There are many things to do when planning a trip overseas.
Renewing a passport may be one of them.
Renewal of your passport is easy
to do these days. Renewal forms are available online and many people
qualify for renewal by mail.
When to Renew: Passports for adults
are valid for ten years provided that the original passport was received
after you turned 16. Children under the age of 15 must renew their
passports every five years. Damaged passports regardless must be renewed
immediately. If you have gotten married or divorced, you will also need
to renew your passport if your name has been changed.
Where to
Renew: Application Agency's accept passport renewal applications. Many
will find it easier to apply through the mail. Renewal forms are
available at Travel.State.Gov website and include instructions.
Additional forms, available online, are required if you are renewing
your passport due to a name change.
What do I Need: A renewal
application requires the same things that a first application did. Two
identical photographs of just your head and shoulders, identification
documents, and properly filled out forms. If you are going to an
Application Agency to renew your passport do not sign the forms.
Many
find filling out the forms online then printing them is easier. The
applications can be read and usually there are no delays due to
illegible handwriting. If a name change is part of the renewal process
your marriage certificate or divorce decree must be included.
How
Long: Renewal of your passport will take between four and six weeks to
be approved. Occasionally the agency falls behind especially if they
have received many applications. Allowing yourself time for the
unexpected will prevent last minute worries.
Renewal Denial:
Criminal convictions occasionally prevent renewal of your passport.
Application Agencies can provide you with the current list of
convictions that will prevent renewal. If you owe the Internal Revenue
Service back taxes your passport renewal will be denied. The Department
of Health and Human Services has a file of people who owe more than
$2,500 in back child support.
Passports will be denied to anyone who
owes back child support. If your passport renewal has been denied for
back taxes or child support it can take an additional four to eight
weeks to have your name removed from those lists.
Renewing your passport is something that is best done before you leave the country.
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.
