According to Section 215 of the U.S Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1185) it is illegal for an United States citizen to enter or leave the U.S. on anything other than an U.S. document. This applies to dual citizens as well, meaning that adults and children holding e.g. both Romanian and U.S. citizenship MUST enter and leave the U.S. on a valid U.S. passport; they may NOT enter/leave the U.S. on an foreign passport.

You may renew your passport at any time before or after it expires.

If I don’t plan to travel back to the United States any time soon, why should I renew my passport now?

• The passport is proof of U.S. citizenship. Every U.S. citizen abroad should have valid proof of his/her citizenship at all times.
• Life is unpredictable, when you may need to travel suddenly to the United States. It is much better to renew the passport it when it is convenient for you, instead of worrying about renewing your passport or your child’s passport in an emergency.
• Adults who wait more than five years cannot renew an expired passport by mail. You will have to apply in person and pay an extra fee.
• Emergency passports are valid up to one year.

Yes. In nearly all cases, your old passport will be cancelled and returned to you with the new one. If we are not able to return your old passport for any reason, we will discuss this with you at the time of application.

When you renew your passport, your old passport will be cancelled and returned to you. You should contact the appropriate authority of the country that issued the visa for further information.

You should disregard the instructions on the passport forms as they refer specifically to passport applications processed in the United States. You should follow the instructions on this website.

Your passport application will be processed in 7 – 10 business days from the day your application is received by our office.

Emergency passports can be issued for a maximum of one year. They may be renewed free of charge prior to their expiration.

As of January 1, 2016, it is no longer possible to add extra pages to a U.S. passport.  You are required to apply for a new passport.

Children aged 14 and over may sign their own passports. For children under the age of 14, a parent should sign. In the space provided for the signature, the mother or father must print the child’s name and sign his/her own name. Then, in parentheses, by the parent’s name, write the word (mother) or (father) so we know who signed for the child.