July 22, 2010
The United States Online Passport Renewal Process: What You Can Anticipate
Automation has caused passport renewal to be easier than ever. Passports have a long shelf life and are valid for ten years. After expiration, there are a variety of different tracks that all lead to getting a new passport. Obtaining a passports renewals can be completed in person at an agency, by mail, or even over the Internet.
Attempting to renew a passport via the mail has set requirements that must be followed. The mail option is only open to people who reside in the United States or Canada. Citizens living abroad will have to follow different guidelines. When using the mail, the passport being renewed must be undamaged. A person must also have the same name and have been 16 or older from the date the original was issued.
Passports are valid for ten years and incur a sixty dollar renewal fee if the passport was issued in the last fifteen years. After fifteen years passes by a person must reapply from scratch in order to obtain a new passport. All original fees will be charged for processing the new document.. At the moment these fees can cost upwards of one hundred and twenty dollars.
Trying to get a passport renewed can be completed over the Internet. This can only occur if the address the new passport is being mailed is inside the United States or Canada. Trying to renew a passport abroad can only happen in person at the U.S. Embassy or consulate in that country. In all cases, domestic and abroad, special circumstances can affect the timeliness of receiving a passport.
In cases of emergency, the U.S. government will expediently send your passport application form to someone trying to renew them. These special circumstances include a life and death situation, needing a passport immediately for travel, or to obtain a work visa if one is employed by a company in another country. Expediting this process may have addition processing fees attached.
All cases of passport require a form called the DS-82 to be completed before renewal. This form is also called the "application for a U.S. Passport." On this form, all personal information must be added correctly and truthfully. While you are not specifically applying for a passport, check the box that says “renewal” on it to avoid expensive costs of first time application.
Mutilated passports become invalidated when the document itself become too damaged to use. If a passport is damaged, a citizen cannot use the mail or Internet to renew the passport. Before traveling, a person should check the state of their passport. All information must be clearly visible. The pictures must be undamaged and information must be up to date or it will not be accepted by border police.
Processing passports renewals can take up to 6 weeks. However, by paying extra fees, it can reach any address in the U.S. or Canada in two weeks. Renewing this document can occur online, through the mail, or in person if the passport is damaged. They are valid for ten years and can be renewed for up to fifteen years after the original is issued. Make sure all information is filled out truthfully and completely.
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