Is It Easy to Get a New Passport With an Expired Passport
Important Due to Covid-19, processing times for passports are taking longer than normal for both standard and expedited services.
Should You Renew an Expired Passport or Apply for a New One?
Once expired, a passport has outlived its usefulness. You cannot travel abroad nor apply for a travel visa with an expired passport. If your passport has passed the expiration date and you need to travel internationally for any reason, you will need to get it replaced.
This leaves travelers with two options: apply for a passport renewal or apply for a new passport. The best choice depends on how old you were when the passport was issued and how much time has elapsed since the passport's expiration date.
COVID-19 UPDATE: Mailing delays are impacting passport processing. The Department of State's processing times begin when applications are received at a passport agency or center and not when you mail them or apply at a local acceptance facility. Standard service may take between 8 and 11 weeks. This timeframe does not include delivery time. Mailing times vary across the country.
Expedited service takes from 5 to 7 weeks exluding mailing times on the front and back end. Mailing delays may be significant so requesting 1-2-day mailing may greatly help.
Regional passport agencies are offering extremely limited in-person services if you need to travel internationally in the next 5 business days. Those with qualified life-or-death emergencies are prioritized.
Life-or-death emergencies are serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, and grandparent) that require you to travel outside the United States within 5 business days.
If you need to travel due to a qualified life-or-death emergency, please call the National Passport Information Center for an appointment:
Mondays through Fridays 8 AM to 5PM, call ET 1-877-487-2778 (TDD/TTY:1-888-874-7793) Outside of these hours, 202-647-4000
You can schedule your appointment up to 2 weeks before your international travel but the date of your appointment must be within 5 business days of your international travel. If you need a foreign visa, the date of your appointment must be within 10 business days of your international travel.
Rush My Passport has been obtaining expedited passport in 4.5 weeks. Apply online for expedited passport service.
When Can an Expired Passport Be Renewed?
You can apply to get your passport renewed by mail if your passport if it meets all of the following criteria:
- The expired passport was issued not more than 15 years ago
- The expired passport was not damaged
- The expired passport was issued when the holder was 16 years old or older
In other words, passports issued to applicants age 16 or older can be renewed by mail up to 5 years after the expiration date (as long as the passport is not significantly damaged).
You can follow the instructions for renewing an expired passport by mail or enlist a registered passport courier service to help.
Either way, having the ability to renew a passport instead of applying for a new one is easier and less complicated than restarting the entire application process from scratch. For this reason, it is advisable to renew your passport while you are eligible to do so rather than waiting until your next trip abroad when it might be too late.
Replacing an Expired Passport That Does Not Qualify for Renewal
If your expired passport does not meet the aforementioned criteria, you need to follow the steps for applying for a new passport to get it replaced.
Regardless of which option is right for you, processing a passport application takes up to 12 weeks for standard service or up to 6 weeks for expedited service. These times are subject to change and can take even longer in times of high demand.
If you have a travel emergency and need to get a passport fast or expedite a passport renewal, you can make an appointment at a regional agency.
If you don't have the time, ability, or desire to visit the processing center? Get a third party to go for you. You can authorize a relative, friend, travel agent or an express passport courier.
NOTE: Don't throw away or destroy that expired passport! it is possible to use an expired passport as proof of citizenship when you apply for a new passport. So, if you don't intend to replace your expired passport now, you may want to hold on to it so that it is available when you are ready to get a new one.
Expired Passport Renewal FAQ
Top 5 Questions About Expedited Passport Couriers
Expedite Your Passport Now!
Source: https://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/expired-passport.html
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