Does the expiration date on a renewed passport start on the day the old passport expires?

Question:  I will be renewing several passports for my family in the upcoming months. Does the expiration date on a renewed passport start on the day the old passport expires or 10 years after I submit the application to renew the passports? I will do them at two separate times if need be because some of the passports I have to renew do not expire for another 10 months. I don’t want to lose 10 months off the life of the passport.

Answer:  You will lose those 10 months of validity on the passport if you apply early for a renewal. Being that the validity of the passport is determine from the date the passport was given. The Department of State recommends that citizens should renew their passports 9 months prior to the expiration dates. There are two reasons they recommend this.

First, a passport renewal can take up to 3 months to complete. The usual processing time is roughly 4-6 weeks. Though this process can take a lesser time frame, several things can delay the process. Though lengthy process times are not normal. They can arise due to misinformation on the application, improper passport photos, and improper documentations.

Second, many countries require a passport has 6 months of being validity in order to grant a visa. Or if no visa is necessary, the authorization to enter that country.

Combining the process of 3 months to renew the passport, along with the 6 months needed for validation to enter many different countries, amounts to the 9 month period in which the Department of State recommends you renew your passport prior to its expiration.

Submission of the renewal application depends on your travel plans. If you are going to travel prior to the expiration date on the passport, then you must verify the validity dates of the countries you plan on visiting. Then, apply for a renewal after gaining this information.