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I ordered expedited passport but it is still being processed by US Passport Agency. Today is May 1st, flight leaves for son's wedding in Japan on Sunday morning. I have contacted passport agency by phone 3 times but they don't give further updates. Am trying to contact airline but not getting through. What should I do? Haven't flown since 1988.

Traveller
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Lyza Herman
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    Airline can't do anything as you need a passport. You can try for an urgent appt now that you're close to flying: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html – mkennedy May 01 '23 at 22:43
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    @mkennedy that seems like an answer – mlc May 01 '23 at 23:05
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    When did you apply for your passport? You could try to reschedule your flight – Traveller May 01 '23 at 23:54
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    @Traveller Rescheduling a flight is easy, rescheduling a wedding is much harder. – lambshaanxy May 02 '23 at 00:58
  • You need to contact your representative/senator office right now, it will be a pain to get an appointment without them helping. The passport process is so broken that most have a specific office dedicated to it – Nicolas Formichella May 02 '23 at 06:59
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    @lambshaanxy Of course. However mostly wedding dates are set sufficiently well in advance to allow for obtaining a passport, even taking into account extended processing times – Traveller May 02 '23 at 07:32
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    Also keep another form of identity verification on hand (driving license, expired passport). I have personally experienced an airline asking for additional verification when the passport was issued close to the flight date (less than 5 days in my case). – bracco23 May 02 '23 at 15:54
  • Do you have a valid passport from another country? – user102008 May 03 '23 at 14:59
  • @user102008 There's a problem with that suggestion – Simon Crase May 03 '23 at 23:49
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    @SimonCrase: Depends on how you define "problem". If a problem doesn't have any consequences, is it still a problem? – user102008 May 04 '23 at 04:36
  • @user102008 One obvious consequence is that OP won't be able to use their US passport to come back home, so they might have a hard time convincing the airline to board them (and then probably an unpleasant day at the airport while CBP tries to figure out whether they really have a right to enter the US) – TooTea May 04 '23 at 14:48
  • @TooTea: That's not really a "consequence" as nothing prevents them from getting a US passport from abroad. It's just a matter of how much time that will take. But my guess is that going there on time for the wedding is much more important than coming back quickly. – user102008 May 04 '23 at 18:34

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You may qualify for "urgent travel", according to the State Department's "How to Get my US Passport fast" website, which also directs you to the "Passport Agencies" section, where The State Department has specific instructions regarding "urgent travel".

US State Department Urgent Travel

Good luck! Enjoy the wedding and Japan!

AussieJoe
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    Is the requirement to make an appointment new? Or just for people who have already applied for a passport? On two occasions - in 2004 and again (after losing a passport) in 2008 - I had ultra-last-minute business travel plans, and both times I was able to drive to the nearest Passport Acceptance Facility and get a new passport the same day. Of course this could have changed over 15 years. – TypeIA May 03 '23 at 15:09
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    @TypeIA just speculating, but Covid-19 brought strict appointment enforcement for a lots of places / offices, which may not have been lifted since, or just not reflected on the website – törzsmókus May 04 '23 at 09:13