Yes, in most cases, we will return the old, canceled passport to you. The old passport may be sent separately from your new passport. We recommend keeping your old passport in a safe place as it is considered proof of your U.S. citizenship.
The Department of State's processing times begin when applications are received at a passport agency or center and not when you mail them or apply at a local acceptance facility. Standard service may take between 8 and 11 weeks. This timeframe does not include delivery time.
The cancelled passport will be sent separately from the renewed one. Because they are sent separately, the two documents usually arrive on different days. If the renewed passport arrives first, don't get anxious about getting the old passport back. It should arrive within a day or two.
Your old passport is proof of your identity.
We hope you never find yourself in the situation of having both your passport and driver's license lost or stolen, but if you ever do, that old passport can be an important way to prove your identity to get a new driver's license issued.
If your passport has expired, then you will need to renew it before you travel internationally. The process usually involves submitting your old passport to the government passport agency, either in person or by mail. Therefore, you will need to hold on your expired passport at least until you apply for your new one.
At the time of renewing your passport, you're supposed to submit your old passport with the other supporting documents for processing. Your old passport will then be stamped as “cancelled” and returned back along with the new passport.
Use your old passport and you will be able to travel anywhere as long as there is 6 months validity remaining. Might be different for each country. In the US they take your old passport while processing the new one. They send both to you, but the old one has holes punched in it to invalidate it.
Do I need to send in my old UK passport when renewing? To answer this common question, yes, you will need to send in your old British passport when you renew it. This is done so that Her Majesty's Passport office can officially verify your details and compare them against your online passport renewal forms.
Although your current passport does need to be turned in with your application, that passport will be returned to you. The canceled passport will have two small holes punched in the bottom of your identification page to mark it as canceled.
Your previous passport will be returned to you. You'll be able to use the visa if you carry both passports.
U.S. citizens must present a valid U.S. passport book or card, in addition to an entry permit (Forma Migratoria Multiple or FMM) issued by Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM). Travelers should be sure to enter Mexico with valid proof of automobile registration, even if remaining in the border zone.
The State Department always ships back passport books and passport cards in separate envelopes. Typically, you'll get your passport book first in a Priority Mail envelope, and your passport card will arrive within a week in a regular business-size envelope.
When you change passports, in most countries you get a new number, so they must rely on other data to make a match which is not entirely reliable. However, they are unlikely to know your travel history outside of the country.
U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country.
Passports are currently not recyclable. The UK Passport office states that once sent back to them, they will be 'appropriately disposed of'. It's unclear what this actually means however it's likely to be that the passports are incinerated and/or sent to landfill securely due to the materials they are made of.
Processing times in the UK
Allow up to 10 weeks to receive your passport. There are different turnaround times if you're applying from another country.
Do not book travel until you have a valid passport - your new passport will not have the same number as your old one.
Normally, applicants can expect to wait three weeks for their passports to be processed. Currently the wait is up to ten weeks, with 10% of applications (around 55,000) taking even longer.
Travelers must carry their old passports while traveling, as it can be demanded by immigration authorities of their own country as well as of the destination country. Inability to produce your old passport may lead to unnecessary questioning, delay in clearing immigration or deportation altogether.
Never simply throw a passport away. Even if the government has canceled it, it could still be used by thieves to commit forgery or identity theft. Do not destroy a passport unless it has been officially canceled. Even if it is expired, you may need to present it to a passport agency in order to obtain a replacement.
It is necessary to carry your old passport when you want to get your passport renewed. The number on the passport will remain the same, only the validity will be changed in the passport. The changes will be made to the existing/old passport and will be returned as a renewed passport.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) accepts the passport card as ID for domestic flights. Use the passport card when entering the United States at land-border crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Do not use it for international air travel.
Both the passport card and passport book are proof of your U.S. citizenship and identity and thus can be used as an alternative form of ID. But, if you intend to travel outside those 20 nations or via plane within the next 10 years, the booklet proves necessary.
Mailing Requirements
All Acceptance Facilities must use USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate envelopes (EP14F) OR USPS Priority Mail Express Flat Rate envelopes (EP13F) when mailing passport applications to the Department of State. No other form of trackable mail will be allowed for mailing passport applications.