Find Out What You Need To Renew Your U.S. Passport
You have several options when you need to renew your passport. For one, you can visit the nearest US Embassy if you are living or based in another country. If you are a US citizen living in the US or Canada, you can have your passport renewed through mail. To do this, you need to meet the requirements set for this type of passport renewal.
Persons who can renew their passports via mail are those bearing passports that are in good condition, those who were at least 18 years old when their passport was issued, those passports that were issued within the last 15 years, and passports that have the bearer’s current legal name. What if you had a change of name since your recently issued passport? You should at least be able to legally document the change in your name.
In cases that do not fall under the requirements that we mentioned above, you would be required to personally appear at the passport office for your United States passport renewal. You will be required to do this if your passport is damaged, or when your passport was issued more than 15 years ago, just to name a few examples. This step ensures that the passport is issued to the right person.
Passport renewals by mail are allowed for US citizens living in any of the 50 states, or those US citizens who are living in Canada. To renew your passport by mail, you first need to fill in the Form DS-82 before mailing it. You may fill in this form online or you can also download the form and complete it by hand.
Since your passport renewal form contains your personal information, you should do everything to protect those pieces of sensitive information. First, make sure that your mail is received by the addressee by mailing it in a traceable way. Most courier services now offer this kind of option. Aside from that, make sure that the envelope you’re using is durable, and cannot be damaged by just anyone or by nature.
Now what if you are living outside the US or Canada? You will be required to visit your nearest US Embassy. The embassy will then help you renew your passport.
Typically, it takes 4-6 weeks to process your passport for renewal. However, there are instances where you will be allowed to have this process expedited. To do this, you should visit your Regional Passport Agency. Take note though, that expedited passport renewals are only allowed in two cases: if you need the passport in less than 2 weeks to travel to a foreign destination, or if you need the passport within 4 weeks for your application of a foreign visa.
If you’re wondering how to renew a USA Passport, the information that we supplied you above will help you do it the easy way. We would recommend that you apply by mail as this enables you to renew your US passport at the comfort of your own home. All you need to do is to fill up the necessary documents, then send it by mail. After 2-6 weeks (depending on your situation), your new passport will then be delivered to you.
