Planning ahead and printing your passport renewal forms from the
online website will save you from having to fill out forms by hand.
Remember that if you are planning to visit and Application Agency do not
sign these forms at home.
Standard Renewal: A renewal of your
passport is required every ten years if you received your first passport
after you turned 16. Children however must have their passports renewed
every five years regardless of what age they were when they received
their first passport. If you have changed your name through divorce
decree, marriage or legal name change and you report this change within
the first year there is no charge for this service. Renewal by mail is
available for those who received their first passport after the age of
16 or who are reporting a legal name change.
Name Changes: When
renewing your passport because of a name change you will need to include
your divorce decree or your marriage certificate. People who have had
their name legally changed must include those documents as well.
Visas:
When you submit your renewal application you can also request
additional visas. Forms are available online for those who wish to make
use of this service. Blank visa sheets are sometimes required by foreign
countries and you may request them when renewing your passport.
What
is Required: Requirements for passport renewal are the same as applying
for your first passport. Passport photos need to be taken and included.
Two identical two inch by two inch photographs of your face and
shoulders, identification documents such as your driver's license,
social security card, your certified birth certificate or your military
ID if you're a solder will need to be seen or sent with your application
form.
Errors: Misspelled names are the most common errors on
passports. Sometimes your birth date is wrong or numbers have been
transposed. When your passport arrives, check it carefully and report
these mistakes to your Application Agency. You will be instructed on how
to return the passport to have these errors corrected.
Emergency
Situations: Emergencies sometimes happen. If you find that your passport
has expired or will expire soon contact the Contact the National
Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 (TYY/TDD 1-888-847-2778)
and they will help you through the emergency passport process.
Renewal
Denied: No one wants to receive a notice telling them that their
passport renewal application has been denied. It is easier to prevent
this from happening than to correct it once it has. Contact the
Application Agency if you have had a recent criminal conviction. If you
owe back child support or taxes you should take care of these issues
before you apply for a renewal of your passport. Both of these issues
will result in your application being denied. It takes months to correct
these problems once you have submitted your application.
Stay on top of the details and print you passport renewal forms online.
C.L. Hendricks has been a Jill-of-all-trades and become an expert
in some. She has also traveled extensively and now writes about travel
destinations around the world for How to Get a Passport
[http://www.how-to-get-a-passport.com] and other travel sites as Web Content Provider.
