If you need a U.S. passport fast, first check whether expedited service or an urgent travel appointment directly with the State Department will get it to you in time; if not, a State Department registered courier such as RSVP Passports can hand-carry your application to a passport agency. For TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and ESTA, the official government sites are always the cheapest route. Form-filling services such as GovSwift charge a service fee on top of the government fee and cannot speed up approval.
This guide is for U.S. travelers who need a passport quickly or want TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, and for foreign visitors applying for an ESTA or a U.S. visa. Many private sites sell help with these applications, and some look a lot like government pages.
The question that matters most is whether a paid service can do anything the government will not do for you directly. For passports, a registered courier can hand-carry your application to a passport agency. For PreCheck, Global Entry and ESTA, a service only fills in forms and adds its own fee.
Below you will find each service compared with its official alternative, the legitimate ways to get a passport faster, what to ask about fees, and the red flags of misleading sites.
Company reviews
Best for foreign visitors who want guided help with the ESTA form: GovSwift - ESTA
- Government fee
- Set by CBP and shown on the official ESTA site
- What it handles
- Form preparation for ESTA travel authorization
Why we picked it. GovSwift states that it is not a government agency and that government fees apply on top of its service fee. That clarity beats many lookalike ESTA sites, but the official CBP site does the same job for only the government fee.
More details, pros and cons
Pros
- Clearly states it is not a government agency
- Guided questions for travelers unfamiliar with the form
- Also helps with passports, Global Entry and other programs
Cons
- Service fee not published on its site
- Cannot speed up or guarantee ESTA approval
- Duplicates a short official form
Skip it if: You are comfortable completing the ESTA directly with CBP.
More about GovSwift - ESTA
GovSwift simplifies the U.S. ESTA application with a guided form and pre-submission error check, delivering most approvals within 24 to 72 hours. The ESTA service fee is $78 on top of the government fee. Best for first-time visa-waiver travelers.
Best for U.S. visa applicants who want help with forms and interview steps: GovSwift - VISA
- Government fee
- Set by the U.S. government and paid separately
What it handles: Visa form preparation and instructions for documents and interview
Why we picked it. Visa applications are longer and more error-prone than an ESTA, so guided preparation can help some applicants. GovSwift cannot change interview wait times or approval decisions, which rest with the U.S. government.
More details, pros and cons
Pros
- Step-by-step guidance on a complex application
- Instructions for document submission and the interview
- States it is not a government agency
Cons
- Service fee not published
- Cannot shorten interview waits or influence approval
- Immigration questions may call for a licensed attorney instead
Skip it if: Your case is complex; an immigration attorney or accredited representative is the better choice.
More about GovSwift - VISA
GovSwift handles visa applications and passport renewals through a guided, error-checked process with a 99.7% first-time approval rate and multi-language support. Service fees start at $149 for visas. Best for travelers facing complex visa paperwork.
Best for urgent U.S. passports through a registered courier: RSVP Passports
- Government fee
- State Department passport and expedite fees
- What it handles
- New passports
Why we picked it. RSVP Passports says it is a registered courier, so it can hand-carry your application to a passport agency instead of relying on the mail. That is the main legitimate way a private company can speed up a passport, which makes it the most useful type of service in this guide.
More details, pros and cons
Courier status: Says it is a registered passport courier with the U.S. Department of State
Pros
- Registered courier with the State Department, according to the company
- Says agency processing with proof of urgent travel can take as little as 5 business days
- Handles lost, stolen and children's passports
- States clearly that it is not a government agency
Cons
- Service fees not published on its home page
- You still pay all government fees
- Cannot guarantee State Department processing times
Skip it if: You have more than a few weeks before you travel; expedited service directly from the State Department may be enough.
More about RSVP Passports
A premium courier service dedicated to emergency situations, capable of securing a new passport in as little as a single day through its highly efficient in-person submission network.
Passport expediting options: government first, courier second
There are only a few legitimate ways to get a U.S. passport faster, and most of them go straight through the State Department:
- Expedited service by mail: pay the State Department’s expedite fee with your application.
- Urgent travel appointment: if you are traveling internationally soon, the State Department offers in-person appointments at passport agencies and centers for people who can prove imminent travel.
- Life-or-death emergency: the State Department has a separate process for immediate family emergencies abroad.
- Registered courier: a private company registered with the State Department, such as RSVP Passports, hand-carries your application to a passport agency. This helps when you cannot get an appointment or cannot travel to an agency yourself.
Check current processing times and fees on travel.state.gov before you pay anyone. A courier cannot make the government process your application faster than its own agency rules allow.
When to use a service vs. applying directly
| Document |
Apply directly |
A paid service makes sense when |
| U.S. passport |
travel.state.gov, a passport acceptance facility, or an urgent travel appointment |
You need it within days and cannot get to a passport agency; use a registered courier |
| TSA PreCheck |
tsa.gov with CLEAR, IDEMIA or Telos ($85 or less for five years) |
Rarely; you must still enroll in person |
| Global Entry |
CBP Trusted Traveler Programs ($120 for five years) |
Rarely; you must still interview with CBP |
| ESTA |
esta.cbp.dhs.gov |
Rarely; the official form is short |
| U.S. visa |
Department of State and the embassy or consulate |
You want help with forms; complex cases need an immigration attorney |
What travel document services cost
Every service in this guide charges its own fee on top of the government fee, and most do not publish that fee on their home pages. Before you pay, ask for:
- The service fee in dollars, separate from government fees
- Which government fees you will pay and to whom
- Shipping or courier charges
- The refund policy if your application is delayed or denied (US Passport and Visa, for example, does not refund completed orders)
For comparison, the official government fees we confirmed are $85 or less for five years of TSA PreCheck, renewals from $58.75 online through IDEMIA, and $120 for five years of Global Entry.
Red flags: how to spot an unofficial or misleading site
- Looks like a government site but is not a .gov address. Official sites end in .gov, such as tsa.gov, cbp.gov, esta.cbp.dhs.gov and travel.state.gov.
- No clear statement that it is a private company. GovSwift, RSVP Passports and US Passport and Visa all say they are not government agencies; be wary of any site that does not.
- Promises of guaranteed approval or faster government decisions. No private company can guarantee a passport, visa, ESTA, PreCheck or Global Entry approval.
- Hidden fees. If the total is not shown before you pay, stop.
- Passport “expediters” that are not registered couriers. Ask for proof of State Department courier registration before mailing original documents.
- No working official website or company details. We could not verify an official site for Apply Travel Programs, which is a reason to apply directly.
Free and low-cost ways to travel faster
- Mobile Passport Control: CBP suggests that travelers who take fewer international flights use TSA PreCheck plus the free Mobile Passport Control app instead of Global Entry.
- Credit card credits: some travel cards reimburse the Global Entry or PreCheck fee. Capital One Venture, for example, lists a credit of up to $120.
- Free PreCheck for service members: TSA lists PreCheck as free for eligible uniformed service members.
Terms to know
- Registered courier
- A private company registered with the State Department to hand-carry passport applications to a passport agency.
- Expedited service
- Faster State Department passport processing available for an extra government fee.
- ESTA
- Electronic System for Travel Authorization, required for Visa Waiver Program travelers visiting the U.S.
- TSA PreCheck
- A TSA program that gives approved travelers expedited airport security screening for five years.
- Global Entry
- A CBP program for expedited customs entry into the U.S. that includes TSA PreCheck.
- Known Traveler Number (KTN)
- The number you add to flight bookings to get PreCheck screening once approved.
