miami passport renewal – Rush Passport Services

The Dangers of traveling with a Damaged Passport

A passport can be damaged in any number of ways. It happens more easily than you may think. A person can come home from a long trip and accidentally leave the passport in clothing that gets put in the washing machine or a passport gets left on the table where your having a glass of water and in reaching for your glass you tip it over pouring water all over your passport. There are a number of ways in which a passport can be accidentally to intentionally damaged. The problem is that once it is damaged you should look to obtain a new passport rather than risk travel.

We have received many a call from a traveler stuck at the airport not able to fly because the airline would not let them due to what they believe is damage to the passport. In many of these cases, the traveler knows the passport is damaged but they believe that since the damage is “minimal” they feel that they can get by. They are overlooking one inherent problem with that line of thinking. The problem is that they are banking on the fact that since their passport is in their name and they have it in their possession that logically the immigration officer or airline official will allow you to go through. This line of thinking can cause you to miss your trip.

It is important to remember that by going to the airport with a damaged passport you are putting your trip in the hands of an official or officer who is trained to verify your passport and make sure that you are who you say you are. The official/officer’s obligation is to his job and his country’s immigration policies not to you the traveler. If the officer cannot verify your passport or feels that the damage makes it so that they cannot accept your passport they will deny you. If that means you miss your trip so be it. Often there will be no refund. By accepting this cold and hard truth you will be better off in dealing with this situation.

If your passport has water damage or has been chewed on by your dog, regardless of whether it was intentional or not, the passport has now been altered from the original state and must now be considered damaged. Obtaining a new passport should be your top priority if you plan to travel again in the near future. You may do so by going through your county clerk’s office if you want to do regular processing in 4-6 weeks or through rush processing in 3 weeks. If you need it back faster than you can use a service or go directly to a Passport Agency nearest you. For further information on how to rush your passport through a service please visit our website at http://www.passportsvisasandmore.com or call us 888-336-0683.

Roadblocks to a successful passport renewal process

Having a valid passport is an essential part of international travel. Your passport has to be valid in order to be able to make your trip. In some cases, your passport has to be valid for a certain period of time. Unfortunately, those who have a passport will eventually come upon a time when that passport must be renewed. After all, a passport is only valid for a certain amount of time. For adults, in most cases, it is valid for 10 years while for children it is valid for 5 years.

While renewing a passport is not as complex as obtaining a brand new passport, there are some criteria involved that will determine whether you can apply for a passport renewal or have to start all over again. Some of these steps can be determined simply by looking at the passport. Others are more complex. The following criteria can help to determine which route you would have to take:

A children’s passport cannot be renewed through the renewal process. The reason for this is because a children’s passport was only valid for 5 years. A children’s passport requires parental consent and because they are minor’s will only be valid for 5 years. The renewal process only applies if your passport was valid for 10 years and was not expired for more than 5 years.
If your passport was valid for 10 years it can be renewed as long as it has not been expired for more than 5 years. For example, let’s say your passport was valid from 2002 to 2012. This passport cannot be renewed in 2018 because the passport has been expired for more than 5 years.
Your passport must be in good to great condition. If your passport has been damaged in any way, has pages cut off, is falling apart, has been mistreated or has been accidently left in the washing machine then chances are the passport is not renewable. Any passport that has been damaged is considered just that…a damaged passport and you must now follow the damaged passport process.
If there are any changes to your name or if the passport was accidentally misspelled or has inaccurate information, a birth certificate or other certified documentation would be needed in order to correct it. In some cases, the State Department may determine that the change requires you to apply as a new passport instead of a renewal.
You can renew your passport before it expires. There are some countries that require a passport to be valid for more than 6 months in order for them to allow you to enter their country. The State Department does allow you to renew your passport before it expires.
Remain eligible to obtain a passport. There are certain citizens who are not able to obtain a passport or even renew a passport. Those who are ineligible to receive a passport are those who are wanted by the government, owe the government money or are in arrears of child support.

If your passport adheres to the criteria listed, you should be able to do a passport renewal and receive a new passport. Renewals can be sent through the mail for regular process or if you are in a rush go in person or through a service like ours. We have offices in Downtown Orlando and in Coral Gables, FL. Visit our site for more infomration at http://www.passportsvisasandmore.com.

Passport Validity And Why It Matters

A traveler gets to the airport with a valid passport in one hand and a valid ticket to their desired location in the other. It’s been a trip that has been planned for months, everything is set, the hotel, rental car, tour plan…all of it set and ready to go. Yet, when you get to the ticket counter they tell you that due to your passport not being valid for the specified amount of time you will not be allowed to board the plane. The only remedy is a rush passport renewal which means you are not only going to miss your flight but all your plans are shot. Not a good way to start a vacation but this is a reality we hear almost daily from travelers who had no idea about the need for a passport to be valid for specific amount of time.

It is a little known fact that many countries require your passport not only to be valid at the time you enter but also to be valid for a specific period of time after your entry. The main reason for this validity requirement is they do not want you stuck in their country without a valid passport which can pose a problem for the country you are visiting. Worse still is that many airlines will not allow you to board the plane for fear that you will get rejected at immigration. Airlines get hit with fines and have to put you on the next flight back if you get denied entry. For this reason, airlines will not even allow you to board the plane. It is cheaper for them to deny you boarding than it is to pay the fines.

It is important to note that passport validity not only applies to adults but to all U.S. citizens. That’s right…this rule even applies to children’s passports. Children’s passports are even more worrisome as they are only valid for 5 years not like an adult’s passport which is valid for 10. This is more common as many travelers mistakenly think that a child’s passport has the same validity of an adult’s passport.

How can you avoid this? It all boils down to being vigilant and knowing the year your passport and that of your children will expire. This is key and before you plan your trip make sure of the passport validity requirements for that country. A great site to find this out is the State Department’s website which details the required validity for each country. It is also recommended to call the airline to be sure they acknowledge the specified validity. The link for the State Department is: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel.html

A passport renewal can be applied before the passport expires. As long as you are willing to pay for it, the passport is in good condition and it falls in the category of a passport renewal. A frequent traveler should consider renewing their passport before it gets to within 6 months. That is where it many countries that require a visa such as China, India and Russia require your passport to be valid. As long as you keep your passport valid for more than 6 months you should not have to worry about watching your plane leave without you.

If you are interested in a rush passport renewal please call us at 888-336-0683 or visit our site at: http://www.passportsvisasandmore.com/