If you are thinking of traveling out of the country, you may want to confirm the validity of your passport. If your passport has less than six months to the expiry date, it is best to renew it before you travel – many countries have this as an entry requirement. If you have time on your hand, you can apply for your passport renewal, before you travel, by mail.
How to renew your passport by mail
When renewing your US passport, the first step is to obtain the DS-82 form. Once you’ve filled this in, you have to attach your Social Security Number. For frequent travelers, you have the option of requesting for a larger 52-page passport booklet at no extra cost.
As you go about filling the forms, you ought to enter the same details as captured on your current passport. If any of the details such as names have changed, it is mandatory to provide a certified copy of the document indicating the name change. For a newly married person, a marriage certificate is applicable. A divorce decree can also be used as proof of name change.
After you’re done filing the forms, you must submit your current passport. You should not have any worries about the old passport book, since the department will mail it back after providing you with a new one.
Before you submit the application, it is important to attach a copy of a current passport photo. The best way of going about it is to staple the photo vertically on all edges. You must not, under any circumstances, bend or fold the passport pictures.
Just before you send the renewal application, you should visit the Department of State website to confirm the passport fees. You can then make a check or money order addressed to the “U.S. Department of State.”
Having completed the application and confirmed that everything is in order, you can then mail it to the National Passport Processing Center, located in Philadelphia.