Can I renew my passport without sending the old one so I can travel?
by Devin Wilson
(Carolina Beach, NC, USA)
Question: I travel quite often with different organizations such as Operation Smile and Lifeworks International. Normally at least once a month. My passport will expire in about 10 months. Is there any way I can get my new passport without having to send the current one in as this would make it impossible for me to travel?
Answer: There are a few different ways to handle this situation. One, you can wait until a week before the passport's expiration date and apply for expedited service by mail. Currently, this service is estimated to take between 2 and 3 weeks but is sometimes completed sooner. Of course, this method requires you be without a passport for this period of time.
Another option is to wait until less than 2 weeks before the passport's expiration date and submit the application at a regional passport agency. In many cases, the new passport can be issued the same day. The closest agencies to Carolina Beach are in
Atlanta and
Washington, DC.
Finally, you can apply for a second passport. Second passports are only issued in special circumstances. American citizens who travel frequently, especially to countries that require visas, can sometimes obtain a second passport. For more information about this option, click the link below.
Second Passport Information
Click for fast expedited courier service
Top 5 Questions About Expedited Passport Couriers
UPDATE: Mailing delays and high demand are impacting passport processing. The Department of State's processing times begin when applications are received at a passport agency or center and not when you mail them or apply at a local acceptance facility.
Standard service may take between 10 and 13 weeks. This timeframe does not include delivery time. Mailing times vary across the country.
Expedited service takes from 7 to 9 weeks excluding mailing times on the front and back end. Current mailing delays are significant. Requesting 1-2-day mailing service is recommended.
Regional passport agencies are offering two types of appointments: Life-of-Death Emergency Service and Urgent Travel Service.
Life-or-death emergencies are serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, and grandparent) that require you to travel outside the United States within 3 business days.
If you need to travel due to a qualified life-or-death emergency, please call the National Passport Information Center for an appointment:
Mondays through Fridays 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. ET, call 1-877-487-2778 (TDD/TTY:1-888-874-7793)
Outside of these hours, call 202-647-4000.
For Urgent Travel Service, you need to call 14 days before your scheduled international travel or 28 days if you also need to secure a foreign visa.
If you need to travel urgently for reasons other than a life-or-death emergency, please call the NPIC at 1-877-487-2778 Mondays through Fridays 8 A.M. to 10 P.M. ET.
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