Passport Renewal.... HOW EARLY?

[sail7seas]

With all of the passport questions, I began to wonder what is the earliest one can send a U.S. Passport for Renewal. If it expires (for example) January 1, 2008, when is the earliest you can request renewal? Bearing in the mind the six months some countries require passports to be valid, there has to be some lead time ahead of that in order for that to be accomplished.

 

Thanks if anyone knows.

[cherylandtk]

Its 9 months

[dforeigner]

Please do not wait until the last moment to renew your passport. With all the backlogs going on, you want to make sure you get is back in time. Also, if the new rules kick in next year, the back log will be longer.

[Keith1010]

I would renew it now. By the way if you leave the country many countries and many airlines want the effective date of your passport to be at least six months after your planned return home date. If you don't want it out of your hands too long I would pay the extra dollars to have it expedited.

 

Keith

[agabbymama]

Another vote for renewing it now. I don't look at it as a renewal at all, I think it is just getting a new passport, as you get a new number, and it takes just as long and costs just as much. Already having a passport didn't seem to speed up the process at all in my case, it still took 9 weeks. The only advantage is you can do it by mail, you don't have to go to a passport agent.

[NYNYCruiser]

I would renew it now and pay the expedited fee. It is worth the piece of mind.

[tnr]

My passport expires 6/08 and we are going on a cruise in January 08. I mailed my renewal on July 19. Imagine my shock when I received the new one 10 days later. Go figure!

[sail7seas]

Thanks for all your responses and concern that I see to renewing our passports immediately.

 

Our passports have about 9 years remaining on them. I asked just wanting to have the information. It was simply a question that came to mind.

 

I renewed our passports a year ago April. It was about 6-7 months prior to their expiration date. I renewed early in anticpation for the great rush that ultimately did develop this year. And because I was aware some countries require six months validity remaining in order to gain entry.

 

It was simply good luck that I was within the permitted time range as I did not know if there was such as thing as too soon to renew.

 

Thanks again.

 

[Barbee524]

My passport expires 6/08 and we are going on a cruise in January 08. I mailed my renewal on July 19. Imagine my shock when I received the new one 10 days later. Go figure!

 

It looks like renewals are most likely done by a different department than the one that issues new passports.

[Sailgal05]

My passport expires 6/08 and we are going on a cruise in January 08. I mailed my renewal on July 19. Imagine my shock when I received the new one 10 days later. Go figure!

 

tnr,just curious, did you expidite the passport, and where did you make application, the post office or simuliar agency?

Thanks

[tnr]

I did not expedite, and I just mailed it in.

[tnr]

SailGal05, by the way, I did not fed-x the renewal, but I did as for a delivery receipt--you can go on the usps site to find out when it is delivered.

[Sailgal05]

tnr, thanks for the info. We'll try our local post office and get a trace for the delivery. Hopefully DH and I will have our new passports in hand well before Jan '08. Perhaps now is the time for after the summer rush and before the holiday crowd. :)