How Early Can I Apply to Renew My Passport?

Starting December 27th, 2021, the Department of State will increase fees for a passport book by $20 for all customers. Price updates reflected here.

You already know that it’s a bad idea to wait until the last minute to renew your passport. But how early is too early to renew your passport? Can you renew a passport anytime? Find out when to renew a passport and if you qualify for a passport renewal.

When to Renew a Passport

As long as you’re over the age of 16, your passport is good for 10 years after it’s issued. There’s not really a limit on how early you can renew it, but the expense involved means that you won’t want to renew until close to the expiration date. You also cannot renew a minor (child) passport. A minor passport is issued to applicants 15 and younger and has a 5-year validity. Each time it is considered a new passport. But the adult passport can be renewed whenever you’d like, as long as it’s not damaged and it is less than 5 years expired. Standard passport processing is currently 8-12 weeks. However, you can expedite your passport renewal.

Update Passport Name Changes

If you get married, divorced, or otherwise change your name within the first year after you get your passport, you don’t need to renew. Instead, you can use Form DS-5504 to get your name changed free of charge. Just fill out the form, send it in along with one new passport photo (if it’s been more than 90 days since your passport was issued).

However, if you need a name change and it’s been more than one year since you received your passport, you have no choice but to renew. The fee to renew your passport is currently $130.

Need Additional Passport Pages?

There used to be an option to get additional passport pages added to your passport for $82. However, adding passport pages has been discontinued. If you run out of passport (visa) pages, you will need to apply for a passport renewal. Visa pages are required for entry and exit visa stamps and visa validation stickers. You should always have a few blank pages for any international trip. If you are running low, then apply for a passport renewal. Your old passport will be returned along with your new passport so you can keep it as a souvenir of all your previous travels. Also, remember your passport number will change.

Six Month Validity Rule

The six-month validity rule basically states that you should have at least six months of validity until your passport expires. So for all international trips, your date of returning home should be at least six months before your passport expires. Many countries won’t let you in if your passport expires in 6 months or less, so renewing 9 months in advance ensures that your travel plans don’t get derailed.

Renewing your passport normally takes about 8-11 weeks for routine processing and 5-7 weeks for expedited service. If you need it processed more quickly, an expediting company like RushMyPassport can have it done in as little as 1 week, with no need to take time out of your day to visit a passport office.

Renew your passport with us today!

26 Responses

July, 1st 2022Bee xiong
Hi,I have questions to ask about my expires passport next year 04-Aug.2023 but I'm planning to travel to international on November 22th to Dec.24th 2022,can I still need to renew my passport early now on? Thank you
- July, 7th 2022Passport Editorial
  Depending on the country you're planning to travel to, there are rules regarding passport validity, in which your passport would need to be valid for an extended time past your trip to be allowed entry. You can renew your passport as early as you'd like, keeping in mind processing times can be up to 8-11 weeks. You can review expedited renewal options below. https://www.rushmypassport.com/passport-renewal/
October, 8th 2021Gary Miller
My Passport expires in 2 years .... can I renew it at this time?
- January, 19th 2022Russ V
  As long as you were issued a 10 year passport, you can still request a renewal of an adult passport for up to 5 years from the expiration date. If you were under 16 when the passport was issued or if it was issued for less than 10 years, then it is not renewable.
January, 20th 2020Michael Roth
My passport expired 6 months ago. I meet the requirements for a renewal. Will my renewed passport expire 10 years from when it is newly issued or 10 years from my last expiration date?
- January, 20th 2020David
  The expiration date is 10 years after the issuance date. Please note routine renewals take 6-8 weeks. If you are traveling soon or want your passport faster, we have service options ranging from 2 weeks to as fast as 24 hours.
January, 9th 2020Joeffrey barawid
Can I apply passport renewal even my passport expires 12 years ago
- January, 9th 2020David
  If your passport is more than 5 years expired, you cannot renew it. You must apply for a new passport now.
December, 28th 2019Armand
Can I renew a passport that is going to expired 1yr and 6month
- December, 30th 2019David
  Yes, you can renew your passport in advance. If you are traveling soon and need a US passport expedited, we can help you get your passport processed in two weeks or less.
August, 23rd 2019Aiza
I lost my philippine passport, what i need to do to apply a lost passport
- August, 28th 2019David P
  You need to contact your local passport agency. We only can assist US passport applicants.
July, 22nd 2019Sagar Kapadiya
Can I renew my passport before 1.5 years?
- July, 22nd 2019David P
  Yes, you can renew your passport earlier. If it's been less than one you, it may be considered a data correction instead.
July, 7th 2019karen nascenti
I applied to renew my passport a while ago and I havnt heard , please respond.
- July, 22nd 2019David P
  If you already applied through the Passport Agency, you will need to contact them directly. You can review this post here: https://www.rushmypassport.com/blog/wheres-my-passport-application
March, 11th 2019Michael C. Van Nostrand
Very Good Idea! my passport doesn't expire until 3/23/2023!
March, 3rd 2019Mary Flores
can i renew my passport 3 years before its expiry? i really need it for employment purposes.
- March, 13th 2019David P
  Yes, you can apply for a renewal early. If you want to make sure your passport renewal is processed quickly, consider using our service. Our slowest processing time will still be faster than the quickest processing option at the post office.
February, 2nd 2019Hema Bala
Can I renew my passport 10 days to the expire date. And do I need any additional documents for that and how long it will take time to get the new passport
- February, 12th 2019David P
  You can renew your passport at any time up to 5 years past the expiration date. The documents you need are listed here. It takes 4-6 weeks for routine processing or call us if you need it faster.
October, 28th 2018Ralph
A valid reason to renew early, say 18 months or so, if you have several trips planned spaced apart so that waiting is not an option. Since it takes up to 9 weeks to process th3n traveling every 2 months or so would mean you would not have sufficient time to renew if you wait.
March, 27th 2017Stephen Lawrence
If I renew my passport a year early will I loose a year?
- April, 13th 2017Alison Kroulek
  Hi Stephen,Your new passport will be valid for 10 years from the date it's issued. So yes, you'll lose some time. But some countries won't let you in for last 3-9 months before it expires, so if you're visiting one of those countries you would need to renew anyway.
April, 22nd 2015Hailen Mak
can I renew my passport 18 months before expire?
- May, 13th 2015Alison Kroulek
  You can, but there's no need to unless it's been damaged or your name has changed.