A passport is an official government document that certifies one's identity and citizenship and permit's a citizen to travel abroad and the case of a United States passport to enter back into the United States.

The answer depends upon which country you planning to visit. A passport is required by many countries upon entry to their country. Also, a document indicating proof of citizenship is always required to re-enter the United States. In some instances (Mexico, Canada, etc.), a valid driver's license and a birth certificate will suffice as the proof of citizenship; however, as indicated many countries require a passport to gain entry to their country and the United States State Department "recommends" a passport as evidence of citizenship in ALL cases.

3. What is the difference between a passport and a visa?

The United States Passport Service, which is part of the State Department processes over seven million passports each year. This number has been increasing at an annual rate of over 10% per annum. There are fifteen national offices around the country which process the seven million passport applications. Sheer volume alone does not allow the Passport Service to process the applications quickly, let alone within a week or so - which many of our customers demand.

the Department of State website indicates that "regular" passport applications are processed in 25 days. The website also indicates that expedited orders are returned within a week.

Unfortunately, this misinformation is often quoted by the Acceptance Agents. Most likely the reason for this problem is the Acceptance Agents are involved in the beginning of the process and are simply "Acceptance Agents", as their name implies. They never receive feedback from those who miss their trips because they did not get their passports in time.

To combat the surge in passport applications, the passport agency outsourced the customer service numbers to an entity known as the National Passport Information Center.

To contact the National Passport Information Center, you must pay a fee and unfortunately you deal with an operator who simply relays information in their system back to you.

UPV Services is a passport-expediting service registered with Passport Agency to act as an agent on behalf of US Citizens in need of an expedited passport. 

Our service is:

Our web site easily guides you through the complicated process of applying for a passport step by step. If you encounter a problem or have a question, you can contact us via an 800 number or via email.

Once we receive your application, we hand-carry your application through the passport agency. If we encounter a problem we have relationships with the Passport agency to overcome special issues as swiftly as possible.

Once we receive your passport, we can send it back to you via FedEx.

All of this can be done within 24 hours, not six weeks.

And, you can check the status of your order every step of the way with us real-time via the web.

Yes. Anyone traveling to a country that requires a passport must have their own passport no matter what age. If your child needs a passport, we can help you. The process is laid out step by step on our web site.

Once you send us your completed documents and expired passport, we'll process the passport and return the new and old passports to you. It is a good idea to keep the expired passport as it's considered proof of citizenship.

In brief, you'll need to fill out an application, gather documentation and present these items in person to a passport acceptance clerk.

Once you send us the child's completed documents, we'll process the passport and return the new passports to you.

In the space provided for the signature, the mother or father must print the child's name and sign their own name. Then, in parenthesis by the parent's name, write the word (mother) or (father) so we know who signed for the child.

16 years and older 10 years

15 years and younger 5 years

A visa is a stamp or endorsement placed by officials of a foreign country on a passport that allows the bearer to visit that country (Except Russia, whose visa is a separate document). Visas are obtained from the proper embassy or local the consulates of the country to be visited. "Visit" is further defined as the reason for entry, usually business, tourist or transitory. There are over 270 countries that offer visas and literally thousands of different types of visas available based upon country, type of visit, and length of visit

A passport is an official government document that certifies one's identity and citizenship. The passport serves two purposes: to regain entry to the country of citizenship (i.e. the United States) and is a requirement by many countries to gain entry to the country you are visiting.

A visa is an official government document that temporarily authorizes you to be in the country you are visiting. Many countries require a visa to gain entry. The visa usually is in the form of a stamp IN the passport (Russia is the exception and issues a separate document) and is obtained from the country you are visiting.

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is subject to change almost on a daily basis.

If you are a U.S. Citizen, visit our visa database to view entry requirements.

If you are NOT a U.S. citizen, we can help you - send us an email detailing :

Country to visit.

Reason for visit.

Length of visit.

Country which issued your Passport.

Status of residency in U.S. (Are you a U.S. Citizen? If not - which visa do you have?).

We will get back to you as soon as possible with up to date requirements and be glad to assist you in obtaining the visa.

At minimum, the applicant will need a valid passport to obtain a visa. When the visa is issued, the passport will be stamped indicating the visa was issued and expiration date of the visa. Many countries require there be in excess of 6 months of validity on the passport before granting the visa.

Additional requirements for visas vary greatly depending on the visa required and the region you reside in. Typically, countries have consulates in several cities around the United States. To balance the workload, the country is divided into zones. Unfortunately these zones can mean the requirements for obtaining a visa may vary depending upon where you live in the United States!

We can provide the specific requirements for you to obtain a visa.

If you are a U.S. Citizen, visit our visa database to view entry requirements.

If you are NOT a U.S. citizen, we can help you - send us an email detailing :

Country to visit.

Reason for visit.

Length of visit.

Country which issued your Passport.

Status of residency in U.S. (Are you a U.S. Citizen? If not - which visa do you have?).

We will get back to you as soon as possible with up to date requirements and be glad to assist you in obtaining the visa.

The answer varies greatly. If you were to process the visa on your own, the process of mailing the materials and application to your local consulate, the visa processing, and the mailing of your passport back to you typically takes several weeks.

We have knowledge of how to expedite the process and can assist you if you are in a hurry.

If you are a U.S. Citizen, visit our visa database to view entry requirements.

If you are NOT a U.S. citizen, we can help you - send us an email detailing :

Country to visit.

Reason for visit.

Length of visit.

Country which issued your Passport.

Status of residency in U.S. (Are you a U.S. Citizen? If not - which visa do you have?).

We will get back to you as soon as possible with up to date requirements and be glad to assist you in obtaining the visa.

The answer varies greatly. Visas are temporary in nature and depending upon your requirements and the country you are visiting, visas can be obtained with validity anywhere from 2 weeks to 10 years.

When a visa expires, a new visa is required to gain entry to the foreign country again.

Also, in many countries the visa expires when the passport expires.

Yes. During the Passport application process, applicants' backgrounds are screened and these are some of the reasons that the Passport Agency can deny or suspend an application:

Outstanding child support

Outstanding Felony/Criminal Warrant (not parking tickets or civil infractions)

Prior Felony Conviction that prohibits international travel