How to Renew or Replace a Passport Without Derailing Your Trip

Most US passport holders can renew by mail or online using Form DS-82 — as long as the passport was issued within the last 15 years, after their 16th birthday, and has not been lost, stolen, or damaged. Everyone else must apply in person with Form DS-11. The catch that derails trips is not the paperwork; it is the six-month validity rule many destinations enforce at check-in. According to USAGov, you cannot renew your passport and must apply for a new one in person if it was issued before your 16th birthday, issued more than 15 years ago, damaged, lost, or stolen, or issued in a previous name without legal documentation of the change. If none of those apply, you can renew — and an expired passport is still renewable, provided it was issued within the last 15 years. This guide walks through the two paths, the documents each one needs, and the timing questions that matter before you book. Rules change — verify with the official source before booking.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.