Note: U.S. citizens living in Canada are eligible for passport renewal by mail. The Department of State’s DS-82 form is incorrect in stating that U.S. citizens residing abroad cannot submit their renewal application by mail, and that Passport Services will not mail a passport to a private address outside the United States, as an exception is made for residents of Canada. You may write a Canadian mailing address on the DS-82 form and Passport Services will mail your new passport to that address.
Visit passports.state.gov to see whether you can renew your U.S. passport by mail. If not, you can make an appointment to renew your passport at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa or any U.S. consulate in Canada. Please note that neither the U.S. Embassy nor the U.S. consulates in Canada can accept passport applications by mail.
To renew your passport by mail, you will need to enclose the application fee, made payable to U.S. Department of State. You must pay by money order in U.S. currency drawn from a U.S. bank or a personal check in U.S. currency drawn from a U.S. bank (most Canadian banks are able to issue a money order drawn from a U.S. bank in U.S. currency). All other requirements are discussed extensively at travel.state.gov.
If applying in person at a U.S. embassy or consulate, you may pay in U.S. funds only with a U.S. or Canadian bank or postal money order, U.S. or Canadian cash, or major credit card. Fees may not be paid by personal check or debit card if applying in person at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
We strongly encourage you to bring a pre-paid, self-addressed Canada Post Express envelope with you to your appointment so that we can mail your passport to you when it is ready.
Adding Pages to a Passport
Elimination of Visa Page Inserts
Effective January 1, 2016, the Department no longer adds extra visa page sections to U.S. passports. Instead, 52-page passport books are being issued at no extra cost to U.S. citizens applying from outside the United States. If your passport book is approaching the point of having no blank pages, you may want to consider renewing early to make sure you have enough blank pages to accommodate visa stamps from other countries. Some countries require two blank pages for entry and exit. You can visit the State Department website for general information on entry, exit, and foreign visa requirements.
Amending, Correcting, or Extending a Passport
For purposes of enhanced security, the State Department no longer amends valid passports. Instead, customers requesting name changes, extension of validity for limited passports, or correction of a printing error should apply for replacement passports. If you are applying for a replacement passport because of a printing error, you may request a replacement any time. If you are applying for a replacement passport because of a name-change, you may apply within one year of the original date of issuance at no cost. After that period, travelers must apply for a new passport.
For information on how to apply for a replacement passport, please visit the State Department website.
