Passport Renewal - Please Don't Hesitate, Get One Straight Away
Every U.S. citizen that has a passport finds the need over the course of their life to apply for a 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.
A specific form will need to be filled out when applying for renewal by mail. This form may be found by going on the Internet and either filling it out there or printing it out to be completed by hand. Once this has been filled out correctly, it must be mailed in along with two new passport pictures that are identical along with any supporting documents showing a name change if there happens to be one.
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.
If not all the requirements can be met by the passport holder, they then must appear in person at a local Passport Issuing Agency office or Passport Acceptance Facility. The applicant should have on hand, the completed application for the new passport along with the photos, copies of the proper identification documents and the fee, in a an acceptable payment form. If expedited service in necessary, the applicant will still need to appear in person at one of these authorized facilities.
Passport renewal for minors has a few different rules than those for an adult passport. The minor must appear in person at one of the authorized centers and present the old passport along with all the proper forms and new photos. There is no option for them when it comes to renewing by mail. There are, however, the expediting options offered by the government and private providers in getting the new passport back quickly. This applies to all minors that were 16 years old or younger when their passport was originally issued.
U.S. citizens that happen to live in Canada are also able to renew their passports by mail if the meet all the requirements. Those who live in other countries, however, only have the option for renewal by appearing in person at either the local Consulate office or U.S. Embassy. All the locations of these offices may be searched out by going on the Internet.
U.S. passport renewal is not as difficult a procedure as some would make it out to be. It may be accomplished either by using the mail or by going online and searching out a private US passport service provider. The private service providers can definitely speed up the procedure as compared to the standard government channels.
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