Claire333

Hi there,

I have a U.S. passport but it was issued in 1992 and expired in 1997. I've not lived in the U.S. since then. Can I renew it? What are my chances?...

Michael

Since your issue date of you passport is more than 15 years old and/or are living outside the US, you have to apply in person at the nearest US consulate or embassy since you are living abroad. You can't get a visa since you are a US citizen and must acquire a new passport.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/renew/renew_833.html

KCK_DR

How come your passport was only good for five years?
I thought U.S. Passports were good for 10.
Anyway if you have a U.S. Passport you must be a U.S. Citizen, unless I am missing something, therefore you can renew your passport and use it to enter the US. In fact I believe you need to use your U.S. Passport to enter the U.S. if you are a U.S. Citizen.

Michael

At one time US passports were issued for 5 years.

KCK_DR

Oh ok thanks. Did not know that.

KK

ian-mstm

Yes.


Excellent, 100% - as long as you can prove you're a US citizen.

Ian

Jerseygirl

As your question is not an immigration question I have moved your thread over to the US Forum.

penguinsix

FWIW US passports for children under 16 are only valid for five years even today.

MarylandNed

I'm not sure when 10 year passports were introduced but it might be that the OP was simply under the age of 16 when the passport was issued (5 year passports are still issued to those under the age of 16).

MarylandNed

You just need to apply for a new passport using form DS-11. The information you need is here:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/for.../ds11_842.html

DS-11 must be submitted in person along with photos, fee and supporting documentation.

If applying from outside the US:

http://www.travel.state.gov/passport...side_5462.html

Claire333

Hi there,

Yes I was 14 when the passport was issued and 19 when it expired. Does that make it less likely that I will be able to renew it, considering I have not lived in the U.S. since?, or does the age make no difference to my eligibility to renew it?

Thanks

Noorah101

Your current age is not a problem, and also not having lived in the USA is not a problem. You ARE a US Citizen, and you should have no trouble renewing your US passport.

Rene

Jerseygirl

I have no idea about US PPs...but if you wish to renew a UK PP that has expired more than 10 years ago...your application is treated as a first time PP. That means you have to send originals of all the various documents ie birth certificate, marriage license etc. That may be worth checking out.

MarylandNed

No difference - you are a US citizen. You just need to apply for a new passport. Just remember that you must use form DS-11 and submit it in person which is basically like applying for the first time.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/for.../ds11_842.html

You are NOT eligible to renew by mail using form DS-82 for multiple reasons e.g. your previous passport was issued more than 15 years ago, you were under 16 at the time, etc. Sometimes the words "renew" and "renewal" are used to mean a DS-82 application so watch out for them being used in that context. Your application is similar to a first time application (using form DS-11) even though you previously had a US passport.

Again, If applying from outside the US:

http://www.travel.state.gov/passport...side_5462.html

MarylandNed

Since the OP is not eligible to do a simple renewal via DS-82, having trouble or not depends on how US citizenship was gained and how easy it is to prove.

If the OP was born in the US, it's probably a straightforward case of providing a US birth cert. However, if US citizenship was acquired by other means (e.g. via naturalization of a parent) things can get trickier. In this case a citizenship cert is the best form of proof - otherwise you have to prove you met all the conditions for obtaining US citizenship through a naturalized parent.