I have advised people to have passports with at least FIVE years left on them, given the current regime.
A bit of clarity - the "within one-year" provision is for online renewal only. That's why people cite it. That's why people think you have to wait within a year.
You don't.
A U.S. passport can be renewed at any time. The requirements are that your most recent passport is undamaged, was issued within the last 15 years, was issued when you were over 16, and is issued in your current name (primarily applies to married women). Name changes can be tricky, but they're not insurmountable. If those requirements apply, you print out the form, sign it, get the photos, and submit your current passport.
If your name has changed, you need to submit documents that clearly establish the name change. Evidence can be "raised seal wet ink" (original copies) of marriage certificates, divorce decrees, or Court decrees changing names.
Then you mail everything to the State Department, and you will get a new passport. Personally, I wouldn't do anything less than tracked and expedited.
I renewed mine this year even though I had until April 2026. State Dept wouldn’t renew if you had more than a year before expiration. I did add the passport card to carry with me.
You've described the entry to the United States for many. The frustration, the backlogs (during the pandemic some 450000 cases for some countries) the filling out of forms(the DS260 is filled with ambiguous almost trick looking questions)miss one question, fail to dot an I or cross a T and it's RFE time, with more delays, more checks, more potential for denials. Note how some countries denied applicants just at the last stage, the interview, where they were denied because the consul had a bad day. Going out, that is filled with checks and balances. Leaving are you? Sorry, can't check in online, must stand in line at the airport for more checks to determine if you can leave. Is your paperwork in order for the receiving country? We'll, we need to make sure you have your ticket out of the destination country already booked and paid for. 90 days in, 180 days out, few places left for visa runs. Long term stays are still available, but come with an every 2 month renewal requirement and more fees each time. Planning a departure? Enjoy the delays, the cancelations and the uncertainty of if you'll ever really leave. Oh and don't forget that in many places you'll need health insurance in order to stay there, even if it's a short period of time. Accidentally overstay somewhere? Enjoy more fees to get into compliance and then face being banned or blacklisted. Want to speak out where you ended up? Be aware that you can be criminally prosecuted for it and in some places that could mean 5 years or more before your case even arrives at a court while you sit I'm a prison. Do something the receiving country doesn't like? Deportation is easy, but a very long process, sometimes years while you wait in jail. Staying long term in some countries makes you, the hapless foreigner, subject to what is referred to as the skin tax. Because you're a foreigner you're considered rich, and so the price for you is always higher no matter what it's for. Money may buy a lot, but in some countries your money will not get you out of a bad situation. Will you work while out? Better get that work permit, even if your income is derived from the United States. It's ambiguous in some places, but ignorance of the ambiguity is not an excuse. Moral of the story, prepare, plan and execute. Anything less is just pipe dreams and all talk and no action. At some point it'll become a requirement in order to enjoy small pieces or slices of life.
One must declare if one has dual citizenship to obtain an FBI criminal background report, which report is required to obtain a long term visa from many countries.
Yes. That's true. The logic behind it is to allow cross-referencing of conviction data since FBI investigations don't distinguish between those for immigration purposes and those used as a pre-req for positions of public trust or security clearances.
It's not inherently a friction point. But I admit it could become one.
I wonder if it’s prudent to get a new passport now, even if the old one doesn’t expire for a couple of years.
I have advised people to have passports with at least FIVE years left on them, given the current regime.
A bit of clarity - the "within one-year" provision is for online renewal only. That's why people cite it. That's why people think you have to wait within a year.
You don't.
A U.S. passport can be renewed at any time. The requirements are that your most recent passport is undamaged, was issued within the last 15 years, was issued when you were over 16, and is issued in your current name (primarily applies to married women). Name changes can be tricky, but they're not insurmountable. If those requirements apply, you print out the form, sign it, get the photos, and submit your current passport.
If your name has changed, you need to submit documents that clearly establish the name change. Evidence can be "raised seal wet ink" (original copies) of marriage certificates, divorce decrees, or Court decrees changing names.
Then you mail everything to the State Department, and you will get a new passport. Personally, I wouldn't do anything less than tracked and expedited.
I renewed mine this year even though I had until April 2026. State Dept wouldn’t renew if you had more than a year before expiration. I did add the passport card to carry with me.
A MD woman has been removed from the state in violation of a court order, and may have already been deported. She was a U.S. citizen. WAKE UP!
You've described the entry to the United States for many. The frustration, the backlogs (during the pandemic some 450000 cases for some countries) the filling out of forms(the DS260 is filled with ambiguous almost trick looking questions)miss one question, fail to dot an I or cross a T and it's RFE time, with more delays, more checks, more potential for denials. Note how some countries denied applicants just at the last stage, the interview, where they were denied because the consul had a bad day. Going out, that is filled with checks and balances. Leaving are you? Sorry, can't check in online, must stand in line at the airport for more checks to determine if you can leave. Is your paperwork in order for the receiving country? We'll, we need to make sure you have your ticket out of the destination country already booked and paid for. 90 days in, 180 days out, few places left for visa runs. Long term stays are still available, but come with an every 2 month renewal requirement and more fees each time. Planning a departure? Enjoy the delays, the cancelations and the uncertainty of if you'll ever really leave. Oh and don't forget that in many places you'll need health insurance in order to stay there, even if it's a short period of time. Accidentally overstay somewhere? Enjoy more fees to get into compliance and then face being banned or blacklisted. Want to speak out where you ended up? Be aware that you can be criminally prosecuted for it and in some places that could mean 5 years or more before your case even arrives at a court while you sit I'm a prison. Do something the receiving country doesn't like? Deportation is easy, but a very long process, sometimes years while you wait in jail. Staying long term in some countries makes you, the hapless foreigner, subject to what is referred to as the skin tax. Because you're a foreigner you're considered rich, and so the price for you is always higher no matter what it's for. Money may buy a lot, but in some countries your money will not get you out of a bad situation. Will you work while out? Better get that work permit, even if your income is derived from the United States. It's ambiguous in some places, but ignorance of the ambiguity is not an excuse. Moral of the story, prepare, plan and execute. Anything less is just pipe dreams and all talk and no action. At some point it'll become a requirement in order to enjoy small pieces or slices of life.
One must declare if one has dual citizenship to obtain an FBI criminal background report, which report is required to obtain a long term visa from many countries.
Yes. That's true. The logic behind it is to allow cross-referencing of conviction data since FBI investigations don't distinguish between those for immigration purposes and those used as a pre-req for positions of public trust or security clearances.
It's not inherently a friction point. But I admit it could become one.
Another proposed law worth noting:
https://www.kjzz.org/politics/2025-12-16/arizona-rep-hamadeh-wants-dual-citizenship-reported-on-census-supports-ending-the-practice