You can easily renew your passport by following the instructions
below. However, it is important that you apply early. How early?
Many foreign countries require your
passport to have at least six month's validity remaining before
they will issue a visa. Add to this the time required to process
your passport and you get a total of eight or nine months.
You should apply for a passport renewal if:
- Already have a passport that is not damaged; and
- Received it within the past 15 years; and
- Were at
least age 16 when it was issued; and
- Still have the
same name as in passport (or you can legally document your name
change).
To apply for a passport renewal, you need to
send in the following items by mail.
1.
Completed Application For Passport By Mail , form DS-82.
The form can be downloaded at the U.S.
Department of State web site or the sites of many travel
agencies and travel document expediters.
When filling out the form, check everything twice. Be sure to
sign the application.
2. Your most recent
passport.
There is no need to cut out the
pages filled with visa stamps, you present passport will be
returned to you along with the renewed one.
3. Two identical passport photos.
The two
photos must be 2 x 2 inches, identical, taken within the last 6
months. The photos must show a full face, front view with a
plain white or off-white background.
You
should dress in normal street attire. Uniforms, except for
religious retire that is worn daily, hats, headgear and dark
glasses are not acceptable. Prescription glasses with clear
lenses are.
4. Applicable fee.
The fee to renew your passport is $67.
Payments should be made out to U.S. Department of State.
If your name has changed, include a certified
copy of the legal document specifying your name change (e.g.
marriage certificate, divorce decreee, adoption cdreee, or court
order).
Gather all the appropriate
documents and place them in a padded envelope. Send it to the
address below:
National Passport Center
P.O. Box 371971
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7971
If everything
goes well, your application should be processed and your renewed
passport sent to you within about 6 weeks.
About the author:
William Manor of U.S. Passport Service Guide reviews private travel
document expediters and provides comprehensive passport, visa
and destination information for international travelers.
Author: William Manor