Passport Renewal Online. Have Question. Need Answer

The State Department website says the following regarding one of the conditions one must meet to renew online:

The passport you are renewing is either expiring within one year or has expired less than five years ago.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/renew-online.html

Another option is to renew by mail and pay extra for the expedited service. My sister recently did this and it took just over a week for her to get the new passport. We couldn’t believe how fast it came.

You could fill out the on-line form and have everything ready to mail in a day or two before March 31st.

Your passport does not become void in September 2025. It is good until the day it expires.

If you try to renew too early it will tell you.

Your passport does not become void in September 2025. It is good until the day it expires.

I believe Phil is referring to the 6 month validity required to gain entry into many countries. I tend to think of my passport as being "expired" 6 months early too, even though it's technically not.

Also, Phil, you can book with your current passport and just update your passport information on your booking after the fact. My husband recently received his new passport in December and then went into the Delta app and updated the passport number on an existing booking.

Frank II, I believe he is saying it becomes void in September because most countries require that you have a passport with an expiration date more than 6 months beyond when you plan to travel internationally. So technically it's not expired, but he still needs a passport that doesn't expire so close to when he wants to travel.

Mary has provided good useful info.

This is important to me because I want to book a cruise for October 2025 and I will not do so until I have passport in hand.

I wouldn't hesitate to book the trip before renewing your passport. You probably don't even need to input a passport number just to make the booking. When my passport was expiring last year, I booked plane tickets for a date in the future when I'd be using the new passport. I just didn't input a passport number into the reservation until the new passport arrived. No problem.

So my question is "can I renew as of March 1st or do I have to wait until March 31st?"

What is the expiration date on your passport?

Mine shows a a specific issue date of Oct 7 and an expiration of Oct 6.

Which date in March is 'a year' from expiration for you should be evident.

Happy travels

I renewed my passport online right after they started this option in September I think.. From my application online to Passport in mailbox was seven (7) days. I would not hesitate to book the cruise, especially for a renewal.

Unclear why you need to renew online, you can renew by mail without expedited service and will get your passport in plenty of time for an October cruise. There is no requirement that your passport be within the one year window for regular by mail renewals - you can send it in today and would likely have it before March. The current processing time for regular service is 4-6 weeks. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html

Pretty sure you can book your cruise with your current non-expired passport (it is valid as it doesn't expire until next year) and update that information with the cruise line after you get the new one.

Agree with Joe 32F. Your current passport has a month, DAY, and year listed as the expiration date. I just renewed mine online and it took 1 week.

Wow. I was not expecting so many nice and helpful answers.

Frank II. For a cruise, your passport has to be valid for 6 more months after your cruise has ended. I would not even be allowed to book a cruise for October 2025 with a passport that expires in March 2026.

It might be different if I wanted to fly in and out of somewhere. I don't know because I have never checked.

I have not looked into renew by mail. My printer does not work well and I might have difficulty printing out forms.

I will have to look at renew by mail.

When I renewed my passport 9 or so years ago, I went to an office and the person was most helpful. He took a picture of me. He helped me get my forms together or maybe he did them for me.. He offered an additional service of going to the post office .

Of course you paid for his services but I was very happy with them and felt that it was well worth it.

But a lot has changed in 9 years

I will look into renew by mail.

Can you not go to a FedEx Office Print and Ship Center to get forms printed?

Hi Joe32F

Thank you for the information. I checked my passport and it expires 03/29/2026 so that answers the question. I will not be able to apply online until the end of March.

And I looked into renew by mail. And you need to print out forms and I would have to have. a picture taken at somewhere that takes passport pictures. But I believe that you can make an appointment at. library or post office. I have not really looked into renew by mail. And so much seems to keep changing.

https://eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds82_pdf.PDF

See if you can print out the form from the above link. If you can, you can then fill in the info and mail it in.

OR

If your printer plays nice with the State Dept site you can fill in the info via this link and print a completed for and mail it in

https://pptform.state.gov/PassportWizardMain.aspx#%7B%22__s%22%3A%22YtwFVH0Bk1Wtx3TyJQsCT17quz9wg7UkJY320opqe81GheHp39yHqFPj2AuSpimPp%2FMZRbCxpnd6YEti2rukKibsAYGw%2Bq5KuUGq8JWST1JXwwr%2F9dCvgk1L6yY%3D%22%7D

OR

Just do the online renewal when you hit your expiration date in March.

If you decide to mail them in now You can go to a place like CVS and they will take your passport photos ( for a fee of course) and they process them immediately so you walk out with them. We mailed our renewal last year over a year before our old ones expired because we will be traveling during that 6 month window and wanted to book stuff.

AAA will take your passport photo for a nominal fee as well.

Frank II and otheers,

I believe that I was mistaken. I can book a cruise now before I get my renewed passport but would not be allowed to board the ship with 6 months or less on my passport. I have to have 6 months on my passport when the cruise ends.

And I can go to places like Fed Ex and UPS to print out my on line document. I have a laptop.

And my printer still works but is finicky. I refer to my printer as ulcer producing. It is a cheap printer and the problem is with the paper tray. I have to keep adjusting it sometimes many times. Probably is time for a new printer but then I have to deal with customer service and connecting the printer to my comouter.

As I pointed out earlier....just because your cruise line insists a passport has six months left by the end of the cruise doesn't make the passport void. Void means the passport is no good. The passport is good until the day it expires. If a private company has their own rules, that's their rules. If a foreign country insists a certain amount of time be on a passport when you arrive, then that is their rules.

You may need a new passport for your circumstance but that doesn't mean the passport itself is no good.

I don't want someone coming here and reading that a passport becomes void six months before it expires. It doesn't. There are plenty of places one can travel with less than six months left on a passport.

I suggest you call the cruise line because they will normally allow you to book with a passport that is not within the expiration dates they need. They just won’t let you get on the ship. But I’ve never heard of a cruise line that wouldn’t take money and if you wait, it’s probably going to cost more money

The basics of passport renewals have not changed since you last renewed - fill out a form, provide ID documentation or your passport, pay a fee, and wait for the new passport. Some of the methods to do this have changed (e.g., online renewal) but the process is the same.

Since you live in Austin, Travis County has a passport service office for new and renewal passports. It is highly likely they have pre-printed forms on hand and they take photos. There is a phone number, give them a call and ask for help. https://www.traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk/passport

If you have a local college or university nearby, check with them. Many offer passport services for very reasonable fees. My daughter, son-in-law and 2 of their kids went to UMD last year to renew the parents' passports and receive new passports for the kids. They did everything; took the photo, sent everything in, and the price was really cheap.

Universities have a lot of exchange students so often provide services like this.

BP, I just checked and the Univ. of TX offers passport services: https://global.utexas.edu/passport

what is the current frontrunner cruise this year, bostonphil7? Japan?

Thank you for all your responses.

I have also discovered that the main library offers passport services. I think that it is going to be ok.

Hi Carol

yes, my cruise consultant is encouraging me to book something now. He reminds me that I would have until June to cancel if I have not yet gotten my new passport.

And I.agree. They are glad to take the money. but they are not always glad to give it back.

I am a very cautious person. I will not book anything out of the country until I have my new passport in hand.

Hi Nigel

yes, I have been thinking Japan but I also came across this incredible cruise leaving from Lisbon.

And I was thinking of going to Paris for a. week, no cruise, just Paris.

Hello Frank II

So what countries would allow me to enter and leave with a passport that has less than 6 months on it. I am talking about an American passport.

For me, a passport is no longer "good" with 6 months or less on it but that is me and how I see it.

I would not like to cause any confusion for someone else so how about if I edit my post at the end and say something about a member on forum corrected me and informed me that ...... I might just copy what you have said and paste it.

Thank you for educating me.

UPDATE: So I went to my post and edited it. Why don't you go back and see if it sounds better to yourself.

The change is fine.

As for what countries allow US passport holders with less than six months...how about Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, Japan......

Thank you Frank II

Actually when I was researching Japan, I did notice that a country or maybe more than one did not require 6 months valid on passport at end of trip. I was very surprised because I thought they all did.

But I did not pay it much mind because my purpose is to take a cruise from Tokyo and that changes the criteria.

I guess, then, it is the cruise line that requires 6 months valid on passport when cruise ends. In my case, it is Norwegian

Have not traveled much. I continue to learn a lot from the forum members who have.

suggest you call the cruise line because they will normally allow you
to book with a passport that is not within the expiration dates they
need. They just won’t let you get on the ship. But I’ve never heard of
a cruise line that wouldn’t take money and if you wait, it’s probably
going to cost more money

Correct. We booked a river cruise last year for this May and at the time our passports were set to expire in August of this year. No issues booking and having our money taken. However when I tried to fill out the remaining passenger information after booking it wouldn't accept my passport and said "incomplete." But once we received our new passports in November we had no issues completing the form.

Bostonphil, I encourage you to renew online, you mentioned in another post you have your photo on your desktop and you certainly have the tech. skill. It’s very easy, saves you cost of a photo and postage (CVS charges $16 for a photo). You can start the online application and save your information, maybe you could start the online renewal application now and see how far it lets you go, then you are also familiarizing yourself with the site. My online renewal arrived in seven days.

Passport photos - last time I renewed, Walgreens had a terrible time getting a photo that wasn’t rejected for one of the criteria, i.e. “eyes aren’t open enough, etc.” while they were obtaining my photo. For something this time-sensitive, I would recommend going someplace that will give you a passing photo.

We had no trouble getting a picture at Walgreens. Apparently the photo system evaluates the image and confirms that it meets passport requirements. Maybe it was just that particular store that couldn’t do the picture right.

Another thanks to all.

Norwegian Cruise Lines will allow me to book a cruise with a passport that will not be valid by the time we sail. In fact that is what my cruise consultant wants me to do but I take a conservative approach. I will not book my next cruise until I have my new passport in hand. It might mean that i have to forfeit an October 2025 cruise or book last minute.

But even if I forfeit my October cruise, i can still go somewhere in October. There is still Paris for a week. I would not mind going back to Florence.

And I think that if I can not renew online, I can go to my Central Library or other convenient places to ask for their help. There are also Fed Ex stores that will help you.

My printer is difficult. I refer to it as ulcer producing .Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not work.

But i have a laptop so I can take it with me to wherever.

Good News (maybe)

I called a private business, which i believe I used when I last renewed my passport.

They do passports and visas and they do it all, from taking your picture to bringing your application to the post office and even expedited. They even go to consulars for you if you need to get a visa.

Of course it costs. For me it would cost $125 over passport renewal fees if I wanted the basic services which would be me bringing it to the post office myself. And of course, being conservative, I will probably bring it to the post office myself.

But at the end of our phone conversation, I was remindedthat things could change with the new administration. And I have been thinking about that. Passports and visas are federal. I do not know exactly who or what they fall under but President Trump has probably appointed someone new and there may be changes. But that is for another post

I don't see any reason to spend an exorbitant $125 for someone to take your passport photo ($16 at CVS) and fill out the form for you. That's a pretty outrageous fee. All you need to do is fill out a basic form either online or on paper, attach your photo either online or physical, then you either push a button to submit online or take it to the post office.

But at the end of our phone conversation, I was reminded that things could change with the new administration. And I have been thinking about that. Passports and visas are federal. I do not know exactly who or what they fall under but President Trump has probably appointed someone new and there may be changes.

sorry, bostonphil7, but saving the zinger to the end to make you hurry up and take them is classic sales.

"quick quick, get it done before anything bad happens...." especially saving it for right at the end.

You were happy with them before so they are glad to have you back. That's pretty expensive help. Even if your printer is as bad as you say you can take your laptop somewhere and print it off. Heck, for $100 you can buy a whole new printer.

I'm afraid that they are taking advantage of you.

The thing is about the six months rule that NCL have to be prepared for all eventualities.

So while Japan and South Korea have no 6 month validity rule, other countries in the region (such as Taiwan) do have that rule (or they do for UK citizens, so I assume it is for US citizens), and some NCL Japan cruises call at Taiwan for a day as their obligatory out of Japan call. But they have to be prepared for if any circumstances (weather, technical etc) require an unscheduled diversion to Taiwan or somewhere else with that rule.

Also NCL seem to have incessant sales so there is a pretty good chance of picking a cruise up at short notice. Of course your cruise consultant wants to sell you a vacation early. That is how they make their profits, by selling high rather than a last minute bargain.

The bigger problem could well be with picking up good value air fares at relatively short notice. That may possibly be an easier task to Europe than to Japan.

I don't see any reason to spend an exorbitant $125 for someone to take
your passport photo ($16 at CVS) and fill out the form for you. That's
a pretty outrageous fee. All you need to do is fill out a basic form
either online or on paper, attach your photo either online or
physical, then you either push a button to submit online or take it to
the post office.

Totally agree. $125 is highway robbery for someone to take your photo and take forms to the post office for you (which you'd not save on because you'd do that part yourself). You aren't getting a visa which is where additional work comes in. The line they dropped about the administration change should prompt you to start the process as soon as possible in the unlikely case that proves true - I myself would not wait the eight weeks until you can start the online renewal process at the end of March.

There have been several suggestions upthread for legit places you can make appointments and that do not charge excessive fees. Both have in person appointments available within the next week. Before you call anyone else, I suggest calling and asking if they can help you. You could get this all taken care of in the traditional fashion by mail and have a new passport by early March if processing times remain the same.

Good Morning (4.06 a.m.). on my end

Thank you for your feedback.

First, I plan to try to do it online. And I do not mind trying several times. The only problem that I foresee is uploading and having my picture accepted. But from my research, it seems that you are given a reason why the picture was not accepted.

Since I can not try until the very end of March, I might have another picture taken so I will have a choice of two.

And if it becomes impossible, I will try to do it online and print it out. Usually my printer eventually works. The problem seems to be with the paper and the paper tray and feeding the paper. I think it might help if I bought a new realm of paper. Can't hurt to try.

Hello isn31c

Norwegian always has incessant sales. No sooner does one end than the next one begins as you are well aware..

call it Marketing.

They give each sale a different name and maybe some things are a little different but it is mostly the exact same thing.

And every so often even I fall for the marketing. I bet it works with those who are new to cruising or new to Norwegian.

And now, they are trying something different. They are asking us frequent cruisers to post a virtual leaflet about their More at Sea (formerly Free at Sea) on our social media sites. And to let them know when and where we do this so they can thank us. Have no idea what we might get but other than my Facebook page, I really am unable to post this virtual leaflet on others.

… call it Marketing.
They give each sale a different name and maybe some things are a little different but it is mostly the exact same thing.
And every so often even I fall for the marketing. I bet it works with those who are new to cruising or new to Norwegian.
And now, they are trying something different. They are asking us frequent cruisers to post a virtual leaflet about their More at Sea (formerly Free at Sea) on our social media sites. And to let them know when and where we do this so they can thank us. Have no idea what we might get …

Call that mass marketing! And their best customers are also free advertising volunteers. Hopefully Norwegian provides some compensation on some level, as they’re not providing salaries or 401k plans for those who post those virtual leaflets. Maybe all-you-can-eat Norwegian lutefisk? ;- )

Hi Francis

Thanks for the info

Where did you get your passport picture taken?

And then what? did you fill the forms out on line and print them out?

Hello Cyn

I have done 9 cruises with Norwegian and been let down many times but I still like Norwegian and continue to sail NCL. I am now at platinum and supposedly get all kinds of perks but did not my last cruise because of a norovirus outbreak the previous cruise. It was very chaotic on my ship and during my journey but I still had a good and fun time. I had just gone platinum for the first time and did not even realize all that I should have gotten until after the cruise.

I like traveling solo and they are very solo passenger friendly. Also, they are very casual, more casual than some other cruise lines from what other guests have told me.

I do speak with other cruisers frequently both on line and when traveling. It seems like most of the other cruise lines also engage in mass marketing .

bostonphil7, the online system is easy and painless. We just did ours before Christmas. And you dont have to mail in your old passport. Yes, getting an acceptable photo is the hard part, but still manageable for a normal person to do with your cell phone. The instructions as to what is acceptable need to be reviewed carefully. I thought the website was not very good about making sure you stayed in the "online" section versus the standard application process, so pay attention. A plain white wall works as a background, with lighting to avoid shadows. Dark shirt, no glasses or smile, etc. Do the photos first, before you start the application. We got ours within two weeks.

A reminder that when you get your new passport you have to update Global Entry if you have that.

Hi Stan

Thank you for the information about needing to updating Global Entry.

What does that mean?

Does that mean I have to reapply for Global Entry? Or do I update my information online?

I have just looked at my Global Entry Card and I do not see anything that needs to be updated on the card itself. My Passport Number nor date of expiration is not on my Global Entry Card.

UPDATE: I logged into my TTP account and found where I will be updating my information. I will also soon have to do that with my driver's license.

Francis,
We have always received our old passport in a separate mailing, usually receiving it about a week later. Never had both in the same mailing (going back to the 1960's).

bostonphil7 the way your status with Global Entry is recognized, is not the card - it is linked in the computer system to your Passport. So when you come into the US your passport is read, and the computer knows you have Global Entry. When you have a new passport, with a new passport number, you have to log into the Global Entry portal (hoping you remember your password) and update the passport number, issue and expiration dates, etc. It doesn't just automatically update.

Hi stan

I probably wrote down my password but I did not need it. I guess that I am always signed in.

Thanks for helping me understand.

I already have my passport picture on my dashboard.

But I am wearing a casual dress that I got in Cozumel. It is a summer dress. it is red. My neck is exposed and so is the area round my shoulders.

Is that ok.

Hi Francis and Judy

If everyone else can do it, so can I.

I can not wait until I have my new passport and can seriously make plans.

Usually this time of year, I am getting to know the port from where I am going to sail. And beginning to research excursions.

I have too much free time. I do not know what to do with myself.

Good morning Francis

I have been to places where The Caminos go through them. I have also been to Camino de Santiago where many to most Caminos end.

I fell in love with The Camino when I saw the movie The Way.

But what I was saying is that I have time on my hands here at home because usually this time of year, I am spending a lot of my time planning my next cruise. I usually sail in September / October.

I won't book a.cruise until I have my next passport in hand so I have no cruise to plan for right now.

Something to keep in mind if renewing online:
The photo dimensions for online are NOT the same as you would provide if doing a mail-in renewal or visiting a passport office.
The latter was square pics, while online wanted rectangle for just above my head to below my belt.

Just be sure to know the photo requirement of the method you are using so you don't, for example, pay Fedex $16 which will likely result in square pics, which will be rejected in an effort to renew online.