How do I get a passport fast for urgent travel?
US expedited service runs about 2 to 3 weeks, and the UK offers 1 week and 1 day urgent options. Here is how to get a passport fast when you travel very soon.
Updated
How fast can you actually get a passport?
Faster than most people expect, but only through the official urgent route. Hoping a normal application moves quickly is not a plan. Every major passport service runs an emergency track, and it always involves an appointment and proof of your travel.
Start by fixing your deadline. If you have a trip1 hotel booking with a set check-in date, that date decides which service you need. If your dates are still open, a room with free cancellation gives you room to move while the application runs.
United States
- Expedited service: about 2 to 3 weeks of processing for an extra fee, plus mailing each way. Paying for faster return delivery shortens the journey back to you but not the processing.
- Urgent travel appointment: if you are travelling internationally within 14 calendar days, you can request an in-person appointment at a passport agency and bring proof of that travel.
- Life-or-death emergency appointment: for a serious illness, injury or death in your immediate family, with supporting documentation. These are handled at very short notice.
Appointments are requested through the National Passport Information Center or the online system, and slots are limited. Check travel.state.gov for the current processing times and the exact appointment process before you build any other plans around it.
United Kingdom
- 1 Week Fast Track: the earliest appointment is normally the day after you apply, and your passport is couriered to you about a week after that appointment. It covers renewals, replacements, detail changes and child passports.
- 1 Day Premium Service: an appointment can be as early as 2 days after you apply, and the passport is ready to collect from the passport office roughly 4 hours later. This one is for adult renewals only.
Both cost noticeably more than a standard application, and both require an appointment at a passport office, so slot availability and travel to the office are part of your timing. Book through gov.uk rather than any third-party site.
If you are already abroad
Contact your embassy, consulate or high commission first, not the passport office back home. They can usually issue an emergency travel document within a day or two, and it covers one journey home rather than continued travel.
Bring whatever you have: a police report if the passport was stolen, a photo or photocopy of the old passport, another form of ID, and your travel details. If an onward trip1 booking is affected, contact trip1 support as early as possible.
About private passport expediters
Important: no private company can speed up government processing. Expediters can courier paperwork, book appointments and check your forms, which has real value when time is short, but no private service issues a passport.
Be careful with search results. Sites charging a fee for a government form or an appointment you could book yourself are common, and anything promising a same-day passport by post is not describing a real service. Apply through the official government site and treat everything else as an optional extra.
What to do about your bookings meanwhile
If your trip is at risk, tell everyone early. Airlines and hotels both have far more flexibility a week out than on the day of travel.
For a hotel booked on trip1, check the cancellation policy shown on your booking and contact trip1 support as early as possible, so they know the situation and can raise it with the hotel while there is still time.
Getting a passport fast - FAQ
Expedited service takes 2 to 3 weeks of processing plus mailing, for an extra fee. If you are travelling within 14 calendar days you can request an in-person passport agency appointment.
The 1 Day Premium Service can have an adult renewal ready to collect about 4 hours after your appointment. The 1 Week Fast Track service couriers your passport around a week after your appointment.
Call your national passport service and ask about emergency or urgent travel appointments. You will need proof of the emergency and proof of your imminent travel.
Only marginally. Private expediters can courier documents and queue on your behalf, but they cannot speed up the government processing itself.
Your embassy or consulate can often issue an emergency travel document within a day or two. It covers a single journey home rather than onward travel.