Here at Swift, we’re very proud of the work that we do helping people renew their passports and obtain travel visas quickly and with minimal stress.
Unfortunately, there are some companies out there posing as passport courier services. Some of these passport courier companies are outright scams, and others will help you out, but not without charging you an arm and a leg.
Then again, there are great companies like us. So how do you tell whether a passport courier company has your best interests at heart?
The US State Department has put together a list of warning signs to look out for when dealing with a non-government passport company. Their list includes:
- Watch out for any company that purports to be part of the US government. Any company that tries to pass off an official-looking government seal as their logo is almost certainly bad news.
- Watch out for companies that claim you’ll be able to apply for a new passport online through their system. In the US, all new passport applications have to be printed out and signed in order to be valid.
- Never pay to access a passport application form. These forms are freely available online through the US Department of State’s passport page.
- Be aware that, when applying for a new adult passport, you are required to appear in person at a passport facility. If a courier company claims they can help you skip this step, walk away.
Most importantly, if anything seems fishy about the passport company you’ve chosen to work with, do some research. Don’t just hand over your most sensitive information without taking a moment to check up on the company. You can start by looking them up with the Better Business Bureau or with the local Chamber of Commerce where the company resides.
At Swift, we strive to be as upfront and honest about our services as possible. Right on our homepage we state that we are a non-government, third-party service that acts as a professional emissary between our customers and the US Department of State as well as various foreign consulates. Nowhere do we say that you need to use a third-party service in order to obtain a passport or visa, because of course, that isn’t the case.
Our job is simply to help you when you get stuck in a sticky situation, need a little extra help filling out your forms, or are stuck in a time crunch. If you have more questions, please contact our team. We are always available help in any way that we can.
1 thought on “All about Passport Courier Companies”
I recently used Swift to renew my passport. They did what they promised when they promised and the prices were reasonable. You can’t ask for more than that.