Same day passport for a minor
 

OK, one of those cases that you think will never happen to you. Believe me, I kicked myself in the butt enough, so let's stay on topic.

We are (family of 4) leaving on an international trip on Wed, June 11th. I started packing today and found out that my daughter's passport expired.

I read through Department of State's pages - they don't mention anything about the same day passport processing, but there are plenty of reports of people being able to do so.

Reading about the documents required for a passport for a minor - looks like she needs to be present. I am planning to get my Spouse's consent notarized tomorrow.

Having that, looks like I will need to show up at one of the Passport Agencies bright and early Monday morning, hoping they can process her passport on Monday.

I know it's probably not the case where you would want to try to save a buck, but I'll probably have to drive to an agency - there are 3 of them within 5-6 hour drive - Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta.

Now I need some advise (beside the one about checking expiration date on passports - I am going to set a reminder 6 mo before passports in our family expire):
- what is the chance I will be able to get the passport on Monday?
- is there a preferred agency to go to?
- is there anything I am missing?

How does Chicago do expedited applications with very near term upcoming travel? Usually overnight, if everything is in order with the application. Same day is often enough frustrated there.

You are completely overlooking the necessity of having an appointment to get expedited service at a passport agency.

Shouldn't the question be "what is the chance I will be able to get an appointment on Monday? :confused:

Or did you call already and you made an appointment (and if not, what are you waiting for?)

At the downtown Chicago passport agency office, people are allowed in -- after a screening -- to proceed to the elevator that leads to the office. Once there, we just took a number to get our turn to get to the window and submit things along with the printed eticket itinerary. They had some lists but no one verified that our names were on an appointment list in deciding whether or not to let us proceed to the elevator and go into the office -- not on the application drop off date and not on the passport collection date. Last year and this year. I'm not sure if that is how it is supposed to go or not, but that was my experience.

Appointment slots -- bookable on the phone -- often open up on and for the morning of the day of the call. Summer at this point tends to be slower processing and involve more difficulty getting appointment spots but walk-ins seem to still take place at passport agency offices in a way that doesn't hold up in the same way any longer for US embassies/consulates.

thanks

in my limited reading of this forum, walk-ins seem to be discussed

there was also an OMNI thread where someone said appointment not required, and to show up before opening time

re same-day, done it twice myself in DC (with appointment because i thought you needed one)

I've done walk-in without appointment at the DC and NYC passport agency offices and had it work in the prior decade (don't know about the last 2-4 years but I suspect it still works). I showed up mostly first thing in the morning because the telephone appointment booking schedule didn't work for me. Having a ticket showing imminent international departure definitely helped. Without the ticket showing departure imminently or within 14 days, I would have used -- and generally suggested using -- the telephone appointment booking system or rejection odds increase big time.

Thanks everybody for comments.

Appointments are not available at none of the agencies - soonest for Chicago was 6/13, Atlanta - 6/12 and Detroit 6/16. Also read number of posts regarding walk-ins, so looks like that should not be an issue.

I definitely have all the tickets (departure 6/11), hotels and other reservations on hand.

If somebody can chime-in about Chicago vs. Atlanta agency - I would appreciate it. I am trying to choose between these two.

Although expensive, consider FastPort or one of the other passport expediter services. By the time you factor in your time, gas, parking and the like, you may come close to even as well.

Fedex also has Same Day delivery service between many major cities and you may be able to coordinate that depending on what is available to/from Louisville.

I would go to Chicago. They marginally more frequently make more mistakes than Atlanta but they turn them out applications more consistently overnight (in terms of time frame) and have more slots open up via phone first thing in the morning than Atlanta.

Not that familiar with traveling with minors on a US passport? Seems so.

What is being suggested above is a waste of money and not going to be that helpful especially when it's a passport for a young minor -- the minor has to show up at the passport agency or officially designated authorized acceptance facilities. Within 5 days of travel, Chicago handles walk-ins. No need to tell anyone there you don't have an appointment. ;)

The third party "expediter" services introduce additional points of failure risk in the process -- even for adult passport renewals -- relying on them for the whole process (like adults often do for adult passport applications) is a recipe for a missed trip when the alternative is to handle the whole process yourself and/or minimize use of intermediaries.

Many of the expediting services have pre-arranged appointments reserved. You can find them all over the web. I have used travisa in the past, but there are other businesses that offer this kind of service.

I was able to get my son in the next day via travisa in a similar situation about 4 years ago in Chicago.

Again, there are several places that offer similar services, I recommend you research several and get the best deal for you (fastest service, lowest piece, or whatever you require).

Indeed they squat on appointment spots, thus making it somewhat harder for ordinary persons to plan to use the passport agency offices without dealing with these intermediaries. Giving them business rewards them for blocking appointment spots that often go unused and would help others with planning. But when desperate, paying a price comes with the territory, even as it is avoidable by just showing up in Chicago.

Thanks

Pretty much my thoughts. I got myself in the situation with no room for error, and introducing not only agencies, but 2 passport same day shipments - just too complicated. I would consider going this way if I had 2-3-4 more days.

I did use them for visas and was happy with service they provide and money they save.

Best of luck in Chicago and I would love to know the outcome.

I suggest calling two or three times a day -- like 7 am, 2 pm and 11pm -- to land same day or next day or day after appointment spots as a back-up. Worse case scenario, someone like Travisa should be willing to sell the appointment spots they've taken and expect to have otherwise spoiled; others get released anyway.

last time i called my appointment was in 9 days (when you have to travel within 14 days)

thanks

this mentions things other than '14 days' >

I've done will-call at NYC and DC passport agency offices even back in 1999-2002. Until last year, I didn't use the Chicago passport agency office for will-call.

I forgot something. Chicago is open less on Thursday than Atlanta. Detroit has way fewer hours than either of the other ones.

I recommend Chicago if that works for the OP.

NYC has the longest opening hours for passport agency office hours but they are also the one that more vigorously checks against lists based on SSN/appointment number. [Not every US citizen has a SSN.]

As most times of the year have me traveling internationally at least once every 5 days, and as I like disintermediation where/when it makes sense, maybe that is part of why I haven't had problems with rushed passport service.