US Passport Renewal Guide: How to Renew, Costs, and Timing

You can renew by mail with Form DS-82 if your most recent passport meets all of these conditions. If not, you’ll need to apply in person with Form DS-11, as you would for a first passport.

The State Department offers online renewal for eligible adults who want routine service. Eligibility rules are similar to mail renewal, with extra conditions, such as not changing your name and not planning international travel for several weeks while your application is processed.

Use only the official State Department website. Third-party sites may look official and charge extra fees but can’t process your renewal.

Processing times change with seasonal demand, so check the current routine and expedited times on travel.state.gov before you apply, and add time for mailing in both directions. Spring and early summer are typically the busiest periods.

If you have urgent international travel within 14 days, or a life-or-death emergency, you may qualify for an appointment at a passport agency or center. Don’t book nonrefundable travel counting on that option.

Renew well before you need it. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your trip, and the Schengen Area requires at least three months beyond your planned departure. Some countries, such as South Africa, also require blank visa pages.

A good rule: renew if your passport expires within about a year of any international trip. See our guides to how far ahead to book and the Schengen 90/180 rule.

A passport card is a cheaper, wallet-size option for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, and it’s accepted as ID at TSA checkpoints. It isn’t valid for international air travel. See REAL ID explained.

If you changed your name within one year of your passport being issued, you can usually correct it with Form DS-5504 at no fee. After that, use the DS-82 renewal process with your name-change document.