Expedited United States Passport Added Pages - How To Add These   by Ben Pate

in Travel / Travel Tips    (submitted 2012-01-25)

The expedited American passport added pages come in handy when your passport is still in good condition and not past its expiration date but all of the pages are covered in stamps. This is usually because you have done a lot of international travelling and the pages have become full of visas from other countries as well as entry and exit stamps. United States citizens may add new sections on two occasions. After that, they will be required to obtain a new one.

Complete Appropriate Form

To obtain new blank sections, it is necessary to fill in a Form DS-4085. It is available over the Internet or from an acceptance facility or passport agency. If downloaded over the Internet, the form may be completed online and then printed or it may be printed and then completed by hand.

Printing and Completion

The form must be written using black ink and it must be written legibly. It needs to be printed on one side of paper to a page. If the form is not filled in completely, in particular if the Social Security Number is missing, this will lead to a delay in processing the application.

What To Submit

When the form has been correctly filled in and signed on the first page, it should be sent to the national processing center along with the correct fee and the current passport. There are two different addresses, one for a routine request and one for urgent requests. They are almost identical apart from their zip code. Care must be taken to use the right address to ensure the application is sent to the right office.

Expedited Delivery

Routine requests are handled within four to six weeks. More urgent applications are processed in less than three weeks, sometimes within two. If the passport has to be sent to a foreign embassy to get a visa for travel to a foreign country in less than four weeks or if the holder is travelling to a foreign country within 14 days, an appointment must be made at a passport agency. If the request has already been submitted and it is required for foreign travel within less than a calendar week, the National Passport Information Center must be contacted and a Customer Service Representative consulted.

Overseas Requirements

If a need arises to add new pages while the holder is overseas, perhaps London, the procedure differs slightly. The American Embassy is not permitted to take personal checks or cash. Nor can they accept payment in excess of the stated fee. They are allowed to take credit cards, certain specific debit cards or an international money order in the correct amount in American dollars.

Additional Information

In the event the US Department of State does not accept an application for expedited passport added pages, the fee is non-refundable. Special instructions for ex-patriots living in England or Wales, in Northern Ireland or in Scotland must follow special instructions that are accessible from the Department of State website. Unless travel is taking place within ten days, new pasport applications should be submitted by mail.

About the Author

When mailing the necessary documentation for expedited pasport added pages, it is strongly recommended to protect them in a sturdy, waterproof envelope. Additionally, it is highly recommended to send the material by a traceable method of delivery. When enclosing the relevant fee, send either a check or money order you can also get an expedited new US passport in order to get a passport in time.