Can You Travel Internationally With an Expired U.S. Passport?
No. An expired U.S. passport is not valid for ordinary international travel. What you should do next depends on whether you are still in the United States or your passport expired while you were already abroad.
If you are still in the United States
Renew or replace the passport before you leave. If your trip is within 14 days, you may qualify for an appointment at a regional passport agency. If you need a foreign visa within 28 days, the agency appointment window can open earlier.
If your passport expired while you were abroad
Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate to apply for a new passport. If you need to travel before a regular passport can be issued, consular staff may be able to issue an emergency or limited-validity passport based on your situation.
Land and sea travel do not make an expired passport valid. Some qualifying closed-loop cruises and certain land or sea border trips allow other travel documents, but those rules apply to the alternative document you use, not to the expired passport itself.
Expired Passport? Start Here
The right path usually comes down to eligibility, passport condition, and how close your travel date is.
Choose Your Path
- Eligible for renewal: If your passport is undamaged, was issued when you were age 16 or older, and was issued within the last 15 years.
→ Compare your online and mail renewal options. - Must apply in person: If your passport is damaged, over 15 years old, or was issued before age 16.
→ Start a new in-person application (DS-11). - Traveling urgently: If standard mailing timelines will not work for your upcoming trip.
→ See regional agency options or compare top audited registered couriers. - Just need the forms?
→ Review Form DS-82 (Renewal) or Form DS-11 (New).
✈️ Need Your Passport Fast?
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In This Guide:
When You Can Renew an Expired Passport Online
Online renewal is worth checking first because it may be the simplest option, but it is only for routine service and only for applicants who meet the official requirements.
You may be able to renew online if all of the following are true:
- Your passport was valid for 10 years.
- It is expiring within 1 year or expired less than 5 years ago.
- You are 25 or older.
- You are not changing personal information such as your name or sex.
- You are not traveling for at least 6 weeks from the date you submit the application.
- You are in a U.S. state or territory when you apply.
- You have the passport in hand, and it is not damaged or mutilated.
Important: The only official place to renew a U.S. passport online is the State Department's portal. Be careful with third-party websites claiming they can renew your passport online for you.
Best next step: Compare your renewal options in one place before you choose between online renewal, DS-82 by mail, or a different path.
When You Can Renew by Mail with Form DS-82
If online renewal is not a fit, the next question is whether you can still renew your expired passport by mail.
You can generally renew by mail if your most recent passport meets all of these rules:
- It was issued less than 15 years ago.
- It was issued when you were age 16 or older.
- It is not damaged beyond normal wear and tear.
This is the rule many travelers think of as the 15-year rule. Passports are valid for 10 years, but eligible adults usually get an additional 5-year window after expiration to renew instead of starting over.
Example: If your passport was issued on March 1, 2011, you can usually renew it through March 1, 2026. After that, it is more than 15 years old, and you would need to apply in person with Form DS-11.
Basic mail-renewal steps
- Complete Form DS-82. Follow the DS-82 renewal instructions.
- Print, sign, and date the application.
- Form Filler: Print single-sided on 8.5 x 11 inch letter-size paper in portrait orientation, with the application filling the entire page. Only your original signature and date may be handwritten after printing.
- Blank PDF: If you complete the form by hand, use black ink and write legibly.
- Get a new passport photo. Do not reuse the old one. Review our guide to getting an acceptable passport photo if needed.
- Include the correct fee. Check the current passport fees.
- Mail your package using a trackable method. Include your signed DS-82, photo, fee payment, and your most recent passport.
Do not forget: If you renew by mail, you must send in your most recent passport. The State Department will cancel it and return it to you, often in a separate mailing.
Best next step: See the full renewal process or go straight to our Form DS-82 walkthrough.
When You Must Apply in Person with Form DS-11
Sometimes an expired passport cannot be renewed at all. In that case, the State Department treats the situation as a new in-person application.
You will need to apply in person with Form DS-11 if:
- Your passport was issued more than 15 years ago.
- Your passport was issued before you turned 16.
- Your passport is damaged.
- You do not meet the requirements for online renewal or mail renewal.
This often surprises travelers, especially young adults whose child passports have expired. A passport issued before age 16 cannot be renewed. The applicant must apply in person and start with a new adult passport application.
Best next step: See what is required for a new passport application and review the DS-11 form instructions.
Common Situations That Change the Answer
Based on over 20 years of helping travelers with their unique travel document issues, these are the situations most likely to trip up applicants with expired passports. Choose the one that sounds most like yours.
- My passport was issued before age 16. See what changes when the old passport was a minor passport.
- My child passport expired. See what to do with an expired child passport.
- My passport is damaged. Find out how to replace a damaged passport.
- I do not have my most recent passport. Learn when to request a file search.
- I need to know whether my passport is still valid enough for travel. Check the six-month validity rules.
- I want the simplest renewal walkthrough. Start with our passport renewal walkthrough.
Frequent Expired Passport Mistakes to Avoid
Expired passport problems often start with one bad assumption. These are the mistakes we have dealt with the most often in our reader correspondence:
- Assuming an expired passport can always be renewed: Not every expired passport qualifies for renewal. If it was issued before age 16, is more than 15 years old, or is damaged, the answer usually changes.
- Overlooking the age-16 rule: Many young adults are surprised to learn that a passport issued before age 16 cannot be renewed, even if it was their most recent passport.
- Treating damage like a minor issue: Water damage, torn pages, major wear, or other condition problems can force you into a replacement path instead of a renewal path.
- Underestimating mailing time: Official processing estimates do not include shipping time to and from the State Department. For close-in trips, that detail matters.
Need Your Passport Fast?
If your trip is too close for routine or mail-expedited processing, use the option that matches your travel date and whether you have already applied.
Traveling within 14 days
If you have not applied yet and your international trip is within 14 calendar days, you may qualify for an appointment at a regional passport agency. If you already applied and still do not have your passport, contact the National Passport Information Center when your trip is within 14 days.
Need a foreign visa within 28 days
If you have not applied yet and need a foreign visa before travel, you may qualify for an agency appointment when your trip is within 28 calendar days.
An appointment is required
Passport agencies and centers do not accept walk-ins for urgent service. You must schedule an appointment.
When a registered passport courier may be worth considering
If an agency appointment is not practical, or you want help managing the paperwork and timing, compare the top audited passport courier services.
Need a broader list with filters, verification notes, and more audited details? Browse our full passport courier directory.
For an explanation of how private couriers work, what they can help with, and how to evaluate them, read our passport expediter guide.
Couriers do not change the government's official rules, but the right service may help with document review, timing, logistics, and hand-carry submission where that service applies.
Best next step: See how the regional agency option works. If that is not realistic, compare the top audited services.
Why Renewing Early Still Matters
Even if your passport is not expired yet, waiting until the last minute creates unnecessary risk.
- The six-month validity problem: Some countries require a passport to remain valid for months beyond your arrival or departure date. See which destinations apply this rule.
- Mailing time is real time: Even when official processing looks manageable, transit time and separate mailings can stretch the true door-to-door timeline.
- Urgent travel gets expensive fast: Once a trip is close, the cheapest and easiest option often disappears.
Current Processing Times, Mailing Time, and Fees
Routine Service: 4 to 6 weeks
Expedited Service: 2 to 3 weeks
Those estimates apply to the time your application is being processed. They do not include mailing time to the State Department or mailing time back to you.
To compare options more clearly, use these pages:
Expired Passport FAQs
These are the expired-passport questions readers ask us most often.
No. An expired U.S. passport is not valid for ordinary international travel. If you are still in the United States, renew or replace it before departure. If it expired while you were already abroad, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for a replacement; an emergency or limited-validity passport may be available when travel is urgent.
Possibly. Online renewal is available only to applicants who meet the official requirements, including age, timing, passport condition, and routine-service eligibility. If you are traveling soon, online renewal is usually not the right path.
Yes, if your most recent passport was issued less than 15 years ago, was issued when you were age 16 or older, and is not damaged.
You will usually need to apply in person with Form DS-11. Once a passport is more than 15 years old, it generally no longer qualifies for renewal.
No. Passports issued before age 16 cannot be renewed. The applicant must apply in person for a new passport using Form DS-11.
If you renew by mail, yes. You must submit your most recent passport with the application. If you renew online, you keep the passport in hand, but it will be canceled after you submit the renewal.
Start with the regional passport agency option. If that will not work for your situation, compare the top audited courier services or browse the full directory.
Last reviewed: September 28, 2026.
Compare Your Fast Passport Options
If routine service is too slow, you may need an agency appointment or help from a registered courier. Compare your options before you decide.
