A large group of today’s global travelers are American citizens. Of course getting a U S passport is an essential prerequisite for anyone before they can cross the border into another country. This document acts as your identification and authorization for entry to other countries. It must be kept safe at all times.

Many people think that getting an urgent U S passport is somewhat confusing and a hassle. They don’t know how to get it or where to start. The good news is that getting one really is quite easy.

Passport services, a division of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, is entrusted with the responsibility of issuing as well as renewing passports of US citizens. It runs sixteen offices spread across the US. In addition to these offices, around nine thousand secondary units for issuing and renewing passports also function in various parts of the country. All present day passports are biometric containing physically readable and machine readable portions.

Applicants must produce a certified copy of their birth certificates when requesting new travel documents. The old one will suffice when you apply for a renewal. Applicants who were born outside the US need to produce the necessary documents from the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. The obligatory application form can be collected from any US Postal Service facility. US Postal Service offers the option to download forms online.

What you need to do is go to one of these places, fill out an application form. This form can be downloaded online or picked up at the US Postal Service. There are different types of passports, each with a unique application which each has different document requirements. People getting this document for the first time will need the DS-11 form. If the previous one was issued before the age of 16, the form DS-11 will suffice to get a new one. Form DS-82 needs to be filled out and mailed. In the instance of lost or stolen passports, form DS-64 will be needed and you will need to explain to the US Department of State’s Passport Services how it was lost or stolen.

Depending on what type you are applying for, the fees will differ. You need to also bring along small photos of yourself because some countries as to see them, especially if they have VISA requirements. These photos need to be presented when asked.

Once all the forms are filed and fees are paid, the document will take about five to six weeks to be processed and received by mail. This is just an estimate as it may take longer if there are more people applying during that time. Expedited services can be used if a travel document is needed ASAP. This would generally take about two weeks and costs much more than normal.

There may be changes in the requirement of various documents. Rules for issuing or renewing the urgent U.S. passport are decided by the Passport Services of the Departments of State. These may change from time to time. For getting a USA Passport, we need to keep abreast of such changes.