Another Passport Question

[indigosails]

I have received my renewed passport (took 6 weeks, btw).

 

But my old passport didn't accompany it. I remember getting my old passports returned to me, I thought at the same time.

 

Question: Do they send them under separate cover these days? If not, how would I go about finding my old passport? It wasn't expired, just completely full. (And I really want it...:()

[leaveitallbehind]

You may want to contact your local passport office and inquire but I don't believe they return them anymore. The last time we renewed we did not get the old ones back. It may be a post 9/11 change.

Edited June 14, 2015 by leaveitallbehind

[nat9511]

I renewed mine about 2 years ago and I got the old one back but I think it came after I got the new one.

[cruisemom42]

I just renewed my passport a couple of months ago.

 

The old one is returned under separate cover. It will have a couple of holes punched in the cover.

 

Like you, I like keeping my old passports with all their stamps, visas, etc. as a record of my travels. :)

Edited June 14, 2015 by cruisemom42

[leaveitallbehind]

I just renewed my passport a couple of months ago.

 

The old one is returned under separate cover. It will have a couple of holes punched in the cover.

 

Like you, I like keeping my old passports with all their stamps, visas, etc. as a record of my travels. :)

 

Thanks for the correction. But now I wonder what happened with mine as we did not receive them back to my recollection.

[Treven]

I renewed my passport a couple years ago and got my old one back, under separate cover, with a hole punched in it. I think it came within a couple weeks of receiving my new one.

[sail7seas]

Last time I renewed my passport, it took about 3 weeks to receive my old one back. No problem.

[indigosails]

Oh good. I'll be patient than. Thanks!

[NMLady]

You may want to contact your local passport office and inquire but I don't believe they return them anymore. The last time we renewed we did not get the old ones back. It may be a post 9/11 change.

 

We renewed our passports this past October and got our old passports back.

They came separately about a week later.

[Ashland]

Yes agree with all the above...in addition...my old one is still needed by me as it has my 10 year visa in it from China that I will need to use.

[rvsullivan]

Yes agree with all the above...in addition...my old one is still needed by me as it has my 10 year visa in it from China that I will need to use.

 

I was told that once they punch those holes in the old one it was worthless and unusable?

I just renewed in May and got my new one in about 4 weeks or so and the cancelled one about 10 days later.

[Shmoo here]

Yes agree with all the above...in addition...my old one is still needed by me as it has my 10 year visa in it from China that I will need to use.

 

I was told that once they punch those holes in the old one it was worthless and unusable?

I just renewed in May and got my new one in about 4 weeks or so and the cancelled one about 10 days later.

 

I'm interested in this answer, also. We're sorta thinking about a China cruise in a couple of years, but our passports will have to be renewed before then. If we can go ahead and get the visa, that will carry over to the new passports, this sounds like a great option.

[headhunterke]

Valid visas in expired passports are accepted by many countries (only a few exceptions) as long as the page where the visa is on, has not been voided, punched or had a corner cut off.

[Mary Ellen]

Valid visas in expired passports are accepted by many countries (only a few exceptions) as long as the page where the visa is on, has not been voided, punched or had a corner cut off.

 

I'll second this. When we received our passports back with our 10-yr Chinese visas there was a notice specifically saying that if our passports expire before the visa, to bring the expired passport (with the visa) and the new passport. The expired passport won't get me in anywhere, but the visa inside will still get me in China without any more paperwork.

[Ashland]

I'll second this. When we received our passports back with our 10-yr Chinese visas there was a notice specifically saying that if our passports expire before the visa, to bring the expired passport (with the visa) and the new passport. The expired passport won't get me in anywhere, but the visa inside will still get me in China without any more paperwork.

Yes...This is exactly what I was saying in my post #10..and the reason I will need my old passport. The hole isn't punched through the page my 10 year China visa is on.

[headhunterke]

Nevertheless, Ashland, you'd be surprised how many people get their old passport back completely voided, even though there still is a valid visa in that passport they will need. At the airport I work, we have a fair share of people being denied boarding because the page which contains their visa has been voided. Not their fault of course, but what I was trying to explain is that you need to pay triple the attention that the page that contains the visa is intact.

[Shmoo here]

Nevertheless, Ashland, you'd be surprised how many people get their old passport back completely voided, even though there still is a valid visa in that passport they will need. At the airport I work, we have a fair share of people being denied boarding because the page which contains their visa has been voided. Not their fault of course, but what I was trying to explain is that you need to pay triple the attention that the page that contains the visa is intact.

 

So how do you make sure that the Passport issuing people don't void a specific page in an expiring passport?

[cruisemom42]

So how do you make sure that the Passport issuing people don't void a specific page in an expiring passport?

 

I just went and looked at our old passports (two of mine, one of my son's). The holes are only punched through the cover/first page (older passports) or cover and first/second page in all of them -- basically its done to disfigure the cover and the page on which your photo & info are found.

 

I think it's very unlikely that your visa would be disfigured unless it is on one of the pages IMMEDIATELY following the id page.

[headhunterke]

So how do you make sure that the Passport issuing people don't void a specific page in an expiring passport?

 

Well, in my country we have a totally different passport system than in the US. We have to go to City Hall to get our new passport and when we pick up the new one, the city clerk usualy holds the old passport. But you can ask to void it except the pages you'll need. I know in the US passport applications go through mail, so I have no idea how you need to handle that specific situation.

[Mary Ellen]

Well, in my country we have a totally different passport system than in the US.

 

 

Yes, you do. We can also get 10-year visas for China and you can not. From my cursory internet search just now, those traveling on Belgium passports can only get a tourist visa valid for a maximum of 1-year. The passport has to be valid for at least 18-months from when the visa is obtained - so, no worries about the visa being valid longer than the passport. Unless one is ill, they also want you to apply in person. My search also showed that Belgian citizens living in the US have to apply in person at a Chinese consulate as their fingerprints will be taken (I didn't see that when looking at applying in Belgium). Thankfully US citizens don't have to do the same.

 

Checking my old US passports, not one had a hole punched all the way through. Only the last few had holes punched. That was in the cover only and the data that's on the back side of the cover. The older ones (expired 70s-90s) merely had a stamp on the data page that voided the passport and gave the date for which a new passport had been applied.

 

Unless the US starts voiding passports differently than they have been for decades one doesn't have worry about visas (like China and Brazil), that are valid longer the passport, also being voided.

[indigosails]

Hi, OP here...UPDATE, I received my old passport, one week later than the new one, with holes punched only through the FRONT cover and info/picture page. Interestingly, the second photo I submitted with the application was stapled to it.

Edited June 16, 2015 by indigosails

[headhunterke]

Yes, you do. We can also get 10-year visas for China and you can not. From my cursory internet search just now, those traveling on Belgium passports can only get a tourist visa valid for a maximum of 1-year. The passport has to be valid for at least 18-months from when the visa is obtained - so, no worries about the visa being valid longer than the passport. Unless one is ill, they also want you to apply in person. My search also showed that Belgian citizens living in the US have to apply in person at a Chinese consulate as their fingerprints will be taken (I didn't see that when looking at applying in Belgium). Thankfully US citizens don't have to do the same.

 

Checking my old US passports, not one had a hole punched all the way through. Only the last few had holes punched. That was in the cover only and the data that's on the back side of the cover. The older ones (expired 70s-90s) merely had a stamp on the data page that voided the passport and gave the date for which a new passport had been applied.

 

Unless the US starts voiding passports differently than they have been for decades one doesn't have worry about visas (like China and Brazil), that are valid longer the passport, also being voided.

 

The issue doesn't go necessarily goes for Chinese visas only. There is are a lot of visas Belgian citizens can get for multiple years. Most of the Western countries can have valid visas in expired passports, no matter what destination (if that destination accepts this rule, that is)

Edited June 16, 2015 by headhunterke

[Mary Ellen]

The issue doesn't go necessarily goes for Chinese visas only. There is are a lot of visas Belgian citizens can get for multiple years. Most of the Western countries can have valid visas in expired passports, no matter what destination (if that destination accepts this rule, that is)

As I indicated before there are other countries (like Brazil) where we can have visas valid longer than the passport. You do have a different passport system and I was pointing out some differences - using the Chinese visa as an example. My point really was that US citizens do not have to fret, despite what you said earlier about being "completely voided", that our visas aren't going to be invalid just because the passport is 'punched'. No use the US passport holders worry that our passports will be punched all the way through as yours is voided. Now, it's likely that some countries don't allow their visas to 'outlive' the passport in which they are placed, but I'm only talking about those which are still valid even though a different passport is being used to enter the country.

 

Unless the US starts voiding passports differently than they have been for decades one doesn't have worry about visas (like China and Brazil), that are valid longer the passport, also being voided.