My US passport will expire January 2021. There is a possibility I’ll need it then, so I would like to renew it. I’ve renewed it before, but never during troubled times, so I’m being extra cautious.
What happens if I do my renewal paperwork, send everything in, then find myself wanting to travel internationally? Anyone renewed recently? Any changes?
The State Department does not recommend that you send in the paperwork now, because they’re running behind because of the closures. See here for more information.
I was at that page when I decided to post my question. I read this:
I do not need to apply in person, I qualify for mailed application. I’m worried about not applying for renewal soon enough. The last time I renewed I had to pay extra for expedited service.
My real question is really, what happens if you send your passport in and then before getting your new passport you need to travel internationally?
Well, you’re not going to have your paperwork. If it’s a real emergency, you could probably get an expedited passport but it would not be easy.
Also, you’re not flying until January. I expect them to be back to relatively normal function by the autumn. So you should have enough time without needing to request expedited service.
Yeah, I guess (hope) you’re correct.
Bear in mind, if your passport expires January 2021, its usefulness will drop drastically in August. The Schengen countries (which is most of Europe) will not let you in if your passport is less than 6 months from expiration. I actually saw this happen to a colleague. Turned away at the gate because he was flying into a Schengen country and his passport expired in a few months.
I haven’t looked into it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are other countries with similar policies.
That’s normally the rule but I would not be surprised to hear that they’re waiving that restriction right now.
To answer the question, it will be a huge pain in the ass. But you will be able to get an expedited passport if you have international travel confirmed. Make copies of everything. Actually, do that regardless.
I had to get an emergency passport (due to loss or theft) last year and it sucked, but it sucked even more because I hadn’t realised my driver license has expired.
What are the chances you will need to travel internationally? It’s almost impossible right now anyway and certainly not for leisure travel. Do you have a close relative abroad who might get sick suddenly?
No to all. I just always consider worst case scenarios. I used to keep my passport in my bank safe deposit box until one day my gf jokingly asked what would happen if I needed to flee the country on a Sunday. I drove to my bank and retrieved my passport, justincase.
Yes, the standard rule of thumb I’ve read is that travelling with a passport that has less than 6 months left is a bad idea. Many countries have allowances that a visitor can stay for 6 months, (I.e. Canadians to USA or vice versa) and they do not want a traveller to end up in their country without valid documentation to get home - which could be especially problematic if involves transit through a third country.
So, many countries will not normally allow visitors with less than 6 months left on their passport.
Lol, then I’d scan your passport and take it back to the safe deposit box then. If you need to flee the country on a Sunday, your passport will be the least of your concern.
Just one data point. I applied for my kids’ passports months ago and the status is still pending. I think they have just been on pause. Hopefully, they are starting to process things again now.
It was always the case that you could not apply for a new passport if there was more than 6 months left on the old one. That means you cannot apply till July anyway. I have often wondered what I would have to do if I absolutely had to travel while they had my passport. Now that I have two passports it is less of a worry.
I don’t think that’s the case. I think when I last renewed my passport, the old one had about a year to go, but I’d need to verify that.
I had to escort a client to the Passport Agency once because she needed to travel and had problems receiving mail at her home, and her new passport kept getting lost in the mail. This was a few years ago now (maybe five?), and the way the Passport Agency resolved the issue was by invalidating the lost passport in their computer system and issuing a new one on the spot. They would only do it with proof of upcoming international travel, so she booked a refundable airline ticket. Be prepared to wait at the Passport Agency pretty much all day, though.
And I am not sure that it’s even possible to do this right now because of coronavirus restrictions - and I certainly wouldn’t want to sit around in the Passport Office all day even if it were possible!
Worst-case scenario: you may end up needing to expedite the renewal while your application is in process, but that’s not the end of the world. If it were me, I would wait until you are within 6 months of it expiring and see how things have developed.
Eva Luna, Immigration Paralegal
I renewed mine last year while in a foreign country. Put the paperwork in now. The State Dept. would rather you wait until it’s convenient for them? Quel suprise! The sooner the better. Seriously.
A heads-up in case anyone is planning to travel internationally in the next few months:
And the government is blaming the problems on Covid.
My nephew was travelling internationally recently and waited till the last minute to get a passport. He paid extra for expedited service and was able to get his passport within a month(ish…I forget exactly how long).
This kind of stuff mystifies me. One would think the Department of State has really good data on the amount of passports they need to process per month. They can then decide how many people they need to hire to meet this need and calculate how much they need to charge per passport to cover that cost.
Instead, they choose to run perpetual backlogs of people trying to get a passport. I don’t get it.
We have a trip in November, and my Wife’s passport expires in April 2024, so we’re going to renew now. Hopefull this gives us enough time, we’ll pay for expedited service to be sure.
Yeah…you cannot travel on a passport that expires in less than six months. I’ve known a few people who were surprised by that at the airport.
I would think if you renew now you should have no problem getting the new passport in time (just my guess…really a guess). If you are worried pay extra for expedited service.