December 19th, 2009
How Do I Renew My Expired American Passport?
Once your passport has expired, it is automatically invalidated. What this means is you can no longer use your passport for travel to destinations where a US passport is required. You’ll therefore need to have your passport renewed. There are several ways of going about this. But for starters, let’s begin with how to renew your Expired USA Passport by mail.
Renewing your passport by mail is what you need if you don’t have the time to visit your local passport office. Aside from that, it also makes it convenient to have your passport renewed instead of submitting the documents yourself. You just have to send the requirements by mail, and wait for it to be processed. That’s all you need to do.
There are restrictions as to who can renew their passports by mail, however. First of all, your passport needs to be in a good condition. It means the passport office will not accept damaged passports. Aside from that, your passport must have been issued within the last 15 years, or when you are already 16 years old. You can also renew your passport by mail if it contains your legal name. If not, you should at least be able to legally document your name change.
What if your passport is damaged, or was issued more than 15 years ago? If you do not meet the requirements mentioned above, then you will have to submit all your application documents in person to your nearest passport office. This may be an additional step, but only to ensure that the passport is issued to the right applicant.
Also keep in mind that the passport renewal by mail is open to those in the US and citizens based in Canada. If these two conditions apply to you, then just download Form DS-82 at the US Department of State’s website. Once you’ve filled it out, mail it to the address indicated in the form with the other requirements.
What if you are not based in the US or in Canada right now? Then you will have to go the nearest US Embassy or Consulate to have your passport renewed. They will take care of the renewal of your expired passport. Make sure to keep this in mind, especially if you often travel outside of the US and Canada.
Make sure you send your passport application by mail using a traceable method of delivery. That’s so you can keep track of your application until it arrives at the passport office, and get a confirmation when it does. In addition to that, place all of your documents in a secure envelope to protect your Expired Passport from the elements while it is being transported.
Your application for pasport renewal normally takes four to six weeks to process through the routine application. That’s everything you need to know on how to renew your expired USA passport.