Renewing US passport from abroad

As a US citizen living abroad, you must keep your US passport valid — it’s your only valid document to enter the US and represents your citizenship. The renewal process from abroad differs slightly from the process in the US.

Three ways to renew from abroad

Option 1: By mail (DS-82)

Most common and simple if your current passport is eligible:

  • Current passport issued when you were 16+ years old
  • Passport in good condition (not damaged)
  • Issued within the last 15 years
  • In your current name (or attach name change document)

Send to nearest US embassy/consulate. DO NOT send to US Passport Center (only for US residents).

Option 2: In person at US embassy/consulate (DS-11)

Required if:

  • First time issuing adult passport
  • Passport issued when under 16
  • Passport expired more than 15 years
  • Passport lost or stolen
  • Name change without legal document

Schedule appointment online on consulate’s site.

Option 3: Faster shipping — but there is no expedited processing abroad

The State Department’s fee schedule is explicit: the $60 expedited service covers “Passport processing within the expedited processing period published on the Department’s website … and/or in-person service at a U.S. Passport Agency (not applicable abroad)” (22 CFR 22.1, Item 3). From abroad you cannot buy faster processing. What some posts do offer is paid courier return shipping (FedEx, DHL), which shortens delivery, not adjudication — and a genuine life-or-death emergency is handled by the post directly, outside the fee schedule.

Required documents (DS-82, by mail)

  • ☐ Form DS-82 completed (download from travel.state.gov)
  • ☐ Current or expired passport (returned with new one)
  • ☐ Recent photo (2x2 inches, US passport format — different from other countries)
  • ☐ Renewal fee ($130, adult passport book). A child under 16 cannot use DS-82 at all — every child must apply in person on Form DS-11 and pay $100 plus the $35 acceptance (execution) fee.
  • ☐ Return shipping (prepaid envelope or additional fee to consulate)
  • ☐ If name change: legal document (court order, apostilled marriage certificate)

Fees (22 CFR 22.1, checked 2026-09-10)

  • Adult passport book (renewal by mail or online): $130 USD
  • Child under 16: $100 USD application fee plus a $35 acceptance fee — $135 in total. Children apply in person on Form DS-11; DS-82 renewal is not open to them.
  • Passport card (not valid for international flights): $30 USD
  • Secure return shipping: $20-$80 USD (depends on country and service)

Typical total from abroad: $150-$200 USD

Processing time

  • Routine: 4-6 weeks
  • Expedited: not offered abroad — the $60 expedite fee is marked “not applicable abroad” in 22 CFR 22.1, Item 3
  • Humanitarian emergency (urgent travel for family death, serious illness): 1-3 days

Renewing your child’s passport (born abroad)

If your child was born abroad after you obtained US citizenship, the child is automatically a citizen (with conditions). First step:

  1. Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) — Form DS-2029 at US embassy in country of birth
  2. US passport for minor — requested with CRBA or after
  3. Legally documents the minor’s US citizenship

Official sources: Travel.State.Gov — Renew Your Passport by Mail · Passport Fees · Renew or Replace a Passport. Each embassy and consulate runs its own submission procedure — check your own post’s page at usembassy.gov.

Last verified: 2026-09-10.

General procedural information for educational purposes. Not legal, tax, or immigration advice. Laws and fees change — verify with the issuing agency before taking action. For case-specific guidance, consult a licensed immigration attorney or other appropriate professional.