All about passport renewal
Most people wait until the last week to apply for a passport renewal. However, the ideal time for passport renewal depends on your travel plans. For example, a lot of countries would not grant entry or visa to you if your passport is due for expiry within a month, or within three or six months, even if your travel dates do not clash with the expiry. Therefore, it is important to find out about the policies of the country you plan to travel to. Here’s all you need to know about the passport renewal procedure.

What are the requirements to be met in order to renew your passport over mail?
In order to renew your passport by mail, you should match the following eligibility criteria:

• You can submit your recent passport with the application.
• It does not have any major damage.
• Your current passport was issued to you when you were over the age of 16.
• The passport was issued to you within the last fifteen years.
• The passport has your current name on it.

What is the procedure to renew your passport by mail?
To renew a passport by mail, you can use the following procedure:

• You would first need to fill out form DS-82.
• You would have to send your most recent US passport along with the application form.
• In case you need to change your name, you will have to submit the name change documents accordingly.
• You would also need to provide an eligible photo, calculate the fees, and mail the completed application on the applicable address.

When and how do you need to apply for a passport renewal in person?
While most people are eligible for passport renewal through mail, you will need to apply for it in person in the following situations:

• If it is your first US passport.
• You are under the age of 16.
• Your previous passport was given to you before you turned 16 years old.
• Your previous passport was stolen, lost, or damaged.
• Your previous passport was issued to you fifteen years before reapplying.

What is the procedure to be followed in case you need to apply for passport renewal in person?
In order to apply for passport renewal in person, you would need to follow the given procedure:

• Duly fill out Form DS-11 carefully.
• Provide any evidence of being a US citizen.
• Bring the photocopy of the evidence along with you.
• Present the ID and bring a photocopy of the same.
• Determine under which special circumstance you were not eligible for a passport by mail and the reason for applying for passport renewal in person.
• Provide a photo, calculate the needed fees, and submit the filled application for approval.

Do you get your old passport back once the new one has been issued, and do you need it?

• The answer to this would be sometimes yes and sometimes no.
• The old passport is returned in most cases to the passport holder once the procedure for passport renewal is over. However, in rare cases, the authorities may choose to hold back the passport.
• It is advised to keep the passport copy, because sometimes you would need it for visa application to some countries, and it can also be used as a proof of citizenship.

As a foreign citizen, is it possible to renew my passport via mail?

• No, you cannot renew your passport via mail if you are a foreign citizen.
• However, there’s an exception, in the case of which the passport can be renewed over mail.
• You are allowed to renew your passport via mail if you are a citizen of Canada. You would need to follow the same procedure of filling out Form DS-82 and send the supporting documents via mail.

What is the passport renewal procedure for children under the age of 16?

• For passport renewal procedure of children under the age of 16, you would need to apply for the passport every five years.
• You would need to fill out the DS-11 form, provide U.S citizenship evidence, and bring a photocopy of the evidence.
• Show the parental relationship and present the ID, along with a photocopy of the ID to avail of the passport.