs $950.
How to apply for an expedited passport
To apply for an expedited passport, begin at the State Department’s website, where a handy checklist will keep you from making a mistake that could slow the process. These are the costs for an expedited passport:
- $60: an expediting fee (if you pay this and your passport is not expedited, you can request a refund of this fee)
- $130: the standard passport application fee
- $35: an execution fee for first-time applicants
- $22.05: two-day return delivery, to further shorten the timeline
If you want the expedited service, send your application using USPS Priority Mail Express. The State Department recommends that applicants send their application with a tracking number so that they can see when it arrives and enters the system.
If you want to apply in person for an expedited (or regular) passport, find a passport acceptance facility and make an appointment (there is a $35 fee). These are post offices, clerks of court, libraries, and local government offices. You can make an appointment at any post office at USPS.com. If you’re applying for your first passport or for a child under age 16, you need form DS-11; if you’re renewing a passport for someone age 17 or over, you need form DS-82 (you can download these forms here).
There are three steps to complete when filling out a passport application:
- Make sure submitted forms are single-sided and printed clearly.
- Complete the application online before printing it out or by hand in black or blue ink; remember to write “expedited” on the envelope and include two recent photos that meet the passport photo specifications.
- If you apply by mail, you must include a check. At a passport agency or center (where you’ll need an appointment), you can pay only by card. At a passport acceptance facility, you can pay their $35 fee by card, but the passport costs must be paid by check or money order.
For an expedited passport, fill out the form and then print it to mail it in. You can begin the process online as long as you have your expired or expiring passport; your passport was issued when you were age 16 or older; it was issued within the past 15 years; and it was issued to your current name or you have documentation to support a name change. Children under 16, all first-time applicants, and applicants who have lost their passport or had it stolen must apply in person.
If you cannot make an appointment online, call the National Passport Center at 1-877-487-2778 or 1-888-874-7793 TDD/TTY between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. EST Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
If you need a passport within 24 to 72 hours, try going to an agency in person
If there is a life-or-death emergency, such as an illness, injury, or death in your immediate family and you need to go abroad, getting an emergency appointment at an agency in person is the only option. You cannot walk in; you must make an appointment ahead of time online or by calling 1-877-487-2778. You can save valuable time by going in person—even if you have to fly to a passport agency in the departure city of your international flight. In these circumstances, it can take anywhere between 24 and 72 hours, depending on where you apply and if you can provide accepted documentation, such as a death certificate or signed documentation from medical personnel.
How to avoid the stress of a last-minute passport application or renewal
The best way to avoid paying extra to expedite your passport is to set a reminder for seven months before the expiration date of your current valid passport (we say seven months because many countries will not let you in with a passport that expires in less than six months). At that point, you can take note of your travels and figure out the best eight-week period to apply—one in which, ideally, you know you aren’t going abroad. If you travel frequently enough that such a period is hard to find, you may want to look into applying for a second passport.
This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on October 8, 2025, with current information.
