Vaccinated people can now visit a number of different countries around the world, which means that international travel is about to reopen in a big way. Travelers might notice panic-inducing news while dusting off their passports: the expiration date.
Expedited passport renewal was near impossible in the early days of the pandemic. Passport courier companies ceased offering express passport renewal services, resulting in a sixteen-week wait for standard renewal by mail.
Many passport renewal operations have been able to resume operation as before the pandemic (or near pre-pandemic levels). There are now express options for travelers who want to renew their passports in as little as one week, though those do come at a premium price. Travelers are advised to renew their passports four to six months before they plan to travel abroad by following State Department guidelines.
Make sure your passport meets State Department requirements before you attempt to renew by mail. Mail-in passport renewals are available only for passports issued in the last 15 years to travelers who were 16 or older. Passports without damage other than wear and tear may also be mailed in. In order to submit your application, you must possess a valid passport in your name (or be able to provide documentation of any name change).
For those attempting to renew their passports from some other country, for instance, their UK passport in Australia, the process requires completing an online application form through the appropriate UK passport service. Ensure you have a recent digital photo that meets UK passport requirements, as this will need to be uploaded during the application. You will also need to send your old passport by mail, along with any supporting documents, to the UK Passport Office for verification.
You can also take advantage of official shortcuts if you are traveling for a life-and-death emergency, as well as other urgent matters.These time-consuming renewal procedures will ultimately be a thing of the past. The quick and easy way to renew your passport is here.
Renewal of routine government services
The most cost-effective way to renew a passport is to send a normal application to your local National Passport Processing Center. You’ll only have to pay the normal $130 renewal registration price plus shipping charges if you choose this option.
Given that routine service has the shortest turnaround time, it is not surprising that it is the most affordable option. Routine processing takes between eight and eleven weeks. Furthermore, that estimate excludes shipping times—it might take another two weeks from the moment you mail your documentation to the time your application is “in progress” with officials, after which they must return it to you. So if you are renewing routinely, you should plan for an approximately 13 week time frame from door-to-door.
Renewal of the government expedited
The expedited processing option, which costs an additional $60 in addition to the $130 renewal fee, is available from the government. Despite the fact that travelers still mail their passport applications to a National Passport Processing Center through the mail, once it reaches the center, your application jumps to the top, because you paid an extra $60.
Expedited passport renewals take five to seven weeks to process. The State Department estimates this turnaround time ranges from five to seven weeks. Once again, this does not include shipping time. Shipping can add another two weeks to the timeline. In order to be on the safe side, estimate that the government’s expedited service could take nine weeks to complete from door-to-door.
