Many times a person has started to get things together for a trip to another country and finds they have a lost and stolen passports. 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).
When a person discovers they have lost their passport and need one within a very short time they can go on the Internet and find the site for lost passports. It will give full instructions for making out the form and give a phone number to contact a passport specialist who will give full instructions as to how to obtain the replacement within the time indicated.
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.
At the current time there are a number of private passport expediting companies listed on the Internet. These companies assist the applicant in filling out the papers and see that they are remitted correctly. There is a fee for these services.
One should always make a copy of their passport and keep it in a safe place while traveling, as well as making a copy to leave with a relative. Being able to show this at an Embassy or Consulate when one is in another country and has lost their original passport makes things go much quicker.
When in a foreign country it is easy to become distracted with the many different sights. This is what thieves look for. If you do not wish to have a lost U.S. passport, caution says one should never lay their new passports down anywhere and should not carry it in a purse or backpack. If one feels they must carry it, then it should be in a money belt or an inside pocket. It needs to be out of sight at all times to avoid having a lost passport.