Renewing Your U.S. Passport

If you love traveling, you know how it's essential to have your U.S. passport and how important it is to know when your passport expires. Here's everything you need to know about renewing your U.S. passport right now.

What is the validity of your U.S. passport?

According to the Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs travel website, "If you were age 16 or older when your passport was issued, your passport is valid for 10 years. If you were under 16 when your passport was issued, your passport is valid for 5 years. The Issue Date of your passport can be found on the data page of your passport book or on the front of your passport card."

How much is the U.S. passport renewal?

Standard passport renewal can take 10-12 weeks and costs $110, though you can pay an additional $60 to possess it expedited to 4-6 weeks. The US Department of State travel website has a passport fees calculator to help you figure out your passport renewal options and cost. They provide options for your fee in one of three ways: the Fee Calculator, the Fee Chart PDF, or the Fee Charts.

When should you renew your U.S. passport?

Ideally, your U.S. passport should be renewed at least 6 months before it expires as some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. It is always best to renew ahead of time to avoid the hassle especially during busy travel periods and possible delays like what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are the countries that require U.S. citizens to have at least six months of validity on their passports.

Algeria
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belgium (must be valid for 3 months beyond planned departure from the Schengen Area)
Bhutan
Bolivia
Botswana
Brunei
Burma (Myanmar)
Cambodia
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
China
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Czech Republic
Djibouti
Ecuador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
France (must be valid for 3 months beyond planned departure from the Schengen Area)
French Polynesia
Gabon
Germany (must be valid for 3 months beyond planned departure from the Schengen Area)
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Iceland (3 months validity required)
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Italy
Jordan
Kazakhstan (3 months validity requirement)
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mexico
Malaysia
Micronesia
Mongolia
Mozambique
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama (3 months validity)
Papua New Guinea
Qatar
Rwanda
Republic of the Congo
Russia
Sao Tome and Principe
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Spain (3 months required, 6 recommended)
Sudan
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan (3 months required)
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste (East Timor)
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia

While most countries require your passport to be valid for a minimum of six months, some require validity at the time of entry or throughout your stay. If you’re visiting one of these countries, you can wait on renewing your passport as long as the expiration date isn’t during your trip:

Argentina
Belize
Brazil
Burundi
Canada (3 months for onward travel to Europe)
Chile
Costa Rica
Israel
Jamaica
Japan
Mexico
Mauritius
Nicaragua
Paraguay
Phillippines
Saint Luci
Somalia
Taiwan
United Kingdom (6 months for onward travel)
Uruguay
West Bank and Gaza

How can you renew your passport?

Traditionally, you can renew your U.S. passport via mail or in-person by filling out a Form DS-82, provide a photo, your most recent passport, and check for the fees. Thankfully, passport services and passport renewal is now available online at the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs travel website.

Keep in mind that your passport number will change once you renew it which means if you’re a part of a trusted travel program, you will need to update your passport information.