In cases where you need to leave the country soon, the routine passport application is simply not an option. That’s because routine passport applications currently take around four to six weeks to complete, and if you’re really in a hurry, then that’s too long a wait.

The situation is even more important if you are faced with a family emergency and need to leave in 48 hours or less. Because of your situation, the US Department of State provides you with a way to apply for a passport without having to go through the regular passport processing times, so you can leave the country as soon as possible. They will provide you with an emergency passport.

Emergency passports are issued to US citizens who have family emergencies outside the country and have to leave within the next 48 hours. So, if you need a passport quickly, an emergency passport is what you need. Applying for one ensures that you’ll be able to leave the country immediately.

But just how do you apply for an emergency passport? It starts with a phone call that you’ll need to make to the National Passport Information Agency (NPIA). Tell them about your situation, and they will help you set an appointment with the passport office nearest you. The passport office will then be the one to take care of your emergency passport application.

There are times, however, when the NPIA is unable to set an appointment for you. You shouldn’t worry when this happens. Instead, stay on the line and you will be forwarded to a customer service representative (CSR). The CSR will then be the one to assist you regarding your application for an emergency passport.

What if you don’t really need to travel within the next 48 hours? You have the option of just having your passport application expedited instead. As far as processing speeds go, an expedited option sits in between the routine passport application and the emergency passport.

In fact, expedited passports are recommended to those who need to leave within the next 10 weeks. The reason for this is to allow some buffer time in case something causes a delay to the passport application. Currently, expedited passports take two to three weeks to process. Also keep in mind that there will be an additional fee should you decide to have your passport application expedited. This is a small price to pay, especially if you need the speed and convenience of applying for a passport.

In cases where you really need to leave the country soon for family emergencies, you can always apply for an emergency pass port. Applying for one cuts the processing time to just 48 hours. However, if you aren’t really that in a hurry yet need to travel in four to ten weeks, then you can instead apply for an expedited passport. An expedited passport gives you a quick and convenient alternative to the routine American passport application.