My Passport Expires in 2027: When Should I Renew It?

If your passport expires in 2027, the short answer is: renew it within the next few months, and before you book any trip abroad. The State Department lets you renew online once your passport is within one year of expiring, so for most 2027 dates the window is already open. Routine processing takes 4 to 6 weeks, plus up to two weeks of mail each way. Many countries also want your passport valid for six months after you arrive. Put those together and about nine months before the expiration date is a safe time to send it. October to December is also when the State Department says it is less busy.

Why nine months, if the passport is still valid

A passport that expires in 2027 still works today, so it is easy to put off. Three things make the real deadline earlier than the date printed on it.

Many countries want six months left. Plenty of countries ask that your passport be valid for at least six months after you arrive, and airlines check before you board. A passport that expires in August 2027 can stop a trip as early as February 2027. We cover this in detail in the six-month rule.

Renewal takes longer than the processing time. The State Department's processing time page lists routine processing at 4 to 6 weeks and expedited at 2 to 3 weeks for an extra $60. Mailing is not included. It can take up to two weeks for your application to reach them and up to two weeks for the new passport to reach you. So routine renewal can take around ten weeks door to door.

You cannot travel abroad while it is out. When you renew by mail, you send in your current passport. When you renew online, the State Department cancels your current passport after you submit, and you cannot use it for international travel.

Nine months before the expiration date leaves room for all three, plus a buffer if something is missing from the application.

When to renew, for each month of 2027

Here is the same rule worked out for every month. "Online renewal opens" is one year before expiration. "Send it by" is our nine-month suggestion. "Six-month line" is the date after which a country with the six-month rule may refuse entry.

If your passport expires in the first half of 2027, there is no reason to wait. If it expires later in the year, renewing between October and December 2026 also lands in the State Department's quieter season. Its busiest time is late winter to summer.

Online or by mail

You can renew online on the State Department's official renewal site if all of these are true:

• your passport was valid for 10 years and expires within one year, or expired less than five years ago,
• you are 25 or older,
• you are not changing your name or other personal details,
• you are not traveling for at least six weeks after you apply,
• you are in a U.S. state or territory, and you have the passport with you, undamaged.

Online renewal is routine service only. It cannot be expedited. The fee is $130 for a passport book, $30 for a card, or $160 for both. You need a credit or debit card and a digital photo.

If you do not qualify online, you can usually renew by mail with Form DS-82. That works if your passport was issued in the last 15 years, when you were 16 or older, in your current name (or you can show the name change document), and it is not damaged. By mail you can pay $60 more for expedited processing. A child's passport, issued under 16, cannot be renewed. That needs a new application in person, covered in kids' passport expiration.

The State Department warns that the only official place to renew online is its own site. Other sites that offer to renew for you charge extra fees and are not authorized.

A worked example

Say your passport expires on August 15, 2027. Online renewal opened on August 15, 2026, a year before. The quieter season runs from October to December. Nine months before expiration is November 15, 2026, so sending it in October or early November is ideal. If you plan a trip abroad in spring 2027, that is already inside the six months before expiration, so renew before you book it.

Before you send it

A short list saves a second round:

• Check your travel calendar. No trip abroad for at least six weeks if you renew online, and plan on up to ten weeks without a passport if you renew by mail.
• Get a photo that meets the passport photo rules. Online renewal needs a digital one.
• Have your current passport in hand. You will need the number and dates.
• Check the name. A name change means renewing by mail with the legal document, not online.
• Track the status. The State Department sends updates to the email you used on the application.

The State Department also emails reminders about a year before a passport expires, from USPassportRenewal@state.gov or DoNotReply@state.gov. If you get one, that is your window opening, not your deadline.

Where Tracy fits

Tracy, the assistant in dEssence, does not renew passports and does not connect to the State Department. She keeps the date you give her and comes back with it.

Send her the expiration date as a message from Telegram, Chrome or the web, or a photo of the page with the date. Ask her to remind you when to send the renewal, and she does. Add each family member's passport the same way, and you can ask "whose passport expires next?" before you book a family trip. Passports belong on the same list as the other renewal dates to keep track of.

Frequently asked questions

Can I renew my passport a year before it expires?

Yes. Online renewal is open when your passport expires within one year. By mail, the requirements are about when and how the passport was issued, not how soon it expires.

How long does it take to renew a passport in 2026?

The State Department lists routine processing at 4 to 6 weeks and expedited at 2 to 3 weeks, for $60 more. Add up to two weeks of mail each way.

My passport expires in 2027. Can I still travel abroad in 2026?

Usually yes, if it will still have six months left after your trip, which is what many countries require. Check the entry rules for your destination before you book.

What happens to my old passport when I renew online?

The State Department cancels it after you submit, and you cannot use it for international travel. Keep it anyway: you do not mail it in, and an old passport still works as proof of citizenship.

Can I renew online if I am traveling soon?

No. Online renewal requires no travel for at least six weeks and cannot be expedited. Renew by mail with expedited service, or make an appointment at a passport agency if you travel within 14 days.

Related reading

• Passport Expiring Soon? The Six-Month Rule That Stops Trips
• Kids' Passport Expiration: The Rule That Ruins Trips
• The Four Dates Hiding in Your Trip Confirmations
• Renewal Dates to Keep Track Of: The Ones Nobody Mails You a Letter About