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. If your old passport is linked to a valid visa, you can still use the valid visa. You must travel with both your new and old passport in this case.
You must submit your most recent passport with your application. Please note: Your U.S. passport book and/or card must meet all of the requirements listed at the top of this page. Your old passport book and/or card will be returned to you, but generally it will come in a separate mailing from your new passport.
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.
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.
Your old passport is one of the supporting documents needed to carry out your passport renewal. You will therefore need to send it back to the Passport Office as part of the renewal process.
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.
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.
Unless you have another valid passport (i.e. issued by another country), you will not be able to leave the U.K. during the period the renewal is processing as you will not hold a valid passport.
Answer: You cannot. Please send the application in an envelope enough to fit the documents without folding.
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.
If you have an expired passport, you should dispose of it properly. Don't simply throw it in the trash. Instead, destroy it entirely so that no personal data can be read or stolen. Destroying a passport requires some tools, including scissors and a paper shredder.
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.
Can I use my old passport details to complete the online check-in while waiting for the new passport to be ready? Yes, you can. You will be required to bring both the old and new passports on boarding day at the terminal.
The vast majority of all passport applications are being dealt with well within 10 weeks. However, a passport can only be issued once all the checks have been completed satisfactorily and will take longer if applications are submitted with missing or incomplete information.
Standard service may take between 8 and 11 weeks.
This timeframe does not include delivery time. Mailing times vary across the country. Expedited service takes from 5 to 7 weeks exluding mailing times on the front and back end.
The Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope is the Best Way to Send a Passport (and Most Recommended by Government Agencies) The most popular option for shipping a passport is to use the Priority Mail Express Flat Rate Envelope.
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.
Don't do it 'recorded delivery' as that is standard first or second class post with a signature, which you can get tracked, however, postmen don't always get a signature, some of them just pop it through the letterbox.
Your previous passport will be returned to you. You'll be able to use the visa if you carry both passports.
Cut the passport into 4 equal pieces, making sure the picture and passport antenna (a copper wire embedded in the book) are cut through. 2. Use an electronic shredder to destroy the pieces (if one is available).
When applying for a passport renewal, will my old passport be returned to me? Yes, your old passport will be returned unless it is deemed to be damaged by the UK Identity & Passport Service (IPS).
Do not book travel until you have a valid passport - your new passport will not have the same number as your old one.
When a new document is issued, it will come with a different number to any held by you previously. Each passport you own will have a different number. The new passport number will be needed for any flight reservations and visa applications that are needed for any upcoming trips.
Do I get the old one back? Yes, your old, canceled passport is returned to you unless it is deemed to be damaged by the United States Department of State. It may be sent separately from your new passport. It is a good idea to keep it in a safe place as it is considered proof of your U.S. citizenship.
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.