Getting a new passport or visa used to be a complicated, long, drawn out process that took almost 3 months. Now, with the advancement of the internet it is possible to get a passport and visa, at the same time within 24 hours. There’s simply no need to stand in line at the post office or DMV anymore if you have to apply for or renew your passport.
In the event of urgent travel you can have a passport and visa next day if you are willing to pay. Learn how to apply for a passport, visa, birth certificate, or other official government issued documents online. These suggestions will help you apply for and get your passport quickly so you can get going!
If you do not have a passport, or yours is lost, stolen, or expired you will be required to get a new one before traveling outside of the United States. Although there are many services that process passports and visas you may want to begin by taking a look at the US Department of State website at http://travel.state.gov. At this site you will find current information on visas, birth certificates, and passports concerning travel outside of the US.
According to the Department of State, if you are applying for the first time you have to appear in person with two forms of photo identification and one proof of citizenship, like a birth certificate or social security card. There are some websites that claim they can process a first time passport online in as little as 24 hours.
You can file online with the Department of State for a renewal visa or passport, or you can download and print forms that can be mailed. Either way, filing directly with the US Department of State is probably the safest way to get your official travel documents online. Standard service with the US Department of State generally takes about 12 weeks and urgent service can take up to 3 weeks.
As with any other government service, expect it to take longer than predicted. The cost for an adult is $97 and includes everything, unless you want express shipping which is extra. Those 16 and under pay $82. Visas are only good for a certain period of travel but passports do not expire for at least 10 years. If you are willing to spend a little more money you can get your visa or passport in half the time.
If you type the words online visa and passport services into your search engine you may find there is an overwhelming amount of sites to choose from. Before ordering any document service online you should do some research so you can make the best decision. Check each site to make sure the group or owners belong to a nationally recognized travel agents/agency organization. ASTA, the American Society of Travel Agents can help you find a member and also provides consumer travel information on its partner website at http://www.travelsense.org.
The Better Business Bureau can also provide reference to complaint history and resolved issues. Make sure the agent or agency is a member in good standing and does not have a million unresolved complaints. If you decide to buy online, learn everything you can first, use a credit card to make your purchase, and make sure the website payment system is secure; that means read the fine print.
There are a couple of document services that have been around for more than 10 years and have proven to be reliable. A good place to start is Travisa at http://www.travisa.com. They began providing passport and visa service in the early 1980s and during the 90s upgraded to online services that include birth certificates, legalizations, passports, and visas.
Travisa guarantees your new or renewal passport can be delivered in 24 hours and their payment system is Verisign secured. For $199, plus the government fees passportexpress.com will process your passport in 1-10 days. Passport Express also offers regular and rush service and they are a member of ASTA.
Passportsandvisas.com, also a member of ASTA can process your passport in as little as 24 hours. They offer guaranteed standard service, in about 1 week, starting at $60. Passports and visas also allows you to check the status of an application online, as do many of the other services, even the US Department of State. If you are looking for other travel related documents or government issued certificates there are online resources as well.
Instantpassport.com makes marriage, death, and divorce certificates available as well as birth certificates, visas, and passports. Standard Service takes about 8-10 weeks and express service is available too. Officialtraveldocuments.com is a great resource for aquiring birth certificates quickly and has many links to rated websites that offer visa and passport services.
As with all travel arrangements you should plan ahead and getting your passport is no exception. If you are even thinking of traveling out of the country you should apply immediately. Even if you’re not going to travel for up to 2 months it helps to apply early. If you are planning on traveling during the summer, which is one of the busiest times for the US Department of State make sure you apply extra early or use an online service. Currently you need a passport to travel by air to most countries outside of the United States.
If you are not a citizen you will need a visa in combination with official travel documentation from your country of citizenship. If you have to travel in less than 2 weeks and you do not wish to use an online docuement service you can call the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778 or at 1-888-874-7793 for TDD/TYY. The NPIC can help you get a passport or visa in as little as two weeks with express service.
Here are the phone numbers and web addresses for the online document services reccomended here. You can always call the services directly if you cannot find the answers you’re looking for on their website.
US Department of State Passports and Visas – http://travel.state.gov/index.html, call the National Passport Information Center (NPIC), 1-877-487-2778.
Travisa- http://www.travisa.com, 1-800-222-2589 Washington DC, 1-800-766-0608 Midwest Region, 1-800-421-5468 West Coast, and 1-212-613-2223 New York.
Passports and Visas – http://www.passportsandvisas.com, 1-800-860-8610.
Instant Passport – http://www.instantpassport.com, 1-800-284-2564
Passport Express – http://www.passportexpress.com, 1-800-362-8196
