# US Passport Changes Are Coming: Here's What You Need to Know



## MULTIZ321 (Oct 30, 2016)

U.S. Passport Changes Are Coming: Here's What You Need to Know - by Shannon McMahon/ Security/ SmarterTravel.com

"Passport changes are coming, and if you plan on traveling in the future—especially if you’re among the 49 million Americans whose passports will expire in the next few years—you need to know what passport changes are in store.

While it may seem easy enough to acquire or renew a passport if and when you plan a trip, the State Department says there’s about to be a massive backlog of passport applications. (More on that in a minute.) Plus, passports themselves are going to change. Here’s what you should know about both the expected passport application delays and the passport changes coming in the years ahead..."







Richard


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## pedro47 (Oct 30, 2016)

Thanks for sharing this information.


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## Passepartout (Oct 30, 2016)

Thanks for the heads-up, Richard. Like so many others, ours will need to be renewed in 2017. We had already decided to do it early- right after we return from our mid-winter Mexican break- and not wait until closer to their expiration dates. 

I sure wish American passports would just append 10 years to the current passport's expiration date like Canadian passports do. That would remove the temptation to wait until the last minute to renew to milk every possible day of possible use from them.

Jim


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## dioxide45 (Oct 30, 2016)

Good information to know. We are in a sticky situation with DWs passport. It expires in October 2017, but we have a trip in May 2017 to Cancun. I know about the six month rule, but this doesn't appear to really apply for Mexico looking at the Dept of State website. Do they question things if we she was to apply for renewal 8-9 months in advance? I know I was questioned when applying for Canadian passport renewal very early.


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## Fredward (Oct 30, 2016)

We had a problem with the 6 months/Mexico issue two years ago.  This seemed to be an airline rule, rather than a Mexican government rule.  I did get a new passport, but you might want to check your airline's policy.


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## Passepartout (Oct 30, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> Good information to know. We are in a sticky situation with DWs passport. It expires in October 2017, but we have a trip in May 2017 to Cancun. I know about the six month rule, but this doesn't appear to really apply for Mexico.



Agree with the previous poster. I also think it's largely an airline & cruise line rule. This probably stems from the fact that tourist entry visas for Mexico, EU, UK and others are valid for 6 months. In their mind, it wouldn't do to transport people into a place where their visa would outlive their passport. Maybe. Who knows, but the 6 month rule is what it is. 

In our case, we go, and return in January, and DW's passport expires in Sept. I don't want to cut it any closer than that. So far we haven't booked any international trips in that interim. Subject to change, and whim.

Jim


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## JudyS (Oct 30, 2016)

For those that don't have time to read the article, the main point is that many passport applications are expected in 2017. This is because many people applied for passports in 2007, when passports started being required for more forms of travel within North America. So, allow extra time if you need to renew your passport. Be aware that children's passports expire in 5 years and have some extra requirements.

Also, passports are now only 28 pages long, unless one requests more pages. Passports will soon have a chip embedded in them.


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## JudyS (Oct 30, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> Do they question things if we she was to apply for renewal 8-9 months in advance?


I don't know, but I'd imagine other people are in the same situation. If they question it, just give the same explanation you gave us.


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## cissy (Oct 31, 2016)

I renewed mine 9 months in advance with no problem.


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## WinniWoman (Oct 31, 2016)

We just renewed our passports this past summer and they didn't expire until Feb. 2017. Was quick and easy.


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## geist1223 (Oct 31, 2016)

Our Passports were expiring in November 2016. We applied for our new Passports about October 1. We have already received our new Passports. It took less than 4 weeks.


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## Sandy VDH (Oct 31, 2016)

mpumilia said:


> We just renewed our passports this past summer and they didn't expire until Feb. 2017. Was quick and easy.



Assuming you mean 2027


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## Egret1986 (Oct 31, 2016)

*Probably not*



Sandy VDH said:


> Assuming you mean 2027



Renewed early ahead of February 2017.


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## WinniWoman (Nov 1, 2016)

Sandy VDH said:


> Assuming you mean 2027



I meant the ones we renewed were expiring in Feb 2017 and we renewed this past summer instead of waiting until Feb 2017.


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## laura1957 (Nov 5, 2016)

Our passports expired last week.  Sent for new ones 2 weeks ago, received them Thursday.

Hard Rock Vallarta January 2017  
 Reservations, flights booked , New passports....  I am ready to go!!


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## BocaBoy (Nov 6, 2016)

dioxide45 said:


> Good information to know. We are in a sticky situation with DWs passport. It expires in October 2017, but we have a trip in May 2017 to Cancun. I know about the six month rule, but this doesn't appear to really apply for Mexico looking at the Dept of State website. *Do they question things if we she was to apply for renewal 8-9 months in advance?* I know I was questioned when applying for Canadian passport renewal very early.



Should be no problem.  I renewed two years before expiration once when I ran out of unused pages.  It happens all the time and raises no eyebrows.


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## Passepartout (Nov 6, 2016)

Back 30-40-50 years ago, when we had our first passports, we needed all those pages. With having to stamp visas in them as one changed countries in Europe, you'd go through those pages pretty quickly. Spain, Italy, France, Germany- and there was no going to Poland, Yugoslavia, Estonia, Latvia and a lot of others. But now, you may or may not even get stamped entering the EU. And that gives you access to all of Western and Central Europe without ever even showing your passport.

As we age and, well, we have more yesterdays than tomorrows, it gives us some pleasure to open those old passports with the holes drilled in them and see where we've been. Countries that don't even exist any more. A reminder of a life well lived.

Jim


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## dioxide45 (Jan 25, 2017)

Passepartout said:


> I sure wish American passports would just append 10 years to the current passport's expiration date like Canadian passports do. That would remove the temptation to wait until the last minute to renew to milk every possible day of possible use from them.
> 
> Jim



I can confirm that Canada does not append 10 (or 5) years to the expiration of your passport when you renew. I just renewed a 5 year Canadian passport to a new 10 year passport. Expiration is 10 years from when the new passport was issued, not 10 years from when the old passport would have expired.


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## Passepartout (Jan 26, 2017)

dioxide45 said:


> I can confirm that Canada does not append 10 (or 5) years to the expiration of your passport when you renew.


I wonder who posted the other info? (Shrug) Mox-nix. DW and I are both due this year for renewal.


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## Ty1on (Jan 26, 2017)

Good heads up, DW needs to renew this year.  Will go out Monday.


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## BocaBoy (Jan 27, 2017)

dioxide45 said:


> Good information to know. We are in a sticky situation with DWs passport. It expires in October 2017, but we have a trip in May 2017 to Cancun. I know about the six month rule, but this doesn't appear to really apply for Mexico looking at the Dept of State website. *Do they question things if we she was to apply for renewal 8-9 months in advance?* I know I was questioned when applying for Canadian passport renewal very early.


You can renew whenever you wish.  There is no such thing as being rejected because you apply too early.  We once renewed 2-3 years before expiration because we were running out of pages in the passport.  The new passport will be good for 10 years from the date you renew, not 10 years from the original expiration date.


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## dundey (Jan 27, 2017)

You can also wait until AFTER your passport expires to renew, if you don't have any travel plans outside of the US.  I waited a year and a half before I renewed (via mail) about 3 months before my Cayman Islands trip.  So no need to renew in 2017 unless you have travel plans.


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## dioxide45 (Jan 27, 2017)

dundey said:


> You can also wait until AFTER your passport expires to renew, if you don't have any travel plans outside of the US.  I waited a year and a half before I renewed (via mail) about 3 months before my Cayman Islands trip.  So no need to renew in 2017 unless you have travel plans.


Yes, as long as the passport isn't expired more than 5 years. I think that is why the influx will be a little less this time around. Many people don't need to travel right away and won't renew right away either.

DW is off to AAA to get her free passport photos taken tomorrow so we can mail out her renewal next week.


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## happymum (Jan 28, 2017)

Interesting that AAA gives free passport photos. The Canadian equivalent (CAA) charges  approximately $25. I was so annoyed, I walked across the parking lot and had them done at Costco for $7.


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## dioxide45 (Jan 28, 2017)

happymum said:


> Interesting that AAA gives free passport photos. The Canadian equivalent (CAA) charges  approximately $25. I was so annoyed, I walked across the parking lot and had them done at Costco for $7.


AAA only provides them free to their Plus or higher membership levels.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Jan 28, 2017)

dundey said:


> You can also wait until AFTER your passport expires to renew, if you don't have any travel plans outside of the US.  I waited a year and a half before I renewed (via mail) about 3 months before my Cayman Islands trip.  So no need to renew in 2017 unless you have travel plans.


And assuming that you do not live in one of the states that issues drivers licenses that will soon not be accepted by TSA.


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## dioxide45 (Jan 28, 2017)

happymum said:


> Interesting that AAA gives free passport photos. The Canadian equivalent (CAA) charges  approximately $25. I was so annoyed, I walked across the parking lot and had them done at Costco for $7.


Okay, they didn't end up being free. Paid $2.99. Apparently only free now for Premium membership. DW only has Plus, thus the fee. Apparently this changed on 1/1/2017.

Wish that I had of thought of Costco when I went to Canada to get my Canadian passport photos taken back in December. I read about them offering this when researching DWs US passport renewal. I paid $15 at Shoppers Drug Mart.


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## moonstone (Jan 28, 2017)

dundey said:


> You can also wait until AFTER your passport expires to renew, if you don't have any travel plans outside of the US.  I waited a year and a half before I renewed (via mail) about 3 months before my Cayman Islands trip.  So no need to renew in 2017 unless you have travel plans.



With Canadian Passports once they expire they are done, you can not renew an expired one, you have to apply for a new one. My Mom tried to renew a recently expired one several years ago believing the above (& also thought she'd get special consideration being a Federal Gov't employee -haha), but the renewal was denied & she was told to start over.


~Diane


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## dioxide45 (Jan 28, 2017)

moonstone said:


> With Canadian Passports once they expire they are done, you can not renew an expired one, you have to apply for a new one. My Mom tried to renew a recently expired one several years ago believing the above (& also thought she'd get special consideration being a Federal Gov't employee -haha), but the renewal was denied & she was told to start over.
> 
> 
> ~Diane


This isn't correct. Though the timeframe is much shorter for Canadian passport renewals than it is for US.

From my recent application form;

You may use this form to renew a passport only if all of the following conditions are met:
you were at least 16 years of age at the time of your previous application
the information (name, date of birth, sex and place of birth) on this application form is exactly as it appears on page 2 of the submitted passport
the Canadian passport being renewed :
*is valid or expired for no more than one (1) year*
was/is valid for five (5) years or ten (10) years
is not damaged
was never reported lost or stolen


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## moonstone (Jan 28, 2017)

dioxide45 said:


> This isn't correct. Though the timeframe is much shorter for Canadian passport renewals than it is for US.
> 
> From my recent application form;
> 
> ...



Sorry, my bad!  My Mom's must not have been very recently expired then.  We travel too much to let ours expire.


~Diane


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