​If you need a sign, this is it. Renew your passport now!

Guest Post By Carla Mazzone, Senior Travel Planner
I have a world map right above my desk where I mark everywhere I have traveled. I look at it every day and I am dying to get more marks on it- maybe Tanzania or Germany or Brazil next? It inspired me to pulled out my passport, which has been collecting dust for the last year, just to look at the stamps of the amazing places I have been (do this at your own risk- it made me feel both nostalgic and melancholy). When I reached the page with my picture and realized it would be expiring soon, a mild wave of panic hit me. I had to renew this ASAP, just in case!  

​ For travel in most European countries, the passport must be valid at least 6 months from the return date of the trip. For example, if my trip ends on October 2, 2021, the passport must be valid through April 2, 2022. If your passport expires anytime during 2021, it is probably a good idea to renew now. If your passport pages are full but it doesn’t expire for a year or more, it is probably a good idea to renew now too. Also congrats on being a worldwide traveler – a full passport is impressive!

I thankfully met the criteria for renewal by mail:
-I have the most recent passport in my possession (which is mailed in with your forms, photo and check).
-It is undamaged, besides normal wear and tear.
-The passport was issued when I was over 16 years of age. (Fun fact: I was 18 but I look about 13 in the horrendous picture!)
-The passport was issued within the last 15 years.
-It has my current name (though if it didn’t, I would need to provide documentation for my name change).

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I printed out and filled in the forms, had a family member take my photo according to the regulations (this can also be done at most drugstores), and wrote my check; the current renewal price for a passport book is $110 USD. Passport renewal paperwork can now be downloaded online here.

I mailed my passport USPS Priority Mail and it took nearly a two and a half weeks to arrive there. We all know of the USPS delays with the high volume and COVID-19 impacts, so the lesson here is to submit your renewal forms earlier rather than later. I would encourage you to use USPS Priority Mail Express. Make sure you get a tracking number – this will save you headaches!

The current processing time for US Passports is 10-12 weeks, longer than usual due to COVID-19 staffing changes and increased demand. From the date that my passport was delivered, it took nearly two weeks for the processing to begin.

So for those following, it took a month from the date I mailed it for the renewal process to start… adding 10-12 weeks to that, it is a total of about 4 MONTHS from start to finish until I get my passport back in hand. I have been monitoring the status of my passport online here. 

If you do not heed my advice and find yourself with an expiring passport just before your trip, you can pay an additional $60 to your passport expedited in 4-6 weeks. If you need your passport ASAP, you should use definitely USPS Priority Mail Express to send your renewal application.
 
Now I am (im)patiently waiting to get my beloved passport, with a new passport number and plenty of blank fresh pages for the next 10 years of adventures, so I can start marking my map again when it is safe to travel!

UPDATE 3/3/21: My new passport arrived on March 1st! It took 4 weeks from the moment my passport was received at the Department of State to be processed and returned to me. This is much faster than the original 10-12 weeks they said initially. While I am really happy this is the case, I  wouldn't bet on this quick turnaround for everyone. It is always better to submit for renewal sooner rather than later, but you might still experience a quick turnaround if you're lucky!
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Here I am on our 2018 company trip to Iceland at Gulfoss!