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Expedited Passport. Urgent!
I am from New York. I am traveling overseas in early June, and I need to change the name on my passport. I am going with a whole group of people and this organization is paying for our tickets, but we need to send a photocopy of our passport to show the people that are paying for our tickets, and that needs to be literally this week. I really need to get my new passport ASAP! The passport office policy is that they can't expedite your passport unless you are leaving in two weeks. I already filled out the form, and have everything I need ready. I even have a letter from the organization that I need to show a photocopy of my passport in the next few days to get my ticket. It's really a last minute trip.
The people at the passport offices and websites all say I need to leave in two weeks for them to rush my new passport. Does anyone know if there is ANY way to get an expedited passport even though I leave in the beginning of June? It's crucial for my participation in the trip. I can travel in New York and surrounding states, if anyone knows where I can get an expedited passport in this area. This is super urgent. I will appreciate any help. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
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First, do you really need to change your name? If you buy the ticket in your former name,no one is going to check that against any ID except for your passport, and you're not using that name for fraudulent purposes, you just want to travel, so it's not a big deal even if by some weird fluke they did know you'd changed your name on some other document they're not likely to see.
Second, you have been misinformed, there is a 3 week expedited passport processing option that's only $60 extra at any passport acceptance facility. I just used this option last week for my name change and it seems like three weeks would be enough time, especially if you pay the extra $12 on top of that to overnight it once it's done. The two-week travel requirement is only if you are trying to get an appointment at a "passport office." You undoubtedly have a "passport acceptance facility" instead very near you (usually a post office, courthouse, or library) with walk in hours today where you can use the three week expedited processing time option if you really feel changing your name is absolutely necessary.
Google "passport acceptance facility" and click on the State Department link, plug in your zip code and call ahead to the facilities nearest you, because the hours don't always match what's on the website.
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I'm sure if you called and explained things to someone in the passport agency, like a supervisor and exception could be made. If not the only other way I can think of is to purchase a fully refundable ticket to travel within the next two weeks. Use this ticket to satisfy the passport department. Then cash in the ticket after you get your passport back.
My suggestion is expensive but if your credit card can stand the hit, it costs you nothing as long as you cash the ticket in within the billing cycle. You would not even pay and interest but the ticket has to be a full fare fully refundable ticket or there would be penalties for not using the ticket paid to the airline.
Years ago I was a ticket agent for a major airline and have done similar things for members of my family and favorite customers.
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