How do I get my passport fast? Here’s what to do if you need to leave Mississippi ASAP

Chelsea Madden
·3 min read

If you are looking to travel out of the country soon and need a passport, you may have to wait a while.

The U.S. Department of State is currently seeing “unprecedented demand” for international travel in 2023.

“We encourage all Americans to check their passport expiration date before making any definitive plans for international travel, and to take action to renew their passport well in advance of international travel this year,” according to the department’s website.

During the winter months, the state department often received more than 500,000 applications per week and, in March, processing times took 10-13 weeks.

The Department of State even predicted that this year could surpass 2022’s record-breaking 22 million passports issued.

If you need to travel urgently, it may be difficult to get your passport fast, but here are some ways to do so:

If you have a life or death emergency

You may qualify for this if you need to travel internationally in three business days because your immediate family member outside of the United States:

  • Has died,

  • Is dying (hospice care), or

  • Has a life-threatening illness or injury

Here’s which family members qualify

The exception applies to immediate family members: parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling or grandparent.

The Department of State doesn’t consider aunts, uncles, cousins or other relatives for this emergency.

How to get your passport for emergency travel

You need to make an appointment to get your passport. Before the appointment, you must have documentation of the emergency such as a death certificate, statement from a mortuary, or a letter from the hospital (on hospital/clinic letterhead, signed by the doctor/medical professional, explaining your relative’s medical condition).

You will also need to Complete a passport application, get a passport photo, and make sure you have valid government-issued photo identification (such as a driver’s license or identification card).

You can call 1-877-487-2778 to make your appointment and more information about the process is available online.

If you need to travel urgently for non-emergency reasons

If you’re looking to travel out of the country fast for non-emergency reasons within the next nine weeks, you must do the following:

  • Apply for an appointment at a passport agency or center. If you have not applied, this must be scheduled within 14 calendar days of your international travel date. If you have applied, but have not heard back, the appointment can be scheduled within five calendar days.

  • Call 1-877-487-2778 to make an appointment and speak to someone in person. The nearest acceptance centers are in Atlanta, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana. There are no guarantees an appointment will be available within your time frame.

  • You must provide proof of travel

If you need to expedite your passport application

This option is for people who want to travel internationally in the next 13 weeks.

However, an expedited passport will still take 7-9 weeks to process and there is a $60 fee for all expedited passport applications.

Please note: Mailing times are not included in processing times. It may take up to two weeks for applications to arrive by mail at a passport agency or center, and up to two weeks for you to receive a completed passport in the mail after it prints.

If you’re looking to travel out of the country for any other reasons, you may have to wait up to 13 weeks for your passport to be processed.

Have any questions? Comment below or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com