US Passport Renewal – Attain One In Advance
Every U.S. citizen that has a passport finds the need over the course of their life to apply for a United States passport renewal. This can be accomplished either through the U.S. mail service or if it is convenient, in person. There are also available, private expediting services that can help reduce the amount of time it takes to receive the new passport.
To renew by mail, the passport holder must qualify by meeting certain criteria, one of which is that the old passport is in good condition and able to be sent in along with the application form for renewal. The passport must also be less than 15 years old and issued in the holder’s current name. This passport must also have been issued to the holder when they were above the age of 16 in order to qualify for renewal by mail.
As with anything else when it comes to the government, there are forms that need to be completed. The renewal form must be printed out or filled out online and submitted along with the old passport. The form is easily located by going on the Internet and simply searching it out. This will need to be accompanied by two new color photos along with any applicable fees and if there is a name change since the issue date, supporting paperwork to that effect.
A passport renewal that is done by mail can take four to six weeks to be processed and returned to the holder. The government offers an expedited service, for a fee, that can shorten this time down to two to three weeks. There are occasions where the passport holder needs it back faster than this and for these times, there are private expediting services that can help. These services can return a passport in as little as 1 to 2 business days if need be, for an additional fee.
Should the passport holder not meet all the requirements to renew by mail, a trip to a local Passport Acceptance Facility or Regional Passport Agency will be necessary. An applicant will then need to present a properly filled out DS-11 form along with proper identification. There will also be the need to have new passport photos on hand when applying for the renewal. The private service providers can still help these applicants but there will still be a necessity to appear at a facility of this type.
Minors wishing to renew their passports have different guidelines. All minors whose initial passport was issued when they were under age 16 must renew their passports in person. The renewal process is similar to those renewing via mail. The minor must complete a passport renewal application, return the expired passport, provide two identical passport photos, and pay a fee. If the minor wishes to have the passport expedited, the options of the government expediting and independent expediting companies are available at an additional charge.
U.S. citizens who reside in Canada may renew their passports by mail. U.S. citizens residing in other countries excluding Canada must renew their passports at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. A directory of the locations of these facilities may be found online.
The United States passport renewal is probably most easily completed by going through the mail. If the proper criteria cannot be met by the holder, then it will be necessary to complete the process in person. It has been shown that the private USA Passport expediting services can help an applicant receive their passport back much quicker than the stander government expediting service.
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