Aug 14 2011
The Ways In Doing An Expedited Passport Renewal
Being able to take a journey abroad, worry free, is a hope all travelers share. There are things one can do to make this wish a reality. One is to make sure that when someone is about to go abroad, his travel documents have at least nine months of validity on them. If this is not the case, he should take steps to have the travel document renewed. For those who have upcoming plans, a faster way of revalidating the documents is to apply for an expedited U S passport renewal.
Each of us has a passport with us passport pages, that is good for ten years if we got it when we were at least 16 years old. If we had one when we were younger, the document will only be good for five years. This is an important thing to remember when planning for a trip.
Each of us can apply for a renewal anytime but some conditions need to be met. The passport must not be damaged significantly. The document must not be expired for more than five years. If both conditions are true, the owner is required to apply for a new one. Expired passports are still accepted as long as the date stamped on it is within five years.
The easy thing about renewing this important document is that the process can be completed by mail. There is only one address for all who are in the United States. This address is the National Passport Processing Center.
As in most government transactions, this process starts by filling out an application form. The document being referred to is Form DS-82. This form is freely downloadable from the State Department’s web site. Most public libraries and post offices will have copies of the application form, too.
The mailing envelope that will hold all the papers has to be large enough to contain everything without folding any of the documents. Together with the filled in application form, place the old passport, a recent picture of the correct format, and the payment inside the envelope. Mail the envelope to the processing center. Those who had a name change will have to include proof of the facts related to that change. This could be a marriage certificate or a court order for those who got divorced.
To inform those who will process your application that you want an expedited application, the word “EXPEDITE” must be clearly indicated on the envelope. This will hasten the processing time to less than three weeks. Regular processing takes at least four to six weeks to complete. An expedited processing costs more than a regular transaction.
Everyone should have their expedited US passport renewal as soon as the validity left in them is nearing nine months. One is discouraged from going abroad if this document is near its expiry date. Most airlines will refuse to board anyone whose documents expire less than six months after the date that is stamped on their return trip or if they are lacking passport pages.
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