I was suddenly overcome by panic, fear and terror as I realized that I could not find my passport on a Sunday before I was schedule to fly down to Mexico for Puerto Vallarta by UTMB, my last redeeming race of the year!
"F&*k!!!!! Why me?! Why now?!" I cursed while ransacking through my place, looking and re-looking thorough all the places where my passport could possible be. And add to the stress, I had to fly to Arizona in few short hours for a business conference - the plan was to fly direct from Arizona to Mexico after the conference.
I called the US Passport Office but it was closed.
The US State Department's website said that a normal processing time for a new passport was 6 to 9 weeks and expedited service would take 3 to 5 weeks.
I called an (private) expedited 24-Hour Passport Service and actually got a live person, who unfortunately told me that the fastest I could get a new passport in Phoenix would be on that Friday, which was too late as I was scheduled to leave Phoenix on Wednesday and the race will start on Friday in Mexico.
I was lost and felt hopeless as I left for the SEATAC airport, not knowing what I was going to do or how I was going to get myself down to Puerto Vallarta...
On my way to the airport, I Googled "24 hour passport" furiously and after reading multiple articles that contained various tips and suggestions I was able to piece together steps that I could take to get a new passport fast.
Long story short: in the end, with some Divine Intervention, I got a new passport in just 4 hours on the very same day!
So, if you find yourself in a similar situation, relax and take a deep breath because there's a way to replace your passport in few short hours. Just make sure to keep a positive attitude and follow the these steps in order:
First, there are about two dozen Passport Agencies spread out across the US. Check the site and see if you can drive to one in person. If not, I don't think this will work. You have to be there in person to have any hope.
Call 1-877-487-2778 to see if a same or next day appointment is available at the Passport Agency that you can drive to. When you call, you'll likely get an automated service prompting you to make a series of choices. Make sure you select: 1) You have submitted a passport application or have questions about already submitted passport and 2) Your travel date is less than 14 days. This combination will get you routed to a live person during business hours. Special thanks to the gentleman (guard) at the Tucson Passport Agency who gave me this tip, which allowed me to make the same day appointment!
If same or next day appointment is not available, then you'll just have to drive down to the Passport Agency and be there when it opens and try (or beg) as a walk-in. Explain your situation and (nicely) ask to talk to a manager, if needed. Be sure to be there when the office opens as it'll likely be easier for you to get in as a walk-in when things are slow than during a morning or afternoon rush.
Before leaving for the Passport Agency, here are all the documents that you'll need to have with you:
DS-11 Application Form - you can complete the form online and print or use offline option.
DS-64 Form - "lost or stolen passport form". The system will automatically prompt you to complete this form as a part of DS-11 Application if you specify that you either lost your passport or it was stolen.
Proof of US Citizenship - the best document would probably be your expired passport, but the State Department will take other documents as well. Make couple copies.
Photocopy of state issued ID - driver's license would be ideal. Make sure to make a copy of both front and back.
Copy of flight itinerary or other proof of travel plans that shows the need for urgency.
Passport photo - see the link for Fedex locations that offer passport photo service.
Now, coming back to my experience:
I arrived in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon and after working on the necessarily documents that night, I left at 6:00 AM on Monday morning for a two hour drive to Tucson Passport Agency (scheduled to open at 8:30 AM) with all the required documents. I really didn't know what to expect and what unexpected curve-ball life would throw at me during this process, but I knew I had to be in front of that building when it opened to have any chance.
I got to Tucson just before 8:00 AM and headed first to a Fedex office located near the agency for a passport photo before arriving at Tucson Passport Agency little before 8:30AM. The guard would not let me as a walk-in, however, insisting that I would need an appointment. I explained my situation and asked if I could talk to a manager. He said he'd see if one was available, but in the meantime suggested that I call 1-877-487-2778 and gave the direction to reach a live person (described above), who was able to book me a same day appointment at 10:00AM that morning! For the first time since my initial panic the day before I felt relived as a sliver of hope appeared. Somehow, this crazy Hail Mary just might work, I thought.
The guard let me in at 8:40 AM since I had an appointment that day now instead of having me come back at 10:00 AM (the morning rush hasn't started yet). Once inside, I was assisted by two lovely ladies: Heather R and Koko P. Heather checked all my documents, including my itinerary showing Wednesday flight time, and passed me off to Koko, who processed the paperwork to have my new passport printed. Koko told me that my passport would be ready at around noon that day so advised that I return around 12:30PM! The entire process took about 20 mins and I left the building at around 9:00AM! Thank you Heather and Koko!
To conclude, I returned to the Agency at 12:30 PM and picked up my new passport! The feeling of relief, bewilderment and disbelief were overwhelming. How could I bypass all that bureaucracy and get a new passport issued in less than 4 hours?! Our bureaucracy isn't supposed to work this fast and efficiently! But, it did happen and I'm thankful to all those who help make this possible. I started this journey with a sense of panic and terror, which transitioned to self-loathing and desperation before the final exhilarating triumph and disbelief. A roller coast of emotional ride that I do not want to repeat.
So, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, know that it is possible to get a new passport in just few hours. Keep a positive attitude and be polite but be persistence about getting in front of right people who can help you get a new passport!
Good luck and let me know if this was helpful!
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