I recently renewed my passport for the first time. I mailed in all the information, money, picture, and my old passport. Well, today my new passport arrived but my old one was not returned. I had expected to get it back as a reminder of all of the places I had gone. Did I do something wrong so that I did not get the old one back? Will it be returned later? thanks for any insight you can provide
Posted by
Las Cruces, NM, United States
136 posts
If memory serves me correctly, they were not returned at the same time. I think that the old passport lagged the new ones in the mail. I have a vague memory of your same concern...
Posted by
Spokane, WA
474 posts
I agree with Daniel, my old one was sent separately a short time later. It has a small hole punched in it but the memories are still intact.
Posted by
St. Louis, MO USA
1976 posts
My old one too arrived a while after the new one. I was worried because I thought they threw it away or it got lost, and I wanted to keep it because of the stamps. Why they can't send both together and save on postage and envelopes, I don't know. That's the federal government for you!
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9369 posts
I just renewed mine, too. You received a notice in the package with your new one telling you that you would be receiving the old one in a separate mailing (you probably didn't read it). And if you also ordered a passport card, that would come in a third mailing. In my case, I received my new passport on a Saturday, then received my old passport and my passport card in two separate envelopes on the following Tuesday. Each envelope had the same flyer explaining that everything would not all come together. Each item was mailed from a different place, with the new passport being sent by priority mail, and the others by regular mail (which explains why the new passport got there sooner, and why they can't mail them all together).
Posted by
OP
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2788 posts
Thanks all - I finally called the 1-800 number for the big passport office and was told that the old one was coming back to me very soon. I should have called them first before bothering you nice folks here. aloha charlie
Posted by
St. Louis, MO USA
1976 posts
That's what we're here for!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
784 posts
I believe it is a security issue [INVALID] that is why they send everything in separate envelopes and on separate days. That way, if your mail should be stolen, not everything would be lost. Just a thought.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32324 posts
Charlie, Glad to hear that your problem is resolved. It sounds like the Passport system in the U.S. is slightly different than here in Canada. As I recall from my last renewal, both the expired Passport and the new one arrived in the same package. Cheers!