Renewing Your Passport-What You Need To Know

Now that travel is back here’s everything you need to know about renewing your passport.  Before you even think about booking that bucket-list vacation, there’s one thing you need to do right now: Double-check the expiration date on your passport. Renewing your current passport can be relatively easy if you allow yourself enough time and don’t wait until the last minute.

Now that travel is back in full swing,  it’s more important than ever to check and then double-check to make sure your travel documents are valid for at least six months past the dates of any planned international trips. Since passports are valid for up to 10 years, it’s understandably easy to forget when exactly it needs to be renewed (especially if you don’t use it all that often). This seemingly small detail could result in a travel disaster. Renewing your passport early will ensure that your vacation will go that much smoother with one less thing to worry about. 

While the U.S. allows travelers to use a passport until the exact date listed on the front page, that’s not the case for many other countries. For example, if you want to check out the natural beauty of New Zealand, your passport needs to be valid for another three months past your trip. Want to spend a week on the beach in Thailand? Six months. (You can check the State Department’s website for the specific requirements for different countries.) Even though some countries have more lenient requirements, it’s better to play it safe.
All those requirements mean you might need to renew your passport sooner than you thought. Here’s how long it will take to renew your passport.

How long does it take to renew a passport?

If your passport’s time is almost up, don’t wait — start the process now. If your passport’s time is almost up, don’t wait — start the process now. Passport processing times vary — you can expect to wait between eight to 11 weeks for routine processing and five to seven weeks if you go the expedited route, according to the State Department website. You’ll have to pay a $60 expedited fee if you don’t want to wait for routine processing. If you have an urgent situation (like a life or death emergency) that requires an immediate renewal for international travel within 72 hours, you can make an in-person appointment.
You can also pay extra for one- to two-day delivery, which means that your passport will be shipped to you within one to two days after it is printed. 

With a little advanced planning, your trip of a lifetime can be remembered for all the right reasons by checking the date to see when your passport expires and renewing your passport sooner rather than later and that’s one less thing off of your to-do list.