The U.S administration has made it quite convenient to renew the passport. If your passport is lost, damaged or expired, one has to go to the nearby post office in the United States to get it done. The U.S postal department is providing this service due to the noteworthy rise in the number of U.S citizens who were the passport applicants in the past few decades. But the question arises how do I renew my passport as the post office.
So here we will discuss the best ways how one can get renew expired passport in the Post Office:
- Find the post office which offers the services: The primary measure should be finding the branch that offers the passport renewal services. Based on your location, a search page is given by the Bureau of Consular Affairs where you can easily locate nearby post offices. Apart from the location, this site also allows access to information about the type of services provided.
- Find passport photo studio: Some post office avail the facility of passport photo, but not all offer the services. The passport-sized photos can be obtained at the photography studios, shipping stores or photocopy shops.
- Fix the appointment: Schedule an appointment for your application at the nearby passport renewal post office. As a large number of applications may be in the queue, so this process may take time. Some post office also allows walk-in customers, but it is better to fix an appointment before, so you don’t have to stand in a long queue to get the work done.
- Know about the different forms: There are separate forms provided for different purposes. DS-82 is the standard form for passport renewal and it even needs your current passport book.
- If your passport was stolen or lost, you should submit the DS-64 form and should immediately report for the lost passport. For the application of the US passport, the DS-11 form is required.
- If you are below 16 years of age and require to renew the passport, you should fill the DS-11 form which is also used for fresh applicants. Applicants who are 16 years of age and are applying for a passport without parents, they need to attach a DS-3053 form, which is a parental consent form, also called a Statement of Consent.
- Select the right form: One can get the application forms from the United States Postal Service branch or obtain them online. If you are not sure, of which form to use, the U.S department possesses a feature that will assist you in selecting the correct form, according to your eligibility.
- Fill the form: For filling the form offline, you should make use of black ink or you can also fill it online. It may ask for the information like address, physical description. If you are filling it online, take the print on the single side of the pages.
- Submit the application form: Arrange the photos before submitting the form. The photos should have a white background and must be 2 by 2 inches in size. The photo should not be more than six months old and your face should cover the maximum part of the photo’s surface. If you fail to provide the photo, with above features, there are chances your application may get rejected.
- Collect your documents: Gather all the necessary documents along with the old passport and a copy of the DS-82 form. If you are above 16 years of age and possess a safe passport, no documents will be required. If you are below 16 years of age and have lost your passport, you need to fill DS-11 form with proof of identification like driver’s license, municipality employee identification card or military identification and citizenship proof like a birth certificate. For people under 16, will also require parent’s identification cards. If your parents are no longer, a death certificate must be presented. If you wish to change your name, court orders or a marriage certificate must be presented.
- Visit the appointment: Attend the appointment on a given date and time along with all the relevant documents and sources of payment.
- Settle the fee amount: The cost of adult passport renewal cost is $110 and if you wish to achieve it faster the extra sum of $60 will cost. In the case of filing DS-11 form, the acceptance fee of $35 is required. You can pay the amount using a money order to check so that it is easy for you to track the record of payment.
We hope we are able to answer your question on how to renew a passport. It would take one month approx. to receive your passport. One can trace the record of the application online.
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