Passport Renewal Don't Hold Out Right Up Until The Last Minute
Every U.S. citizen that has a passport finds the need over the course of their life to apply for a passport renewal. This can be accomplished either through the U.S. mail service or if it is convenient, in person. There are also available, private expediting services that can help reduce the amount of time it takes to receive the new passport.
There are certain criteria that must be met in order to renew by mail. The old passport must be available to be returned with the application and must be in the holder's original name. The passport cannot be more than 15 years old from date of issue and must have been issued after the holder was older than 16 years of age.
A specific form will need to be filled out when applying for renewal by mail. This form may be found by going on the Internet and either filling it out there or printing it out to be completed by hand. Once this has been filled out correctly, it must be mailed in along with two new pasport pictures that are identical along with any supporting documents showing a name change if there happens to be one.
The passport renewal normally takes four to six weeks when done through the standard channels. The Department of State also offers an expediting service than can shorten the time to two to three weeks. If the need should arise that necessitates receiving the passport faster than this, there are private services that can expedite the process in as little as one to two business days. These services are perfect for emergency situations but do come with an additional fee.
Should the passport holder not meet all the requirements to renew by mail, a trip to a local Passport Acceptance Facility or Regional Passport Agency will be necessary. An applicant will then need to present a properly filled out DS-11 form along with proper identification. There will also be the need to have new passport photos on hand when applying for the renewal. The private service providers can still help these applicants but there will still be a necessity to appear at a facility of this type.
Minors wishing to renew their passports have different guidelines. All minors whose initial passport was issued when they were under age 16 must renew their passports in person. The renewal process is similar to those renewing via mail. The minor must complete a passport renewal application, return the expired passport, provide two identical passport photos, and pay a fee. If the minor wishes to have the passport expedited, the options of the government expediting and independent expediting companies are available at an additional charge.
U.S. citizens that happen to live in Canada are also able to renew their passports by mail if the meet all the requirements. Those who live in other countries, however, only have the option for renewal by appearing in person at either the local Consulate office or U.S. Embassy. All the locations of these offices may be searched out by going on the Internet.
