Your US passport will be valid for ten years, but eventually, you’ll need to choose the right time to renew your passport. Many people aren’t certain of when it’s best to renew, and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer! Today, we’ll review the rules about when you can renew your passport and answer your top questions to help you find the best time to renew your passport.
Understand the Rules – When Are You Allowed to Renew Your Passport?
The US State Department has firm rules about when passports can be renewed. Your passport must be renewed no more than five years after it expires. You can also think about this based on the date of issue of your passport. Your passport can be renewed up until fifteen years after the day it was issued. If you let your passport remain expired for more than five years, you will need to apply for a new passport instead of a passport renewal.
How Early Can You Renew Your Passport?
There’s really no such thing as “too early” to renew your passport. In most cases, passports are renewed within a year of the expiration date. However, there are a lot of reasons that a passport may be renewed earlier:
- Passport has run out of blank visa pages.
- Traveler’s appearance has changed significantly.
- Passport is worn and not in good condition.
- Traveler has had a legal name change.
- Traveler wishes to apply for a long-term visa.
- Traveler has Israeli entry stamps in the passport, and now plans to visit a country like Iran or Sudan that forbids entry if there are Israel marks in the passport. (A second valid passport can also be issued in this case.)
Why Should You Renew Your Passport Six Months Before It Expires?
At G3, we always recommend that you renew your passport no later than six months before it expires. Why? It’s because of what’s known as the “six month rule.” Many countries, including popular destinations like Italy, require that your passport have at least six months validity remaining. If you don’t have at least six months left before your passport expires, you won’t be allowed to enter. You might not even be allowed to board your flight!
We want to make sure that your passport is always valid for any trip you might want to take. After all, if your richest friend calls you up and says “come to the airport, we’ve got an extra seat available on my private jet,” you don’t want to say no because your passport is about to expire!
Keeping at least six months validity on your passport at all times is especially important for business travelers. Important overseas meetings could pop up at any time. You and your passport should both always be ready to travel!
Consider Your Travel Plans To Choose the Right Time to Renew Your Passport
Now that you know that you should renew your passport at least six months before it expires, think about your upcoming travel plans. It might be November now, but it’s not too early to consider whether you may be traveling internationally next summer. Think about when you may be traveling, and when you will be likely to be staying at home. Choose one of those down times between trips to renew your passport before it expires.
Need to Renew Your Passport in a Hurry?
Sometimes, the answer to “when should you renew your passport?” is NOW! If you are in a rush to get your passport renewed, G3passports.com is here to help. Just place your order online, and we can have your passport renewed in as little as two business days.