Visa requirements for people from our country are close to negligible which allows us to visit several international destinations. However, to travel overseas, you require a passport regardless of your age. If you already have a passport which is nearing its expiry, you should gear up for passport renewal. Following are some pointers to remember when you try to renew your passport.

Eligibility criteria
Firstly, you do not need to worry about the eligibility if you already possess a passport. However, when it comes to passport renewal, you need to submit proof of citizenship. This condition applies to people who have gained citizenship through naturalization as well as people who are citizens by birth.

Criteria that prevent the renewal of your passport
To apply for passport renewal, it is sufficient to have a passport that has expired recently or one that will expire in the near future. However, under the following circumstances, you will need to apply for a fresh passport:

• The passport was issued before you turned 16 years old.
• The passport issuance date was 15 or more years ago.
• Your passport was lost, stolen, or damaged.
• If a name change has occurred and there is no legal proof of it. This legal proof could be anything like a marriage license.

Under these circumstances, you can apply for a new passport with the DS-11 form on the official passport portal.

The renewal procedure

• In case you need to get your passport earlier than usual, you can get it renewed through the expedition procedure. However, you will have to pay some additional fees.
• You can then take an appointment with any of the authorized Regional Passport Agencies. Call them on 1-877-487-2778; TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793. Alternatively, use an online appointment system for passport renewal.
• For your appointment, you will need to provide additional documents apart from proof of recent travels and an expedited fee. These documents include the application form (Form DS-82), a passport-sized photo, the most recent passport, and proof of name change (if required). If you have to travel after three weeks, you can apply for the renewal through the mail as well.

It is always better to renew your passport before it expires so that you do not have to worry about any extra hassles. With the help of the information mentioned above, you should face no problems with the passport renewal procedures.