How Do Second Valid Passport Renewals Work?

Renewing your second valid passport is just like getting one for the first time! You will still need to prove that you have an upcoming travel situation that requires you to hold two valid passports.

If you are a frequent traveler who uses your second valid passport all the time, we recommend you renew it when it gets close to having only six months validity remaining.

What Documents Are Needed for Second Valid Passport Renewals?

Visit our Second Valid Passport page for all the details of the documents you’ll need to submit to get a new second valid passport! Here are some of the key items you’ll need to submit:

• Passport Form DS-82. You’ll be asked about your current passport, so make sure to fill in the details of the second passport you are renewing.
• Your primary (10 year) passport. Send the actual passport book, not a photocopy. This will be returned with your new second valid passport.
• Your current second valid passport. This will be marked cancelled and returned to you.
• One passport-style photograph. This must be a new photo that has never been used in any of your passports.
• Proof of upcoming travel for which you need two passports. Most of our clients who need second valid passport renewals are people who travel for a living, and need to get a visa for a future trip at the same time they are doing other international travel.

What G3 Service Should You Select?

Ready to apply for your second valid passport renewal? Choose G3’s Second Valid Passport service option. Our second passport service is used both for first-time applicants and for renewals of second valid passports.

Second valid passports aren’t the most common of US passport services, but G3’s team are experts! We’re here to help you get your new second valid passport quickly and easily.

The post Can You Renew a Second Valid Passport? appeared first on G3Passports.

One of the most frequent questions we get from travelers is “do I get my old passport back when I renew my passport?”  Most of the time, this question is because travelers want to keep their old passport as a souvenir of their travels.  Luckily, the answer is yes!  Your old passport will be marked cancelled and returned to you.

The Value of an Old Passport

Your old passport remains a valuable document, even after you’ve gotten your passport renewed.  Yes, it is a great momento of all your travels, and it is fun to be able to flip through your old passport book and look at all of the entry stamps and visas.  (It may be more or less fun to look at your previous passport photos, and see how you’ve aged in ten years!)  But more than that, your old passport remains proof of your US citizenship.  If your current passport is ever lost or stolen, you can submit your cancelled passport instead of your birth certificate to prove your citizenship.  You will need to make sure that your appearance has not changed too radically since your old passport was issued, though.  If you lose your passport at age 40, you can’t submit the passport you were issued at age 5!

My Old Passport Isn’t Expired.  Can I Travel With It?

We always recommend that travelers renew their passports at least six months before they expire.  If you’ve followed our advice, you may get back an old passport that hasn’t yet hit its expiration date.  However, this does not mean that your old passport is still valid for travel!  You will need to carry your new passport for all travel purposes.

There is only one reason that you may need to use your old passport for travel purposes.  A few countries – notably Brazil, China, and India – issue long term visas to US citizens and allow valid visas to be used even after the passport has been cancelled. For example, I renewed my passport this summer, but in my cancelled passport, I have a multiple-entry Brazil visa valid 10 years that was issued in 2012.  I can continue to travel to Brazil on that visa until 2022, as long as I carry both the old passport with the visa and my new, valid passport.

How Can I Tell My Old Passport From My New One?

When you submit your passport for renewal, the State Department will mark your passport cancelled by punching holes in the cover.  Years ago, the State Department would also stamp the word “Cancelled” on the inside of the passport in addition to punching holes in the cover, but this is no longer standard.  Your old passport won’t say that it is cancelled, but the holes are proof that it is has been renewed.

So keep your old passport in a safe place after you renew your passport.  It could still come in handy some day!

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