When the time comes for your U.S. passport renewal, there are 2
options: You can renew by mail or in person. Mail seems to be the easier
choice, but you must meet certain requirements in order to qualify.
You
must have your old passport, and it must be in good condition. The name
on your passport must be your legal name; if it is not, you have to
prove your name change with documentation. If you are under the age of
16, you cannot renew by mail. Also, if your passport was issued more
than 15 years ago, regardless of you age, you must appear in person.
Along
with your old passport, you will need to send a form called "DS-82,
Application for a U.S. Passport" which can be printed online. You must
renew in person if you no not meet these conditions.
Your
application can easily be submitted at any United States passport
agency. If you are in another country when your passport expires, you
can simply visit your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
Passport
agencies can be found in: Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit,
Denver, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston,
New Orleans, Honolulu, and Washington D.C.
Additionally, there are
numerous passport application acceptance centers throughout the country.
You
will have to show proof of citizenship and photo I.D. when applying for
your renewal in person.
Also, remember to get 2 passport photos taken
in advance and bring them with you. These are inexpensive, and there are
many places to get them.
If you are cringing at the thought of
the cost of passport renewal, you will be glad to know that the new
passport card is only $20.00 for adults and $10.00 for children under
16. The traditional book-style passport costs $75.00 for adults and
$60.00 for children.
There is an additional "execution fee" of
$25.00 if you apply in person, and you will have to pay a $60.00
"expedite fee" for express processing of your new passport if you need
it in under 2 weeks.
Whether you choose the new card or the
traditional passport, your renewal process should be simple as long as
you plan in advance and follow these simple steps.
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.
