Passport by Mail

Why You Should Get Your Passport by Mail

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ELIZABETH PRESKE

The cost of getting a passport is an unfortunate — albeit necessary — price to pay for traveling internationally, but luckily there is a way to do it cheaper.


When you get your passport in person at an official passport agency you will find an additional $25 “execution fee” tacked onto your $110 application. This price, according to the U.S. Department of State, constitutes the “recovery of the costs to the U.S. government of providing the consular service.”

And this consular service is about to get more expensive. Starting April 2, 2018, the Department of State is increasing the execution fee to $35, TravelPulse reported. As a result, instead of spending $135 to get your passport at your local post office, you will be required to pay $145.

However, the execution fee does not apply to you if you are eligible to renew your passport by mail.

Using this simple method, all you need to do is fill out a DS-82 form and gather together the rest of your application materials. You will then mail everything to the appropriate National Passport Processing Center via the United States Postal Service.

You can expect to receive your renewed passport by Priority Mail within four to six weeks. See the State Department page for full details on submission guidelines.

Now take that money you saved and buy yourself a passport holder to keep your newest and most prized travel document safe.