There are many reasons someone may need to get a rush passport and most have no time to waste when attempting this. A family emergency out of the country or even a business trip that needs to happen on short notice can bring up the need for getting a passport quickly. The regular channels can take up to 8 weeks to process and their shortest time is usually four, so this is not usually a good option when time is of the essence.

Obtaining a rush passport is best accomplished by using an independent online processing company. These companies charge an additional fee in order to provide an applicant with a new passport within as little as 24 hours. They offer varying turnaround times and different companies charge different fees for this service, so do some Internet research prior to selecting a company.

These services require that all the same paperwork be filled out as though it were going through the normal channels. These include government forms such as the DS-11, which is simply the application for a new passport. These can be found and printed out by going online and either getting them from the issuing agency’s website or the website of the provider.

Proper identification will also need to be provided to the online service agent in order to receive a rush passport. This begins with a copy of the applicant’s birth certificate and it must be a copy from the city, county or state of birth. Certified copies that do not carry the seal from one of these entities will not be accepted.

The applicant also needs to provide documents that substantiate identity. A valid driver’s license may be used. Alternatively, an applicant may provide a secondary form of identification. A city, state, or federal government or military ID card or a professional license may be provided to meet this requirement. The company and government Web sites contain a list of other acceptable documents.

This documentation and the passport application should be packaged with the passport photos and sent to the processing company via overnight mail, in the case of rush processing. Send the package via UPS or FedEx so that it can be tracked in order to verify its safe arrival. Tracking provides peace of mind when sending items of such a confidential nature as this.

The rush processing for passport applications requires that two payments be made. The first payment is for the government passport application and execution fee. The second payment is for the additional rush processing charges, and that payment is made directly to the processing company. Different payment methods are acceptable but payment via cash is not permitted.

The online U.S. passport services that provide the means to a rush USA passport are all certified by the government in order to be allowed to perform their function. They work directly with the issuing agency to make this a quick and painless process. By going on the Internet and doing a quick search, all the service providers of this type may be found and compared.