When the subject of getting a passport or passport renewal is brought up, many people will roll their eyes as though it is the worst task that they can undertake. In all honesty, the prospect of standing in line after line is not really appetizing to anyone. Today, the entire process has been streamlined thanks in part to the Internet.
There are some criteria that must be met before attempting a passport renewal via the mail. The passport in question must be undamaged and available to be returned with the application. It must be a passport issued to an individual above the age of 16 and no older than 15 years along with being issued with your current name on it.
Any form that is needed for a passport renewal can be readily found online. The government sites that are associated with passports will obviously have them, as will many of the private agencies that specialize in expedited passport services. The forms can be downloaded and filled out with ease.
When sending these in, be sure to use a traceable delivery method such as UPS or FedEx. Many of the websites will have links to their preferred shipper and locations of the nearest one to your area. This insures that your documents reach them in a timely fashion and reduces the chance of them being lost or misplaced.
Another item that should be mentioned in regards to the documents that must be included is the passport photo. For some reason, many people believe that this is part of the service or that the old photo can be used. The new passport should have a current representation of the individual and must be updated when the passport is renewed.
Once the information has been received by the administrating agency, it will generally take a little less than two months to get back. If that time frame is unacceptable, there are other services that can speed things up considerably. There are even 24 hour services, but be prepared to dig deep into the wallet in order for something like that.
In most cases, all fees will be listed on the site. There are the standard fees that are charged by the government for processing. There is also the $60 expedited fee that they charge just to rush the service (usually received back in under three weeks). Of course, if the applicant is using an outside agency for even quicker service, they are going to add their fees on top of everything else.
By using the Internet, anyone can find out all of the details necessary for pass port renewal and choose a service that will benefit them. By staying on top of the expiration date and travel plans, all of the extra fees can be avoided. However, it is good to know that there are some alternatives out there to get expedited United States passports if necessary.