By Pedro Bianco
En esta noticia
Renewing your passport by mail, without leaving home, is the most convenient option offered by the State Department. But it is not available to everyone: one of the requirements is tied to the age of the document. If the most recent passport was issued 15 years ago or more, it is not eligible for the simplified renewal process and requires an in-person application.
The United States blocks standard renewal for citizens with these passports
Passport renewal by mail is done with Form DS-82, which lets applicants send in the expired passport and supporting documents without appearing in person. To use that option, several requirements must be met, including that the passport to be renewed was issued within the last 15 years. If that period has passed, meaning the document was issued 15 years ago or more, it cannot be renewed by mail.
It is important to note that adult passports are valid for 10 years. So a passport issued 15 years ago is not only expired: it has been out of date for several years, and that gap in time is precisely what rules out the simplified renewal process.
What to do in that case
When a passport does not qualify for renewal by mail, the process must be completed in person using Form DS-11, the same form used by first-time passport applicants. In general, the process involves:
- Complete Form DS-11 (do not sign it until instructed by the official).
- Go to a passport acceptance facility: many post offices (USPS), libraries, or courthouses serve in that role, or to a passport agency, usually by appointment.
- Bring proof of U.S. citizenship (such as a birth certificate or previous passport), a photo ID, and a photocopy of it.
- Provide a recent photo that meets the official requirements.
- Pay the applicable fees for the process.