Don’t forget the photos. You can’t just snap a selfie. You’ll need a 2x2 inch passport photo, which costs about $15 at a drugstore or shipping center. Pro tip: smile like you just saw a puppy, but keep your mouth closed. It’s the law.
Also, you’ll spend about $9 on postage to mail your application. Use a trackable method. A lost passport application is a special kind of headache, like losing your car keys inside a hospital. Not fun.
So, let’s tally it up for the average joe renewing by mail: $130 (fee) + $15 (photo) + $9 (postage) = $154. For a decade of travel, that’s roughly four cents a day. You spend more on gumballs.
What If Your Passport Is Still Valid but You Just Want a New One?
Maybe your photo is tragically bad. Like, “I look like a wanted criminal” bad. Or maybe your passport is all worn out from that backpacking trip across Southeast Asia. You can renew early, but you’ll pay the same $130. The government doesn’t give you a discount for “bad hair days.”
My advice? If you have more than a year left on that passport, just keep it. That bad photo is a funny story for parties. “This is me before I discovered sunscreen.” Save your money for actual travel.
How Far In Advance Can You Renew Passports at Savannah Buckmaster blog
