An emergency passport can be printed the same day you’re seen at a passport agency, and many travelers walk out with the book in hand within a few hours; an afternoon appointment sometimes means picking it up the next morning. So the answer to how long does it take to get an emergency passport is measured in hours at the counter, not weeks. The harder question is how quickly you can qualify for an appointment, book one, and get yourself to an agency before your flight.1
The Department of State runs two in-person tracks that produce a passport this quickly: life-or-death emergencies and urgent travel. Both skip the four-to-six-week routine timeline and the two-to-three-week expedited mail option. Which track you fall into decides how fast you can get an appointment.
Life-or-Death Emergencies
This track is the fastest way in. You qualify if you need to travel abroad within 14 days because an immediate family member outside the United States has died, is dying or in hospice care, or has a life-threatening illness or injury.
The State Department defines immediate family narrowly here: parent or legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent. Aunts, uncles, cousins, and other extended relatives do not qualify. If your situation involves someone outside that list, you’ll use the urgent travel track.
During business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern), call 1-877-487-2778. Outside those hours, on weekends, or on a federal holiday, call the after-hours line at 202-647-4000. The after-hours number is only for life-or-death situations.
Bring proof of the emergency. Acceptable documentation includes a death certificate, a statement from a mortuary or funeral home, or a signed letter from a hospital or attending physician describing the family member’s condition. Documents in a foreign language need a professional English translation attached to the original. You also need a printed itinerary or airline confirmation showing your departure falls within 14 days.
Urgent Travel Appointments
If your international travel is booked within the next 14 calendar days but there’s no family emergency, you’re in the urgent travel category. It also covers travelers who need a foreign visa and are departing within 28 calendar days. You don’t have to prove a crisis, just prove the travel is imminent.
Once your application is accepted at the agency, the turnaround is the same as for life-or-death cases: same-day or next-morning pickup. The 14-day and 28-day windows exist to ration the limited appointment supply, favoring travelers closest to departure.
Booking the Appointment
If you haven’t submitted an application yet, book through the State Department’s Online Passport Appointment System at passportappointment.travel.state.gov. The system checks your travel details, confirms you qualify, and shows available slots. You confirm by email and text, and the system holds a slot for only 15 minutes before releasing it.
If you already mailed an application in and now need it accelerated because plans changed, call 1-877-487-2778 instead. Phone representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern and on weekends from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
Appointments are non-transferable. Whoever booked it has to be the one who shows up.
The State Department operates roughly 27 passport agencies and centers nationwide, but not every state has one. Depending on where you live, reaching the nearest office can mean a several-hour drive, so build that travel time into your plan, especially with a departure only a day or two out.
What to Bring
Missing paperwork wastes the appointment and can cost you the trip.
- Application form. First-time applicants and anyone replacing a lost or stolen passport use Form DS-11. If you’re renewing an undamaged passport issued within the last 15 years, use Form DS-82. Both are at travel.state.gov.
- One color passport photo taken within the last six months, 2 x 2 inches, plain white or off-white background.
- Proof of citizenship: original birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or previous U.S. passport.
- Valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or military ID.
- Printed flight itinerary or booking confirmation showing your departure date.
For children under 16, both parents or legal guardians generally must appear in person with the child. If one can’t attend, a notarized Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) authorizes issuance.
Fees
Emergency and urgent appointments carry the standard passport fees plus a mandatory $60 expedite fee. For a first-time adult passport book:
- Application fee: $130
- Execution fee (DS-11 only): $35
- Expedite fee: $60
That’s $225 for a first-time adult. A renewal on Form DS-82 skips the $35 execution fee, for a total of $190. Payment is accepted by credit card, check, or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State. Bring a backup form of payment in case your primary method fails at the counter.
If Your Passport Was Lost or Stolen
A lost or stolen passport adds paperwork. You apply as a first-time applicant using Form DS-11, even if your previous passport was recent. The DS-11 includes information about the missing passport; if the detail isn’t sufficient, the agency may pause your application and ask you to file Form DS-64 (Statement Regarding a Lost or Stolen Passport) separately, which can slow things down.
Report the loss as soon as possible to protect yourself from identity theft. You can do it through the State Department’s online form or at the agency during your appointment. Once reported, the old passport is cancelled and cannot be used for travel.
If You’re Already Abroad
Losing a passport overseas takes you outside the domestic agency system. You deal with a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, and there’s an important limit: embassies and consulates cannot print full-validity passports. They issue a limited emergency passport, typically valid for up to one year with fewer pages than a standard book.
Schedule an appointment with the nearest embassy or consulate, bring whatever identification you still have, and explain the circumstances. Turnaround varies by location and demand, though embassies generally prioritize travelers with imminent departures. Once you’re home, you can exchange the limited emergency passport for a full-validity one.
Private Courier Services
Private passport expediting companies charge fees on top of government costs and handle the paperwork for you. What they cannot do is beat the timeline you’d get by going to a passport agency yourself. The State Department is explicit that using a courier company will not result in faster processing than applying directly at an agency. If speed is the priority and you can make the trip, going in person costs less and gets you the same result.