How is the new expiration date on a passport renewal calculated?

Question: Does the new expiry date for a renewed passport come 10 years from the applicaiton date or 10 years from the date the old passport will expire? Meaning, I have several passports to renew for my family. Some dont' expire for another 10 months so I will be willing to do them in 2 batches if I will lose those 10 months on the new passport.

Answer: Validity is calculated from the date the passport is issued. If you apply early, you will lose the remaining validity in the passports you have. However, the Department of State encourages Americans to apply for renewals approximately 9 months prior to the expiration dates in their passports. There reason is twofold.

One, it can take up to 3 months to renew a passport. Estimated processing time is 4-6 weeks. While it is sometimes completed more quickly, several factors can contribute to longer processing times such as the submission of unacceptable documents and passport photos or errors on the application forms. Such lengthy processing times are not the norm but it can happen.

Two, many countries require at least 6 months validity in a passport before they will grant a visa or, if no visa is required, permission to enter.

Combining the possible 3-month processing time with the 6-month validity requirement gives a total of 9 months. Nine months prior to the expiration date is the earliest you should need to apply.

When you submit the renewal applications really depends on your travel plans. If you plan to travel prior to the expiration date on the passports, be sure to verify the validity requirements for the countries you plan to visit and apply for renewals accordingly.