When does US passport expired? If I am issued a US passport today, how long before I apply for a new one? Planning for this ahead of time is a smart thing to do so you are not caught up in the middle of an emergency holding a soon-to-expire passport. In case you did not know, the US Department of State has always operated a very complicated passport process where applicants wait several weeks before getting their passports.
So if you don’t want to jeopardize your travel plans because of an expired passport, you need to plan.
When Does A US Passport Expire?
US passports expire after ten years for adults and five years for children. As soon as your passport expires, you cannot use it to board flights for foreign countries, cross the border or apply for a visa. As the expiry date draws near, the passport’s level of limitation increases, but what do we mean by this?
Many embassies will not only reject a passport that has expired but so a passport with less than 6 months of validity. Some may even reject a passport with less than 1-year validity for long-term visas.
This is why it is advisable to check the issue and expiry date of your passport as soon as you get it and set a reminder every 6 months or so you don’t lose track of its validity.
When To Apply For A Renewal?
Once your passport has less than a year to go, it is time to apply for a renewal unless you are traveling at the time. The standard processing time for passport renewal is 6-8 weeks, so if you apply for another one with one year to go, you will get the new one before the six months threshold is crossed. Early application will save you a lot of stress and plan cancellation.
Conditions For Renewal
You can renew your passport before or after it expires as long as you meet the following conditions.
You Must Submit It: A missing or stolen passport cannot be renewed; to renew your passport, you must submit it to the Department of State for review and processing.
Your Age Matters: You must have been 16 years and above at the time the passport was issued to you; if you were below 16, you could apply for a renewal.
Age Of Passport: Only passports expired less than 15 years ago can be renewed. Anything later than that will be denied for renewal.
What You Need To Renew Your Expired Passport
Here are the few documents you must submit to the passport office to obtain a new passport.
Application Form: You must fill out the DS-82 form and sign it. Forms can be filled online and printed out or printed out in PDF and completed by hand.
Recent Passport: Your recent passport must be included in your application.
Passport Photo: A recent passport photograph of you taken not later than 6 months prior. The photo must meet all the requirements of the Department of State.
Payment: The application fee must be paid with a money order or a US bank cheque.
Legal Documents: If your name has changed since the last time you got the passport, either through marriage, divorce, or any other reason, you should provide a legal document like a divorce or marriage certificate bearing your name or a court order to that effect.
Where To Submit Your Application
You can submit your application at a passport agency nearest to you if you live in the United States of America. However, if you live outside the US, you can pay a visit to the US embassy to learn more about the renewal procedure.
Kindly note that visitors are not allowed into passport facilities or embassies without an appointment. You can book an appointment over the phone to schedule a date with the officials.
The officials will review your documents and pass them on to the appropriate quarters for processing.
Can I Renew My Expired Passport By Mail?
Passports can be renewed by mail. All you have to do is mail your documents to the mailing address of a passport facility, and they will process it immediately after your package is received. This is a convenient way to apply for a renewal without appearing in person.
After packing your documents including your previous passport and sealing them in an envelope, you must attach a two-way postage stamp to the package. You cmay also speed up the process by applying for an expedited service.
Or you can hire the passport services of VisaHQ to handle your responsibility. Just mail your documents to us, and we will arrange them according to the Department of State standards and mail them to the facility for processing. Now that you know when does US passport expired, apply for a renewal by mail through VisaHQ?