What Is a Temporary Passport and When Can You Get One?

A temporary passport is the informal name for an emergency or limited-validity U.S. passport issued when you need to travel internationally but can’t wait the normal four to six weeks. The State Department offers two paths: an urgent-travel appointment at a domestic passport agency if you’re still in the country, or a 12-page emergency passport from a U.S. embassy or consulate if you’re already abroad.¹ Both documents work differently from a regular passport, and the differences matter before you book a flight.

What a Temporary Passport Actually Is

The United States doesn’t produce a document officially labeled “temporary passport.” The term covers two things.

The first is an emergency passport issued abroad. U.S. embassies and consulates cannot print full-validity passports, so they issue a 12-page booklet valid for up to one year. It lacks the embedded electronic chip found in a standard biometric passport, which creates entry problems in some countries.²

The second is a limited-validity passport issued domestically. If you apply at a passport agency under urgent or emergency circumstances but there’s something unresolved in your file, such as missing proof of citizenship, the agency may issue a passport valid for two years or less and expect you to replace it after you return.³ In most urgent-travel appointments where paperwork is clean, the agency will issue a standard 10-year passport instead.

When You Qualify for Fast Service

The State Department separates fast service into two tiers, and the tier changes what you bring and how you book.

Life-or-Death Emergency

You qualify for a life-or-death appointment if you need to travel internationally within 14 days because an immediate family member outside the U.S. has died, is dying or in hospice, or has a life-threatening illness or injury. “Immediate family member” means a parent or legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent. Aunts, uncles, and cousins don’t qualify.⁴

You’ll need documentation: a death certificate, a mortuary statement, or a letter from the hospital on its letterhead, signed by a doctor, describing the condition. Non-English documents must be professionally translated. You also need proof of imminent travel, like a flight itinerary.⁴

Urgent Travel

If your trip is urgent but doesn’t involve a family emergency, you can book an appointment at a passport agency or center when you’re within 14 calendar days of international travel, or 28 calendar days if you need a foreign visa first.⁵ Appointments aren’t guaranteed. Walk-ins aren’t accepted. If you already applied by mail and your date is closing in, call 1-877-487-2778 to request an upgrade to urgent processing.

How to Apply Inside the United States

Both tiers go through a State Department passport agency or center. A regular post office or acceptance facility can’t produce a same-day or next-day passport.

Bring to your appointment:

Form DS-11, unsigned. You’ll sign in front of the agent. If you’re replacing a lost or stolen passport, also complete Form DS-64.⁶
Proof of citizenship: an original or certified copy of a previous passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate. Photocopies and notarized copies aren’t accepted.⁶
A valid government photo ID, such as a driver’s license.
One passport photo that meets U.S. requirements.
For life-or-death appointments, your emergency documentation and flight itinerary.

Fees

For an adult passport book, expect:

Application fee: $130, payable to the U.S. Department of State
Acceptance/execution fee: $35, payable to the facility
Expedited processing: $60 additional
1-to-3-day return delivery: $22.05 if you want it shipped quickly

These figures apply as of 2026.⁷ Pay by check or money order. Cash and card acceptance vary by location.

How Fast You’ll Actually Get It

At an in-person agency appointment, you can generally leave with the passport the same day or receive it within a few business days. Standard mail-in service takes four to six weeks, and expedited mail-in takes two to three weeks, before you add mailing time on each end.⁸ The agency appointment exists to close that gap.

How to Apply While You’re Abroad

If your passport is lost, stolen, or damaged overseas, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. You’ll be issued the 12-page emergency passport valid for up to one year, since embassies can’t print the full booklet.²

A local police report isn’t mandatory if the passport was stolen, but the embassy recommends bringing a copy if you have one.⁹ Even if you can’t produce every document, consular staff will work with you to get a travel document issued quickly.

Outside business hours, the State Department runs a 24/7 line: 1-888-407-4747 from the U.S., or +1-202-501-4444 from abroad.⁵

Getting a Child’s Emergency Passport

For a child under 16, the process is the same with one significant complication: both parents or guardians must appear in person with the child and consent to the passport.¹⁰

If one parent can’t attend, that parent must sign Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) before a notary public and provide a photocopy of the ID shown to the notary. The notarized form must be submitted within three months of signing. A parent overseas can have DS-3053 notarized at a U.S. embassy or consulate. Deployed military parents should sign a notarized DS-3053 before leaving when possible.¹⁰

Family emergency applications tend to fall apart here. If both parents share custody and one is unreachable or uncooperative, you can’t skip the consent step. Start DS-3053 immediately, because parental consent is often the bottleneck even when everything else is ready.

Countries That May Not Accept It

This is the part most travelers overlook until they reach a boarding gate. Not every country accepts a U.S. emergency passport, and being turned away is a real risk.

France, for one, does not recognize the 12-page emergency passport for visa-free entry. You may be refused boarding or denied entry by French immigration. The only exception is direct transit through France on your way back to the United States.² The State Department’s general instruction is to check destination entry and exit rules before you travel on an emergency passport.³

The Schengen Area adds another layer: your passport generally must be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure from the zone.² An emergency booklet with only a few months of validity may not clear that threshold. The missing biometric chip also matters, since some countries require an electronic passport for visa-free entry.¹¹ An emergency passport is designed to get you home, not to continue an itinerary through Europe.

Replacing It After You Return

An emergency or limited-validity passport is a stopgap. Replace it with a standard full-validity passport as soon as you’re back.

If yours was issued less than one year ago, you can typically replace it by mail with Form DS-5504 at no application fee.¹² Send in the form, your limited-validity passport, one passport photo, and any supporting documents the original application needed. If you received your emergency passport at an embassy abroad, the letter that came with it will tell you whether to use DS-5504 or DS-11.³

If the emergency passport was issued while you were waiting on a replacement naturalization or citizenship certificate, the window extends to two years.³ Either way, the only cost is $60 for expedited processing if you want it. Don’t wait. Once the window closes, you’ll have to apply from scratch with Form DS-11 and pay the full fee again.

1
U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
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U.S. Embassy & Consulates in France. Emergency Travel Within the Next 7 Days
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U.S. Department of State. Replace a Limited Validity Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if You Have a Life-or-Death Emergency
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Travel.State.Gov. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center
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United States Department of State. Replacing a Lost or Stolen Passport
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U.S. Department of State. Passport Fees
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U.S. Department of State. Processing Times for U.S. Passports
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Travel.State.Gov. Lost or Stolen Passport Abroad
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Travel.State.Gov. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
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ESTA: Official ESTA Application Website. What Are the Passport Requirements for Travel Under the Visa Waiver Program
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U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport – Form DS-5504