Starting 3/20, US passport agency only offers service for life-or-death emergencies
Mar 19, 2020, 4:44 pm
#1
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Starting 3/20, US passport agency only offers service for life-or-death emergencies
(copied and pasted most of the announcement here because State.gov website has been hard to get into today, probably due to hundreds of thousands of people trying to figure out the status of the passports)
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https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...-covid-19.html
Change in Passport Services Operations
Due to public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, effective March 20, 2020, we are only able to offer service for customers with a qualified life-or-death emergency and who need a passport for immediate international travel within 72 hours.
Life-or-death emergencies are serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (e.g. parent, child, spouse, sibling, aunt, uncle, etc) that require you to travel outside the United States within 72 hours (3 days). You must provide:
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https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...-covid-19.html
Change in Passport Services Operations
Due to public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, effective March 20, 2020, we are only able to offer service for customers with a qualified life-or-death emergency and who need a passport for immediate international travel within 72 hours.
Life-or-death emergencies are serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (e.g. parent, child, spouse, sibling, aunt, uncle, etc) that require you to travel outside the United States within 72 hours (3 days). You must provide:
- A passport application with supporting documents
- Proof of the life-or-death emergency such as a death certificate, a statement from a mortuary, or a signed letter from a hospital or medical professional. Documents must be translated or in English.
- Proof of international travel (e.g. reservation, ticket, itinerary)
Mar 19, 2020, 10:41 pm
#2
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Pay-to-expedite service for US passports has also been pulled by the US State Department. And this hits just when regular (non-expedite fee) passport applications’ processing times are also going to get substantially worse than they would otherwise be.
Mar 20, 2020, 2:54 am
#4
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Not generally. Such people mostly can still get temporary/one-year passports with ACS at US consulates/embassies in such cases if they can reach such a facility that happens to be open and has passport blanks and the other available stuff for temporary passport issuance. It might take longer than it would have last month or this time last year to get the emergency replacement passport, and it will require some convincing that it’s an emergency, but it is still possible in parts. Just not normal ACS and not guaranteed.
Last edited by GUWonder; Mar 20, 2020 at 3:05 am
Mar 29, 2020, 4:15 pm
#5
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Not generally. Such people mostly can still get temporary/one-year passports with ACS at US consulates/embassies in such cases if they can reach such a facility that happens to be open and has passport blanks and the other available stuff for temporary passport issuance. It might take longer than it would have last month or this time last year to get the emergency replacement passport, and it will require some convincing that it’s an emergency, but it is still possible in parts. Just not normal ACS and not guaranteed.
On the passport renewal website, it says "If you are applying for or renewing a U.S. passport on or after March 20, 2020, we will not offer expedited service and routine service may be delayed."
Does that mean they are still processing those renewal applications like mine, which was received on March 19?(date as indicated by the renewal status emails they sent out) Obviously, it will take longer than the usual 6 to 8 weeks... I'm just wondering if they are still going through those applications at all.
Thanks!
Jul 25, 2020, 11:27 pm
#6
Join Date: Jul 2020
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Life-or-Death Emergency letter from medical professional
Could anyone give me an idea what exactly a 'Life-or-Death Emergency letter from medical professional' has to include? I can't find any information on that.
Situation is that we have a very sick close family member who likely will undergo surgery in 10 days, but we are still waiting for my infant's US passport. (applied in April, but passport agency is not even in phase 1 yet). We are waiting to book our tickets to Europe (partner and I have European passports, kids are American) and I'm aware that the emergency passport can only be applied for 72h before travel, but I want to prepare for the worst...
Thanks!
Situation is that we have a very sick close family member who likely will undergo surgery in 10 days, but we are still waiting for my infant's US passport. (applied in April, but passport agency is not even in phase 1 yet). We are waiting to book our tickets to Europe (partner and I have European passports, kids are American) and I'm aware that the emergency passport can only be applied for 72h before travel, but I want to prepare for the worst...
Thanks!
Jul 25, 2020, 11:38 pm
#7
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I am not sure why you need to be concerned, as this is the job for the doctors.
Nevertheless, the letter should includes the patient's basic information and the medical emergency the patient is facing, in plain language.
Nevertheless, the letter should includes the patient's basic information and the medical emergency the patient is facing, in plain language.
Jul 25, 2020, 11:43 pm
#8
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Well, most doctors are not used to writing these letters in a foreign language for the grandson of their patient to obtain a US passport. So, to be quite frank, it was the doctor who asked for the extent of information he should put into this letter.
Jul 26, 2020, 12:31 am
#9
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The following thread in the USA forum and links in the first post may help.
Starting 3/20, US passport agency only offers service for life-or-death emergencies
Since the question is not directly related to Coronavirus and Travel I am moving the thread to the USA forum.
NewbieRunner
Coronavirus and Travel forum co-moderator
Starting 3/20, US passport agency only offers service for life-or-death emergencies
Since the question is not directly related to Coronavirus and Travel I am moving the thread to the USA forum.
NewbieRunner
Coronavirus and Travel forum co-moderator
Jul 26, 2020, 1:36 am
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Could anyone give me an idea what exactly a 'Life-or-Death Emergency letter from medical professional' has to include? I can't find any information on that.
Situation is that we have a very sick close family member who likely will undergo surgery in 10 days, but we are still waiting for my infant's US passport. (applied in April, but passport agency is not even in phase 1 yet). We are waiting to book our tickets to Europe (partner and I have European passports, kids are American) and I'm aware that the emergency passport can only be applied for 72h before travel, but I want to prepare for the worst...
Thanks!
Situation is that we have a very sick close family member who likely will undergo surgery in 10 days, but we are still waiting for my infant's US passport. (applied in April, but passport agency is not even in phase 1 yet). We are waiting to book our tickets to Europe (partner and I have European passports, kids are American) and I'm aware that the emergency passport can only be applied for 72h before travel, but I want to prepare for the worst...
Thanks!
Also double check quarantine requirements for your country of arrival.
Easy to overlook these things in the family illness situation you appear to be in.
Jul 26, 2020, 6:04 am
#11
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The State Department does not define the term. Thus, best for the physician treating the relative to be as specific as to why this is "life or death." Also, note that the relative must be more than a "close relative" and needs to be one of a specified list. As others note, make certain that the destination country will admit you and also that whatever hospital or facility is housing your close relative will admit you if you do arrive and have not completed any required quarantine.
Jul 26, 2020, 11:17 am
#12
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The State Department does not define the term. Thus, best for the physician treating the relative to be as specific as to why this is "life or death." Also, note that the relative must be more than a "close relative" and needs to be one of a specified list. As others note, make certain that the destination country will admit you and also that whatever hospital or facility is housing your close relative will admit you if you do arrive and have not completed any required quarantine.