Stolen Pasport – Recovering One Can Be Easier Than You Would Believe

An individual that wakes up one morning in the middle of a trip to find their passport gone can find their entire vacation or business trip in tatters. This will prohibit any travel to any other countries on their itinerary and maybe even hamper their return home by delaying it for quite some time. This can cost an individual quite a bit more money than was budgeted for a trip in extending their stay and in the replacement of the stolen passport.

The federal government maintains a hotline for reporting stolen passports. In addition to making this call, the victim will need to complete a form reporting the situation. There is no government-provided quick replacement service for stolen passports. The person will have to go through the same passport application process as those who are applying for their first passport. The standard processing time is eight weeks, and the expedited service takes four weeks. Many times, this will be far too long for someone to wait, especially if travel is planned in the near future. There are private companies that offer processing within 24 to 48 hours if necessary.

These online services have a wealth of information and forms posted on their Web sites. They will require that the applicant complete the government forms for passport application and stolen passport reporting. The companies usually require an applicant to complete an order form and possibly a confidentiality form. Each of the forms may be downloaded and printed wherever the traveler may be.

In addition to the required forms, applicants will need to provide documentation proving citizenship. Acceptable documents are a certified birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or certificate of citizenship. A document proving identity, such as a valid driver’s license or current government or military ID, will also be required. For those who do not have one of these, a list of acceptable secondary identification is provided on the Web sites.

Two identical color passport photos measuring 2×2 inches must also be provided. The photos must be recent and taken from a full front view. There are requirements regarding permitted attire so it is best to refer to these guidelines or have a professional photographer take the photos, in order to make sure that they will be usable.

Once all the paperwork is rounded up, there will be an 800 number listed on the website that will needed to be called. The provider will then give the information as to where it should be sent and how. The majority will use some type of private courier such as FedEx or their local equivalent.

The fees for these can range anywhere from around $300.00 for service in one business day to $150.00 for a few days wait. This fee does not include the governmental processing fee, which needs to be paid separately to the issuing agency. No matter the cost, the need to have a new passport in hand during this time is a paramount concern.

A Stolen American Passport does not need to be the cause for a ruined vacation because there are service providers who can assist with US passport replacement. The traveler can rest assured that the stolen passport will be canceled. The new passport will be in the traveler’s hands within the next day, if desired, and the trip may resume as if this whole nasty situation never occurred.