For anyone who has ever lost a passport or any other important identification document such as a driving license, they all agree that the loss of these important documents is scary and terrifying mainly because you are not sure in whose hand the document will land. This becomes worse if you are on trip or about to go for one. It is wise to have the lost United States pasport reported to the authorities concerned as soon immediately so that the document can be declared invalid. This invalidation is important because you cannot get into trouble even if the document is criminally used elsewhere.
Lost Passport
Lost passports should be returned to the Department of State immediately upon recovery so that they can be destroyed. Fortunately for people whose lose this document prior to travelling, there are services that are provided to help them get replacement in a short time-within 24 hours. This is referred to as emergency passport services meant to process emergency passports.
Replacement
There are different avenues for replacing a lost passport. If the document is not needed in a short period of time then it can a replacement can be applied for. This can take about 8 weeks. If it is needed in a short period of time then expediting services must be used, this guarantees the documents arrival in the necessary time period.
Expediting
However, for people in need of the document urgently, services are available to help them get the document within a shorter period than mentioned above. Contacting a private service provider is the best way in which one can approach this. The provider will help you get the document in 1-2 business days.
Paperwork
In order for the expedited replacement passport to be processed, all necessary paperwork must be filled out. If a private company is used, there may be additional paperwork. Private companies also have added charges that tend to be higher than the governments. However, they may also be able to get your passport to you much faster than the government, so it\’s important to weight your options.
Documentation
You get a list of all the requirements for the processing in the website of the provider. Make sure to have all the documents required and their photocopies. You will also get the lost American passport application form on the site and you should complete it as required.
Acceptable Forms
Among the identification documents that will be required is the birth certificate, which proves that one is a US citizen. Other details that will be required are the actual age of the applicant, birthplace and the social security number. Remember that the birth certificate provided should be original and in cases where certified copies are used, they should have the entity\’s official seal or else they will be rejected.
Assistance In A Foreign Land
In cases where the document gets lost during a trip, you will be required to show the plane ticket or travel itinerary. Two color photographs are also required and they should meet the required specifications failure to which they are rejected. You can ensure that you have the required size by having them taken by a professional photographer.
After all this is done, the completed new pages for pasport application forms are sent to the company that is dealing with the processing. Having done this, the replacement process of the lost American pasport or even a damaged passport will be complete.