Mail in Your Passport Renewal

When you're traveling outside of the United States, you will need a passport as a definitive form of identification. If you have let your passport expire, or it's been ten years since you have gotten it, you will need to renew your passport in order to keep this important document current.

There are just two major countries, Canada and Mexico, and only under certain arrival circumstances that do not require US citizens to use passports. When entering by land or sea you do not have to show a passport to get into or out of these countries, but you do when traveling by air.

Renewing your passport to go to other countries is nothing to fret about - today, the renewal process is simpler than ever. You don't even need to go to a passport acceptance facility to do it - although there are 9,000 facilities that can help you with renewing your passport in the US.

Instead of renewing your passport in person, you can now choose the easier way of renewing your passport through the mail. You can download the forms you need off of the Internet through the government's website, so you don't even need to leave the comfort of your home to start the process.

Getting your passport in the mail requires that you follow a few renewal rules. You must have a passport that is no older than 15 years old, expired is fine, and you must have been at least 16 years of age when you got the passport. A minor passport may be converted into an adult passport.

Your passport must be in decent shape - at least decent enough that its authenticity can be verified. If your passport has been so mutilated, ripped or otherwise damaged that the office cannot be sure of its legality, you will need to go to a passport acceptance facility to apply for a new passport in person.

If you have changed your name since you received your last passport, you unfortunately can't apply for renewal through the mail. All name changes, be they because of marriage or any other reason, must be processed in person at a passport acceptance facility in person.

When you send in your application for renewal, you will need to send along your old passport, along with two standard passport photos (identical 2"x2" photos taken with a passport camera) and your passport renewal forms. You'll also need to pay the passport renewal fees.

Be prepared to wait for your new passport to arrive. The wait times are long - both for people who are applying for the first time for their passport and for those who are renewing their passports. Give yourself plenty of time before your trip to make sure that your passport arrives in time.

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

Theodre Tenretni is with TravelYeti.com - where you can find travel agents across the country. This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.

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