Renew Your Passport Isn’t A Complicating Process

By U Learn It | February 16, 2010

International travel can be exciting and rewarding, but in order to travel outside of the United States, you will be required to have a passport. This document must be up to date and in good condition. Your passport has a 15 year period before it needs to be renewed. To renew a passport you can do this through the mail, but it must meet certain criteria.

To renew a passport there are requirements that need to be met. Passport renewals in the US are not complicated, but you do need to make sure your current passport qualifies. It’s possible to renew by mail as long as you meet the conditions required. You will need to send the completed form DS-82 to the passport processing center at P.O. Box 13349, Philadelphia, PA, 19101-3349.

There is a 15 year period on a passport, so if you’ve had yours for longer than that period you will need to apply for a new one. The post office will process the necessary paper work, providing you have the proper documentation and a recent passport photo. You will need your ID and birth certificate to complete this process.

You cannot process a passport renewal through the postal service if your passport has been damaged. In this case, you will have to complete the process in person. This can be accomplished by filling out a DS-11 form and providing proof of residency, identity, and the damaged passport.

When processing the DS-11 you will need to bring two new 2” x 2” photos. Passport photos must be taken by an authorized photo center. Many film processing stores are certified to take these photos. Most of these centers can provide the photos within a few minutes.

If you were younger than 16 when you received your current passport, you will need to process a new one and will not qualify to renew passport through the mail. If you are applying for a replacement you may do so over the Internet via the U. S. State Department site. This process is simple and should provide you with a new passport in a few weeks.

If you have changed your name then your passport must reflect this. If your current passport does not reflect this you will need to get a passport name change. There are two different forms for this process. The form you use will depend on whether you have had your passport for a year or less.

As long as you have a valid passport that is current and contains all the correct information, including your current name, then you can renew your passport via the US. Postal Service. However, it must be in good condition, without any damages or mutilation. You must also still be residing in the United States or Canada. If you are residing in a foreign country besides Canada and you need to renew a pasport, you will need to do so through the US. Embassy or Consulate.