What Does Expedited at Agency Mean for Passports?

“Expedited at agency” is the fastest U.S. passport processing option: you visit one of the State Department’s regional passport agencies or centers in person by appointment and walk out with your passport in days rather than weeks. This expedited-at-agency passport service is reserved for travelers with confirmed international departures within 14 calendar days, a foreign visa need within 28 days, or a qualifying life-or-death emergency involving an immediate family member abroad. For an adult, the total cost runs $190 for a renewal and $225 for a first-time or replacement application.

How It Compares to the Other Processing Speeds

The State Department offers four tiers, and picking the right one matters because the lower tiers do not include mailing time. Routine service takes four to six weeks. Regular expedited service, which you can request by mail or at an acceptance facility such as a post office, takes two to three weeks. Neither works when your trip is closer than that.¹

Agency service removes the mail entirely. Staff process your application on-site, and the passport is usually printed the same day or ready the next business day. You cannot walk in. You need an appointment, and you need to fit one of the qualifying situations below.²

Who Qualifies

Urgent International Travel

You qualify if you have confirmed international travel within 14 calendar days, or if you need a foreign visa within 28 calendar days. These windows are enforced at the appointment, so bring proof of your departure date. If your trip is farther out and you do not need a visa, the State Department directs you back to regular expedited service by mail.²

Life-or-Death Emergency Abroad

A separate track applies when an immediate family member outside the United States has died, is in hospice care, or has a life-threatening illness or injury. You can book an emergency appointment up to two weeks before your international travel. The State Department defines immediate family as a parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent. Aunts, uncles, and cousins do not qualify.³

You must document the emergency. Acceptable proof includes a death certificate, a statement from a mortuary, or a letter from a hospital on hospital letterhead, signed by a doctor, explaining the medical condition. Any document not in English needs a professional translation.³

How to Book the Appointment

If you have not yet submitted an application, use the State Department’s Online Passport Appointment System. It first checks that your travel plans qualify, then walks you through scheduling. You can book for up to seven members of your household in the same session. After you enter your email and mobile number, the system sends verification codes and holds your slot for 15 minutes; miss that window and you start over. You will get a confirmation email with the details you need on the day of your visit.⁴

If you already applied by mail or at an acceptance facility and your plans have changed, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 to request an appointment. Phone hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern, and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern, closed on federal holidays. TDD/TTY users can call 1-888-874-7793. The State Department cannot guarantee an appointment will be available, and you still must be within the 14-day window to qualify.⁴²

Appointments are not transferable. If you cancel, the slot goes to the next person in line. Cancel or change an online appointment through the link in your confirmation email; cancel or change a phone appointment by calling the same number. The State Department operates 27 passport agencies and centers across the country, but not every state has one, so plan on possibly traveling to a neighboring state and book as early in your qualifying window as you can.⁴

What to Bring

Agencies do not hold incomplete applications, so arrive with everything ready.

The right form. First-time applicants, anyone whose previous passport was issued before age 16, and anyone replacing a lost or stolen passport use Form DS-11. Eligible renewals use Form DS-82. Both are free to download at travel.state.gov.⁵

Proof of citizenship and identity. Bring an original document such as a certified birth certificate with a registrar’s seal (filed within one year of birth), a certificate of naturalization, or your most recent U.S. passport, plus a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license. Any supporting document in a foreign language needs a professional English translation with a notarized letter from the translator.⁶⁷

One passport photo. 2 × 2 inches, color, taken within the last six months, on a plain white or off-white background, face to the camera, neutral expression, both eyes open, no eyeglasses.⁸

Printed proof of international travel. A flight itinerary or receipt works. If you are driving or taking a boat to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean, bring a hotel reservation, cruise or bus tickets, or proof of international car insurance.⁹

If you are replacing a lost or stolen passport, apply in person on Form DS-11 and include the details of where and when it was lost. Attach a copy of any police report you filed, and be prepared to submit Form DS-64 if asked.¹⁰

What It Costs

Every agency appointment carries the standard passport application fee plus a $60 expedite fee. First-time applicants using Form DS-11 also pay a $35 execution fee. The fees are the same whether you go to an agency or apply elsewhere; only the payment method differs.¹¹

For adults:

Renewal on Form DS-82: $130 + $60 expedite = $190
First-time or lost passport on Form DS-11: $130 + $35 execution + $60 expedite = $225

For children under 16 (always Form DS-11, so the execution fee always applies):

Passport book: $100 + $35 + $60 = $195
Passport card: $15 + $35 + $60 = $110
Book and card: $115 + $35 + $60 = $210

¹²

Passport agencies accept only credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), debit cards (Visa or Mastercard), and contactless payments such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. Cash, checks, and money orders are not accepted at agencies.¹¹

What Happens at the Appointment

Arrive at least 15 minutes early to clear security. Leave weapons, pepper spray, and sharp objects at home. Rules on electronics and bag sizes vary by location, so check your specific agency’s page on travel.state.gov before you go.¹³

After security you check in at the information window, present your confirmation, and wait in the lobby for your number. When it is called, a staff member reviews your application, verifies your documents, and confirms your travel date, then discusses how you will receive the finished passport based on when you leave.¹³

In most cases the passport is printed the same day or ready for pickup the next business day. Family members who apply together may receive their passports on different days.¹

If the Applicant Is Under 16

Children under 16 must apply in person on Form DS-11, and generally both parents or guardians need to appear. If one parent cannot come, the absent parent signs a notarized Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) and provides a photocopy of the ID they showed the notary. The signed form has to be submitted within three months of notarization.¹²

If neither parent can appear, for example when a grandparent brings the child, notarized statements from both parents are required. A parent stationed overseas with the military or living outside the United States can have Form DS-3053 notarized at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Electronic notarizations are accepted where allowed by state law, but you have to bring a printed copy.¹²

Private “Expediter” Companies Are Not the Same Thing

Businesses that advertise “expedited passport service” are not part of the State Department. Registered couriers can submit applications and pick up passports on your behalf, but using one will not produce a passport any faster than an agency appointment you book yourself, and they charge extra fees on top of the government fees. First-time applicants on Form DS-11 still have to appear in person at an acceptance facility or passport agency; no courier can bypass that. The State Department does not charge any fee to schedule an agency appointment, and application forms are free. If anyone asks you to pay for an appointment, treat it as fraud.¹⁴

1
U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency
4
U.S. Department of State. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center
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United States Department of State. DS-82 – Passport Renewal for Adults
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eCFR. 22 CFR Part 51 Subpart C – Evidence of U.S. Citizenship or Nationality
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U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Photos
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U.S. Department of State. Apply at the Western Passport Center
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U.S. Department of State. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
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U.S. Department of State. Apply at the San Francisco Passport Agency
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U.S. Department of State. Courier and Expeditor Companies