Is your passport about to expire? Renewing your passport is often a somewhat somber experience: after all, it signifies the passing of an entire decade, assuming you were over 16 when you received it. However, there is some good news: in most cases, you can apply by mail and your passport renewal fees will be less than the cost of applying for a brand new passport.
So, how much money will you need to fork over to renew your passport? To determine passport renewal fees, it is first necessary to determine whether or not you are eligible to apply for your passport renewal by mail. You can renew by mail as long as all of the following statements are true for you:
Your current passport was issued less than 15 years ago AND after your 16th birthday
You know where your passport is and it hasn’t been lost, stolen or damaged.
If your name has changed since it was issued, you have a marriage certificate, divorce decree or other document to support the request.
If you are eligible to renew by mail, the next step in determining the price you’ll pay is deciding whether you want a passport book only, a passport card only, or both. Keep in mind, a passport card is only good for land or sea travel to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. For travel anywhere else and for all international flights, you’ll need a passport book. Here are the prices for each:
Passport Book and Card: $ 140
Passport Book Only: $ 110
Passport Card Only: $ 30
The final step in figuring out how much you’ll pay for your passport renewal is figuring out how fast you’ll need it.
You can get it in around 6 weeks for no additional fee, though it’s recommended that you expedite your order if you need it in less than 10 weeks just to be on the safe side. Expedited passport renewal through the Department of State costs an additional $ 60. The recommended overnight shipping from the passport office costs $ 14.95, and if you decide to overnight it to the passport office you’ll pay an additional fee for that, also.
Alison Kroulek is a freelance writer and blogger with a focus on the travel industry.
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