When your US passport renewal is due, there are a few ways you can take care of it. There are some cases in which you can renew it by mail. There are others in which you will have to make the application in person.
First of all, get your current passport out of storage. It must be sent along with your application for renewal by mail. Therefore, if your passport not available, you must make your application for a new one in person.
If you have your passport and it is not damaged, you still may not be able to make your application by mail. It also needs to have been issued when you were 16 years of age or older, as well as within the last fifteen years. Finally, it must have been issued in the name you are using now or, if not, you must have the documentation to send proving your legal name change.
When sending in your application, you will have to include your current passport, the applicable fee, two passport-size photos and the documentation showing your name change, if any, such as a court order or marriage certificate. It is best to send the application in a manner that can be traced. You should also package it securely so that no damages will occur during transport.
Once renewed, your passport can be sent to an address in the United States or Canada only. Therefore, if you are in any other country, you must go to the nearest American Embassy or Consulate to get a new passport. A side note, if you happen to owe child support that you are behind on, you may not be able to get your passport.
The processing time for mailed applications is variable. Generally speaking, it is about four to six weeks. If you urgently need a passport, you might have to go to an agency near you. This is suggested if you have international travel booked within the next couple of weeks for if you need U S passports within the next four weeks. These agencies see people on an appointment only basis.
If you have already applied for your passport, you can check to see the status online. It can take up to a week from the time of your application for this service to be available. If you have not received your passport within a week of your date of travel, contact the National Passport Information Center.
There are times when an emergency necessitates traveling to a foreign country in 24 to 48 hours. If this should happen, you can get emergency service by making an appointment at a passport agency. You may be required to show proof of the emergency.
Many times, people wait until they actually have travel plans before checking if their passports are current. It is much smarter to pay attention to when your passport expires. If your U.S. passport renewal date is approaching, get it taken care of as soon as possible. This way, you will avoid any problems if travel plans do crop up suddenly.
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