As my travel plans were coming together I knew I only had 6 months left on my passport. Logic would say this isn’t an issue, but not all things are logical. As I was verifying VISA requirements for my destinations I noticed a reoccurring requirement to the effect of: To enter [country] you must have 6 months validity remaining on your passport after your return date.
To put it simply, your passport isn’t any good for international travel 6 months prior to its expiration date.
Being resourceful I started with a few Google searches to expedite a passport renewal. In every search I was hit with a lot of paid ads for what is known as a Renewal Agency, not to be confused with a Passport Agency. A Renewal Agency will charge an average of $250 on top of the government fees to get your passport within 24 hours to a week. I decided to check the .gov website to see if this was something I could do myself, given there was one less than 2 miles from where I sat. I quickly found out there isn’t any reason why anyone can’t simply go to a Passport Office armed with some simple knowledge to get your passport within a day.
Here’s the run down:
You’ll need to make an appointment with the Passport agency. The offices do not allow walk ins. For me, the nearest time was 6 days away. In addition to the required paperwork, fees, and a new picture you’re going to need one of two things:
1. Proof of International Travel within 14 days
2. A Matter of Life and Death
Both of these scenarios are quite easy to fake.
Proof of Travel
Little known fact, you’re able to get a full refund within 24 hours after booking an airline ticket, this is a federal regulation. That is with the exception of American Airlines that allows for a 24 hours hold to be placed on a ticket. To get your proof of travel you’ll need to book a ticket the day before your appointment with the Passport Office. This will give you a confirmation you’re able to print off. At this point, you have two options. Cancel the flight free of charge once you have your ticket confirmation, or place it safe like I did and wait until after the appointment to cancel the flight. I choose to wait just in case the agent decided to verify online.
A Matter of Life and Death
If you don’t the cash to tie up in booking a ticket and then waiting on a refund you can take this route. You’re going to need to prove someone died. You can find plenty of obituaries in different countries. Print one off and to anyone none the wiser it’s a close relative, mentor, or childhood friend.