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Renewing Your U.S. Passport

Renewing Your U.S. PassportIf 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.