Want to renew your passport? Getting a passport renewed is easier than getting a new one. There are fewer requirements and the renewal application can be sent by mail as long as you meet all the criteria. This article will provide info and ideas to help you get your passport renewed quickly and easily.

You can renew a passport if your present passport is not damaged and you were not a minor when you got it. Also, it cannot be more than 15 years old. Finally, the name you put on the application should match that in your current passport or you must submit a document proving your name was changed legally.

The State Department recommends that applicants begin the process approximately 9 months before their passports expire. The application is processed and the renewed passport delivered to you in 4 to 6 weeks. This allows you to have a passport in your possession that always has at least 6 months validity remaining in it. This is a requirement that many countries have before they will issue entry visas.

How do you get your passport renewed? You need to complete application form DS-82 and mail it in together with two passport photos, your present passport and check or money order for the processing fee.

Passport photos should be 2×2 inches, identical, with a white or off-white background. No black and white photos are accepted. The photos should show a full-face view and you should be dressed in normal street attire. If you normally wear prescription glasses, a hearing device, wig or similar articles, they should be worn for your picture.

Remember to send evidence of your name change if you need to. You will find the address to which you need to mail the package on the application form.

What do you do when you need to renew a passport in a hurry? There are a few options available to you. One, you can simply request expedited service when you mail the renewal form. Include an additional $60 for this service and use a two-way overnight delivery method. The expedited renewal will take 2 to 3 weeks to process.

The quicket way to get your passport renewed is to submit the application form at a regional agency or applying through a private passport expediter. Both methods can get your passport renewed the same day. This does not include delivery time nor the time it takes you to get to the regional agency.

Regional agencies process expedited passport renewals for applicants who need to get a passport in 48 hours or less. While the State Department tells applicants to call in order to schedule an appointment at the nearest regional agency, many travelers have been able to renew a passport fast without an appointment. Some were even attended at a different agency than the one that serves their state.

If you cannot travel to the regional agency but need to get your passport renewed in 48 hours or less, your best alternative is to authorize a private expediter to represent you. Unless, of course, you want to cancel your travel plans. If this is the risk you are running, know that you have a choice. An expediter can get your passport renewed in a hurry.