Traveling in Two Weeks and No Valid Passport? Do This.

Last updated August 25, 2026 by the ExpediteGov editorial team.

A step-by-step emergency plan when your trip is days away: urgent travel appointments, what proof you need, and what to bring.

If your trip is inside two weeks, mail service will not save you. Here is the plan.

Step 1 — Confirm you actually need a new passport

Many countries require at least six months of validity beyond your entry date, and some require blank visa pages. A passport that technically expires after your trip may still be refused at check-in. Check your destination's rule before you panic — and before you assume you're fine.

Step 2 — Gather proof of travel today

To qualify for an urgent travel appointment you must document international travel inside 14 days (or inside 28 days if you also need a visa). Acceptable proof includes:

• A booked flight itinerary or e-ticket
• A hotel or tour reservation with dates
• For emergencies: hospital, mortuary, or funeral home documentation

Step 3 — Get an appointment at a regional passport agency

Appointments are limited and release on a rolling basis. Check repeatedly, check early in the morning, and widen your search to agencies in nearby cities. If you can drive four hours to an available slot, take it.

Step 4 — Assemble the packet before you go

Bring all of it. A missing photocopy will cost you the appointment:

• The completed form, unsigned if it's a DS-11
• One 2x2 photo, taken in the last 6 months, plain white background
• Original certified citizenship evidence — birth certificate with a raised or colored seal, CRBA, or naturalization certificate
• A valid photo ID and a photocopy of its front and back
• Proof of travel
• Check or money order for the exact government fees
• A DS-64 as well, if the passport was lost or stolen

Step 5 — Don't lose the appointment to a bad photo

At this stage a rejected photo is a cancelled trip. Plain white wall, even light from the front, camera about four feet away at eye level, no glasses, neutral expression, no shadow behind your head. Have someone else take it — arm's-length selfies distort your face and get refused.

How we help when the clock is short

Tell us your travel date at the start. We prepare your packet the same day, flag every document you need to physically carry, check your photo before you print it, and put a specialist on the phone with you if anything is unclear.

ExpediteGov is a private concierge service and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State. Government forms are free at travel.state.gov.

Start a passport application with ExpediteGov — concierge packet preparation from $97.