So, you have a flight to Berlin scheduled for the weekend, but you’ve just discovered that your passport expired a couple of months ago. You’re certainly not the first person to suddenly realize their travel papers are invalid, which is exactly why an increasing array of passport expediting services offer ways to renew your documents without having to wait the usual four to six weeks.

If your flight departs in the next few days and you’re hoping to renew your passport ASAP, you have a few options that don’t involve canceling your travel plans and staying home. There are several ways to get a new passport processed in 24 hours (or less!), but you’ll need to be willing to pay some extra cash for the speedy delivery and be prepared to jump through a few additional hoops. Keep in mind that getting a new passport in 24 hours is a tall order and there’s never any guarantee that every step of the process will work in your favor.

If you’re willing to roll the dice and attempt to salvage your expensive international flight, here are three methods you can use to renew your passport in 24 hours (and ensure that you’ll never let your travel documents expire again).

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Find a regional passport agency

If you’ve filled out your paperwork, have new photos in-hand and can offer proof of an impending international trip within the next two weeks, a regional U.S. passport agency may be able to help speed up your renewal. First, you’ll need to find the nearest passport agency (there are 27 agencies located in various major cities) and book an appointment, keeping in mind that the chances of a same-day slot being available are slim. Once you have an appointment, make sure to show up at least half-hour early with all of your paperwork, photos and supporting documents, plus a way to pay for the expediting fee ($60) and application fees. While going directly to the source may be your best chance of quickly scoring a new passport, the number of same-day renewals each agency can process is limited, and the majority are reserved for travelers going out of the country due to a sudden death or illness in their immediate family. Still, it doesn’t hurt to ask for a 24-hour renewal—it might just be your lucky day.

Ship off your paperwork at FedEx

You may have renewed your passport at the post office in the past, but you’ll be able to complete the process far more quickly if you find your local FedEx Office store. Thanks to a partnership with online courier service RushMyPassport, many FedEx Office locations are able to snap fresh photos of you and then send off your completed paperwork and passport so that it can be renewed in as little as 24 hours—just be prepared to pay a hefty fee for the super-fast turnaround (and don’t forget to account for the time it will take for your new passport to be sent to you). RushMyPassport charges $449 for its 24-hour service, and that’s in addition to the fees required for an expedited passport renewal and one-day FedEx shipping.

Let a passport courier service take over

There are numerous online passport courier services—with names like Fastport Passport and PassportCenter.com—that can help you get your passport renewal processed in as little as 24 hours. Much like the service that partners with FedEx Office, most of these couriers charge a $449 fee for 24-hour renewals, requiring you to ship them your completed application paperwork, a new photo, government fees, proof of travel plans within the next 14 days, and your old passport. The courier services will deliver the documents to the U.S. Passport Agency on your behalf and allow you to track the status of your order, so that you have a better idea of when your new passport will actually arrive at your doorstep. 24-hour processing isn’t guaranteed, due to unforeseen delays caused by FedEx’s shipping schedule or the passport agency, so you’ll have to pay close attention to the updates you’re receiving and may need to adjust your travel plans accordingly.

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Zach Long

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• Don’t panic! How to renew your passport in 24 hours - September 11, 2019

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