Can I travel while my passport is being renewed?
By Tom Jones
Editor-in-Chief, PassportOfficesLast reviewed Editorial policy
Short answer
Can I travel while my passport is being renewed?
Not internationally. A mail-in renewal requires you to send your current passport with the application, so you will not have it while the renewal is processed. Once your new passport is issued, the old one is cancelled and cannot be used for travel even if it has not expired yet.
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Key takeaways
- Mail-in renewal (Form DS-82) requires mailing your current passport with the application.
- Your old passport is cancelled when the new one is issued — it cannot be used after that, even if unexpired.
- Domestic U.S. flights are still possible with a REAL ID-compliant license or other TSA-accepted ID.
- If urgent international travel comes up during processing, contact the National Passport Information Center about your options.
- Valid visas in your old passport are usually still usable — travel with both the cancelled old passport and the new one.
Full answer
When you renew by mail with Form DS-82, your current passport goes into the envelope with the application. For the weeks the renewal is in process, you simply do not have a passport — so international travel is off the table until the new book arrives.
Submitting a renewal does not instantly cancel your old passport, but once the Department of State issues the new one, the old passport is cancelled in their systems. Border officers and airlines check validity electronically, so a cancelled passport will be refused even though the printed expiration date has not passed.
Domestic travel is different. You do not need a passport to fly within the United States — a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or another TSA-accepted identification works. Your renewal being in process does not affect domestic trips.
If a true emergency or urgent trip arises while your renewal is pending, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778. Depending on timing, they may be able to advise on expediting the pending application or scheduling a regional agency appointment. Plan renewals at least several months before any international trip to avoid this situation.