Where To Get Passport Pages Added In Less Than A Day – Before It Is Too Late

Starting January 1, 2016, you will no longer be able to get passport pages added to your US passport. For many people, that may not be a big deal. But, if you have one of the passports with only 28 pages and you are running out (or 52 pages and running out), better think about it soon or you will need to renew your passport instead – even if it is not up for renewal (which costs $110).

Where To Get Passport Pages Added In Less Than A Day

Get passport pages added now before it is too late!

• Must use form DS-4085
• Fee is $82 (additional fee of $60 for handling it at an agency)
• You will receive a pack of 24 extra pages inserted in your passport
• You can request 2 packs of 24 at no extra cost

There are a few ways you can get passport pages added to your passport. You can do it through the mail (which will take a few weeks to get the passport back) or you can do it at a Passport Agency/Center (though you need proof of upcoming travel – 2 weeks – or the need for a visa to be processed – 4 weeks). If you go the Passport Agency route, you can get your passport back in just a couple of days (or even quicker if you show proof of a trip in just a couple of days). But, it will cost you an extra $60 to go that route.

The fee itself is $82 and that is what you will pay if you submit it by mail. But, not everyone is comfortable being without their passport for a few weeks. In the great game of travel deals, miles, and points, it is not uncommon to have a fantastic deal pop up that needs to be taken advantage of in just a few weeks. Having your passport away in the government system can put a cramp on that!

Where To Get It Done In A Day

But, if you have plans to be outside of the US before January 1, you can actually just apply to have the pages added at a US Embassy or Consulate. The fee remains at only $82 (or the foreign equivalent) and they will process it while you wait. In my case, it was done in an hour!

Sure, not everyone will be outside of the US in the next 3 weeks, but if you are, this can save you some serious time and even money (if you needed to apply at an Agency otherwise). You might think that this would take time out of your vacation/trip, but it really is a fast process. Taking a simple hour out of your trip can ensure that you will not be without your passport by sending it in and that you will not need to pay extra to get it back in a few days.

I know that there are many of you that will be traveling as a result of taking advantage of low fares/good award availability. If you think you might fill your passport before it is up for renewal, consider popping in an Embassy or Consulate to get it a little thicker with the additional pages.

What To Do

First, go to this State Department page to find the list of Embassies or Consulates. Next, you will need to make an appointment. These can be changed or cancelled at any time so just go ahead and pick the day and time now that you think should work for you.

When you show up for your appointment, you will need to have your completed form. Entering US Embassies means that you will surrender any type of electronic device. If you get bored easily, consider bringing a book or something along. They do have magazines in there but not all of them are exactly recent (I was flipping through one Time magazine that was from 2004!).

You can pay in credit card but not all facilities may have that working properly (it wasn’t for me) so make sure you have the $82 cash or the foreign equivalent with you to take care of the fee.

Summary

If you have travel outside of the US in the next 3 weeks, consider taking advantage of getting pages added to your passport before it is too late. It will only take an hour or two out of your day to get it done at an Embassy –  and it can save you money and time away from your passport by doing so.

In my experience, it was much quicker and easier than I had anticipated. I was able to get the pages added and be ready for more travel without having to apply for a new passport.