Renewing Your Expired United States Passport Will Not Be As Difficult As Getting Your First One
After people obtain their passports, they either use them constantly or just throw them into the back of their desks, saving them for the day when they eventually take that dream vacation abroad. If that day comes, the person often opens the passport book only to find that the passport has expired. An expired United States passport doesn’t have to be a cause for stress because they can easily be renewed either via mail or in person.
If the passport holder was over age 16 when the passport was issued, it is valid for ten years. If they were age 15 or younger, the passport is valid for five years. The data page of the passport book contains the issue date of the passport. Passports should be renewed approximately nine months before they expire. Some countries even require that a passport be valid for a minimum of six months following the dates of the trip for which it is being used.
An expired U.S. passport does not have to ruin a trip. If an individual meets certain stipulations, the process can actually be done through the mail. By going on the Internet, and exploring the government site, an individual can better understand the specific stipulations he or she would have to fall under in order to renew by mail.
To find the correct forms and stipulations for renewing the passport by mail, an individual only has to go online and perform a quick search. Either the forms can be filled out electronically, on the computer, or they may be printed out to be filled out with pen. When the time comes for to send the whole package off, it must contain the form, the most recent passport, two copies of the same photograph, money for the fees, and, if it be the case, legal documentation regarding a name change.
If the passport was issued more than 15 years ago, the passport holder must re-apply for a passport in person. The Application for a U.S. Passport must be completed and submitted with evidence of U.S. Citizenship, acceptable additional identification, photocopy of this identification, two identical passport photos, and the passport fee. The applicant must go to a U.S. Passport Acceptance Facility or Regional Passport Agency in order to get the new passport. A directory of the locations of these agencies is available online.
Normally, the process of renewing a passport will take anywhere from twenty-eight days to forty-two days. The government has a sped up process that will have some additional fees that can complete the process in as little as fourteen days to twenty-one days. If the vacation is going to be sooner than that, there are other options still. There are private expediting services that can have the whole process completed in as little as one day. Of course, there are additional fees with this option.
For those citizens abroad, an individual living in Canada has the option to renew his or her passport by mail. Citizens in other countries must perform this action at his or her nearest U.S. Embassy. With a quick search online, an individual can find all the specifics of this.
Even though the documents in the drawer is an expired U.S. passport and not valid, a family does not have to cancel the vacation. Applicants who meet the guidelines can apply for renewal by mail, quick and easy. Those who do not meet the guidelines will have to appear in person. For those in a hurry, consider a passports expediting service.
