Urgent advice please
 

I'm a us citizen and live in scotland with a residence visa, my dad in the us has been rushed into intensive care with a brain aneurism and need to get home ASAP, unfortunately my passport has expired and the consulate in Edinburgh is not open untill Tuesday. Is there any way of getting an emergency travel document before then so I can travel this weekend, I'm desperate and don't know where to start!

Re: Urgent advice please
 

I am sorry to hear about your father.

I assume your passport expired quite recently - within the past year or so?

I would start by calling the airline and ask whether they'll let you board with your expired passport. This will be your biggest hurdle - once you make it to immigration control in the US, you will be allowed entry (though you are likely to be sent for secondary inspection).


Insist on speaking to a supervisor if the call-center representative is negative. If you have evidence of your father's condition, all the better.

If you have your birth certificate with you, even better.

Re: Urgent advice please
 

Sorry to here that, Megan. Very long shot, but ring airlines to see if they are willing to take you.

Re: Urgent advice please
 

Might even be worth it to just go to the airport, bags packed, and speak to the airline folks on the ground...

Re: Urgent advice please
 

Would I need to buy a ticket first then just hope they let me travel? I have my birth certificate and trying to get evidence from the hospital.

Re: Urgent advice please
 

Maybe pre-clearance in Ireland?

Re: Urgent advice please
 

You must call the airline!

Re: Urgent advice please
 

I am sorry to read about your father. Get written confirmation of your father's condition from the doctor. It may help to get you through US immigration quicker.

Re: Urgent advice please
 

Been on the phone trying to speak to a us border agent. After phoning the airline direct asking them if I could board a flight with an expired passport they said I had to contact a us border agent within the airport I'm planning to travel through. Tried heathrow 4 times but it rings for a while then they hang up, not sure if I'm calling the right number

Re: Urgent advice please
 

Call an airline. Explain the situation. They know who to get in touch with at us border to ask if they will except you. You can also try ringing Manchester airport. It's a holiday weekend. Airport staff will be very busy.

Re: Urgent advice please
 

Just got through to a woman who said no airline will accept anyone with an expired passport, the only exception is getting an emergency passport from the us embassy. End of she said no exceptions and we've been given the wrong information

Re: Urgent advice please
 

Surely the US must have some sort of emergency travel document for its citizens.:unsu

I sympathize with you because we found ourselves in a similar position some years ago. We had applied for our Green Card...my FIL had a heart attack and was in intensive care. We were told by our immigration attorney that if we left the US without obtaining Advance Parole we would not be allowed to re-enter. FIL had the heart attack on the Friday...we didn't get AP until Tuesday and left that evening. We were required to get proof from the hospital of FIL's condition.

Good luck...I hope you manage see your father very soon.

Re: Urgent advice please
 

Oh no! Surely the US Embassy has an emergency number. This is an emergency. At the worst they will be able to put you first in the queue tuesday enabling you to travel the same day.

Re: Urgent advice please
 

You could try the emergency contact number listed on the Edinburgh consulate website here.

And/or email as per this:

Re: Urgent advice please
 

Nobody there at the Consulate as that says.

My guess is that without a valid passport you simply can not book a ticket.