Going through a family tragedy is tough enough without it happening and not having a way to get to that family member. Having a child get hurt abroad can be a horrifying experience, especially if you dont have a valid passport and no way to get over to be with them. Luckily, the State Department does have provision for emergency U S passport services.
In cases where you need to leave the country soon, the routine passport application is simply not an option. That’s because routine passport applications currently take around four to six weeks to complete, and if you need an emergency U.S. passport, then that’s too long a wait.
This is especially the case during family emergencies.
If you need to travel outside of the United States, you must have a passport. Since June 1, 2009, persons leaving the U. S.