Renewing a US Passport While Living Abroad

Your US passport is the one document you cannot replace at a local office where you live. When it gets close to expiring, or runs out of pages, you renew it through the US government, usually by way of the nearest US embassy or consulate. The process is not hard, but it works differently from renewing at home, and one popular shortcut can leave you with no valid passport at all.

This guide covers adult renewals from outside the United States. It is general information drawn from State Department and embassy pages. Your embassy's own passport page is the final word on how to submit.

Why renew earlier than you think

A passport for an adult is valid for 10 years, but "valid" is not the same as "good enough to travel." The State Department notes that some countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your trip, and that some airlines will not let you board if it is not. Some destinations also want two to four blank visa or stamp pages.

You cannot add pages to a current passport book. If you are running out, the fix is to renew. When you do, you can tick the "large book" box at the top of the form to get a book with more visa pages at no extra cost.

If you hold a residence permit or long-term visa where you live, it may be linked to your passport number. Before you send off your old passport, check with the local immigration authority whether you need to report the new number, and plan around any trips you have booked.

Do you qualify to renew?

Renewal uses Form DS-82. According to the State Department, you can renew if your most recent passport:

• can be submitted with your application,
• is not damaged beyond normal wear and tear,
• has never been reported lost or stolen,
• was issued within the last 15 years,
• was issued when you were 16 or older, and
• was issued in your current name, or you can document a name change with something like a marriage certificate or divorce decree.

If you do not meet all of these, you are not renewing. You are applying for a new passport in person with Form DS-11. That includes a passport issued more than 15 years ago, one that was lost or stolen, and any passport for a child under 16, which cannot be renewed.

Online renewal is not for you while you are abroad

The State Department now offers online renewal, and it is tempting. It is limited to people who are physically in a US state or territory when they submit. The other rules include being 25 or older, a 10-year passport expiring within a year or expired less than five years ago, no change of name or sex, and no international travel for at least six weeks after you apply.

The catch is what happens to your current passport. The State Department cancels the passport you are renewing once you submit, and you cannot use it for international travel after that. The US Embassy and Consulates in India published a warning in February 2026 after seeing several cases of people applying online from overseas. Their passports were cancelled automatically, could not be used even to fly back to the US, and the travelers had to apply again at the embassy and pay a new fee.

Renewing online during a visit to the US means six weeks with no international travel. For most people who live abroad, the embassy route is simpler.

Also, the only official online renewal site is opr.travel.state.gov. The State Department warns that other sites offering online renewal may be fraudulent, charge extra and put your data at risk. If a site does not end in .gov, close it. More on spotting this kind of trap in Common scams and street smarts.

How renewal abroad works

The State Department says that in most countries you apply in person at a US embassy or consulate, and in a limited number of countries some services are available by mail. Its mail renewal page tells applicants outside the US and Canada to contact their nearest embassy or consulate for instructions, rather than mailing to the processing centers in the US. Start with your embassy's passport page. In general you will need:

1. The DS-82 form. Fill it in with the State Department's Form Filler on a computer, print it single-sided, and sign and date it.
2. Your most recent passport. It goes in with the application.
3. One photo. It must be in color, 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), taken in the last six months, on a plain white or off-white background, with no glasses unless you include a signed doctor's note. Do not edit it with filters or apps. The State Department says unacceptable photos are the number one reason applications are put on hold, so this is worth getting right.
4. Name change documents, if your name has changed since your last passport.
5. The fee, paid the way your embassy specifies.

What it costs

The renewal fees are the same as in the US: $130 for a passport book, $30 for a passport card, or $160 for both. A passport card is not valid for international air travel. It only works for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, so most people abroad only need the book.

Applicants abroad, other than in Canada, who go through an embassy or consulate pay the passport fee only, with no expedite fee. Many embassies ask you to pay online through Pay.gov's Overseas US Adult Passport Renewal Fee form and print the confirmation. The US Embassy in Greece, for example, asks for a printed Pay.gov receipt with each application and does not accept personal checks or cash. Pay.gov itself says not to pay there unless your embassy's website tells you to, and that fees are not refundable except in very limited cases.

Timing: there is no fast lane

The Embassy in Greece states plainly that there is no expedited service outside the United States. Processing times depend on the embassy and the season, so treat any estimate on its page as a guide, not a promise. Renew well before you need to travel, ideally a year or more before your passport expires. Do not book international trips for the window when your passport is with the embassy.

When your new passport arrives, the State Department says you can keep using old passports as proof of citizenship, even when expired. Store the cancelled one with your other important papers.

A note for Canada

Canada is the exception. Eligible renewers living there can mail their DS-82 to the United States, using Canada Post, and can choose expedited service there. First-time applicants and children under 16 still apply in person at a US embassy or consulate in Canada.

If your passport is lost or stolen

You cannot renew a passport that has been reported lost or stolen. Contact the nearest embassy or consulate. In limited circumstances, such as a lost or stolen passport or a life-or-death situation, it may issue an emergency passport, which is valid for one year or less. Once you are home or settled, you replace that limited passport with a full one.

A simple checklist

• Check your expiration date and blank pages today.
• Read your embassy or consulate's passport page and note how it wants applications submitted.
• Fill in the DS-82 with the Form Filler and print it single-sided.
• Get a compliant photo.
• Pay the fee exactly as the embassy instructs, and keep the receipt.
• Keep scanned copies of the old passport and your application.
• Make sure the embassy can reach you by email and phone. See Keeping your US mail, phone number and two-factor codes working.

If you vote from abroad, some states ask for a passport copy as proof of citizenship; see Voting from abroad.

Common questions

Can I renew my passport online from abroad? No. Online renewal is only for people physically in the US, and applying from overseas can cancel your current passport.

Do I pay the $60 expedite fee at an embassy? No. Applicants abroad, outside Canada, who apply through an embassy or consulate pay the passport fee only.

My passport was issued 16 years ago. Can I still renew? No. A passport issued more than 15 years ago means you apply in person with Form DS-11.

Will I get my old passport back? The US Embassy in the Philippines, for example, says the passport you are renewing is cancelled and returned to you with your new one. Check your own embassy's page to confirm.

Can I renew my child's passport? No. Children under 16 cannot renew. They need a new passport, applied for in person.