Many times a person has started to get things together for a trip to another country and finds they have a lost U.S. passport. This is a terrible situation. The tickets have been purchased, the reservations made and it will be impossible to get into the other country without a passport.

The emergency passport can be obtained anywhere from twenty-four hours to eight business days. The prices are higher than the regular passport since the request is put at the front of the line, so to speak. If one wants a twenty-four hour passport the cost is $299 (compared to $100 for a regular passport).

A person needs to go on the Internet and follow the instructions. After filling out the form, they need to contact a passport specialist, by phone, who will guide them on the next steps to take. A person is able to indicate how quickly they need to have the passport in hand and a fast service will see that they have it by that date.

One must be able to show proof of US Citizenship with a birth certificate and proof of identity. If the trip is already planned, one will be asked to identify the country to visit, why and the date of travel. The usual sex, age, place of birth and social security number are required.

The government has made arrangements to assist people who lose their passports in a foreign country. They advise them to go to a US Embassy or US Consulate. Personnel at these offices are well aware of the steps to take to get an emergency passport to replace the lost one. Proof of citizenship must be presented when applying at one of these locations with such things as driver’s license or social security card.

Private passport expediting companies are listed on the Internet. They offer services to help expedite the paperwork to get an emergency passport. There is a fee for their services, but they assure fast service on obtaining the document.

The passport should be treated as any other valuable document one has in one’s possession. Being prepared in advance for possible loss, it is wise to make two copies of the document. One should be put in a safe place and the other given to a relative for safe keeping. When a passport is lost things go much faster if one has a copy with the original number on it.

There are many reasons why a lost or stolen U.S. passport when in another country. One should be very careful to not lay it down anywhere and one person should not carry all the passports if going as a group or family. A new passports should never be carried in a purse or backpack as these are the most popular thing to be stolen. If carrying the passport it should be kept in a money belt or in a safe, inside pocket.