A United States passport is a government-issued travel document that allows you to travel outside of the country. A passport contains your personal identification information that demonstrates that you are a United States citizen. If your passport has expired and you are planning to travel abroad, you need to send in the necessary forms and passport fees to renew your passport by mail. Depending on how quickly you need your passport, you can pay for expedited shipping.

Check to make sure that your are eligible to renew your passport by mail. To renew by mail, the Bureau of Consular Affairs requires that your current passport be undamaged and issued in your current name. Also, you must be over 16 years of age and your passport must have been issued to you within the past 15 years.

Visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs website and click on the link to “Passports.”

Click on the link to “Forms” and print one-sided pages of a blank DS-82 form. As another option, you can complete the form online and then print it out. Make sure you type or write the form in black ink.

Staple a passport photograph of yourself onto the DS-82 form within the space provided on the form.

Make a check or money order payable to the "Department of State." Look on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website for up-to-date passport fees.

Place your DS-82 form in an envelope along with your current passport and your passport payment.

Mail your envelope to the address listed on the DS-82 form, making sure to use a traceable method of delivery. If you use routine service to mail your envelope, your renewed passport will come in four to six weeks. If you use expedited shipping, which costs an additional $60, your passport will come in two to three weeks.

Tip

  • If you need your passport renewed in less than two weeks for international travel, or if you need your passport within four weeks to obtain a foreign visa, make an appointment with a Regional Passport Agency. View the "Contact Us" web page on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website to locate a Regional Passport Agency.

    If your passport is damaged or lost, or if your passport is more than 15 years old, you must renew your passport in person at an Acceptance Facility or Passport Agency. Information regarding how to apply in person can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.

About the Author

Julia Drake has been writing since 2007 when she had her first article published in “The Beltane Papers.” She received her Bachelor of Arts in women studies from the University of Washington. She recently completed her Master of Arts in women’s spirituality at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.

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