A passport service is a company or organization that offers special services to expedite the process and get a passport quickly, sometimes within 24 to 48 hours. If something happens to a passport, it is possible to replace, renew, or acquire a new document in about 24 hours — for a price. If a passport is stolen, misplaced, mutilated, or somehow destroyed while traveling abroad, a passport service can offer a quick replacement. It is best to use a passport service company that has an call center that takes calls from travelers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The actual process of acquiring a passport typically requires filling out an application, making an appointment, having an authorized agent witness the signing of the application, paying the processing fees, and waiting weeks to get a passport issued. Unless the applicant lives in one of the larger cities, where a passport office is located, there may be some travel time involved as well. Passport offices in large cities are equipped to handle emergencies like issuing duplicate or replacement passports in emergency situations, but there are no guarantees. A passport service that offers 24-hour expediting for a new passport or passport renewal can guarantee a duplicate or replacement passport and even deliver it to a traveler at an airport, hotel, or train station.
If a traveler has some problem with a passport, needs to get a name changed, or simply wants to expedite the typical four to six week routine process of getting a passport issued, using a passport service can be a good choice. Another good reason to use a passport service is to eliminate the process of filling out forms and following up with officials or government bureaucracies that issue passports. A passport service handles all the details and deals with the government officials. A U.S. passport renewal can be expedited in as few as 24 hours if the applicant is in possession of their most recent passport, it was issued less than 15 years ago, and it is undamaged. This expedited service can cost as much as $500 United States dollars (USD) plus any overnight shipping or other applicable fees.
In some cases, a traveler may need a new or replacement passport in 24 hours, and in other cases, it may be more prudent to wait a few days and save hundreds of dollars in expediting costs. A professional passport service or passport expediter will likely have several levels of expediting services available ranging from 24 hours up to 2 weeks. The costs to expedite a passport are going to be higher for faster services. A traveler can expect to pay a lot more when using a passport service for a passport needed the next day.