Passport Renewal

[pkfops]

I have enough pages on my passport for two more trips.

 

I've scheduled a trip for April and our P3 is ready to move.

 

After my April trip I would like to be ready for at least two

more visits and not have to be bogged down with getting a new

passport. (renew when April trip is complete)

 

Does anybody know if you can renew your passport if you still have

a valid page left?

 

pkf

[markndannie]

PKF,

I have no more pages left and downloaded a form from a website. Send it to the gov office and they will add the visa pages...no charge unless you want to expedite it. Not sure about the renewing it. I don't have the url but i did a search on passports and it was on a site that would provide the service. The form is OMB 1405-0007. Hope this helps

mark

[markndannie]

here is the url http://www.passportsplus.com/passportaddpages.html

mark

[DaveR]

You do not have to have all the pages filled to renew your passport. It is good for 10 years from the date of issuance. If all the pages are not used it does not matter.

 

If you need more pages because all the others have been filled, you can get extra pages for that. I do not know if there is a charge.

 

Dave

[pkfops]

Cool.....

 

I just want to have that control when I need it.

[Dean Hall]

Or Option B:

 

While in China, drop into your local consulate ( Hong Kong, GZ, Shanghai, or Beijing), and they will add pages while you wait, for free.

 

I prefer to get my pages added overseas as it seems easier, and less complicated than doing it in the States. Certainly faster.

 

If you go to the Consulate to register your arrival in country in person, as was recently suggested by Squeeky, this would be a perfect time to toss in some new pages.

 

Dean

[pkfops]

That's cool.........

 

I just remember when I renewed my

passport the last time it took 2 to 3 weeks by mail.

 

That was before 09/11......

 

Not up to date on current processing.

 

thanks

 

[keelec]

I actually had my second passport issued in Milan, Italy. I think it took a few days and they mailed the new one to me. That was a few years ago so perhaps procedures have changed. But, don't consider it as an emergency if you are planning an extended stay internationally and your passport is due to expire while you are overseas.

 

One note though.

Find out which consulate services the area where you are staying.

 

I rode my bicycle 500 Km from Parma to Rome to get my passport renewed. Then when I arrived, they said that I was at the wrong consulate and that I had to go to Milan instead Having just ridden my bicycle for 3 days to get there wasn't enough to convince the embassy officials that I deserved an exception to the rule.

 

----- Clifford -----

[mike_m]

I just had pages added to my passport in December. I used first class mail and it took about a month. There is no cost and you can download the forms online.

 

If you're not going until April why not just get the pages added now? There is plenty of time...

[Jason+Joanna]

I will be adding pages to my passport after my feburary trip. I use a service at http://www.americanpassport.com/

 

They do Chinese Visa service, and also wil provide the US passport service too.

[Guest blsqueaky]

Or Option B:

 

While in China, drop into your local consulate ( Hong Kong, GZ, Shanghai, or Beijing), and they will add pages while you wait, for free.

 

I prefer to get my pages added overseas as it seems easier, and less complicated than doing it in the States. Certainly faster.

 

If you go to the Consulate to register your arrival in country in person, as was recently suggested by Squeeky, this would be a perfect time to toss in some new pages.

 

Dean

Well hello Dean,

 

Have to agree with Dean here, (as much as I hate too).

 

I have enough in my passport for my next trip, and while there, just going to walk into GZ Consulate, and please ask Elizabeth to add me some new ones.

[Dean Hall]

Well hey there Squeak,

 

I know for a fact that HK, GZ, and Chengdu have replaced pages for me, and it has never taken more than 10 min.

[NY-Viking]

I renewed my (expired) passport last year. It took about 6 weeks processing time, plus mailing time, so all of about 2 months. Considering you can get it expedited within one day if you make an appointment, it doesn't quite seem to make sense why it takes that long. But, of course, it's the government.

 

But as many have said - just add more pages to your passport. And provided you have enough pages to get overseas, do it overseas. I added pages to my expired passport three times. It's free and never took more than a few minutes each time I had them added at the U.S. consulate in Shanghai. Seems much better than paying to have it expedited or waiting several weeks while having it done while in the U.S. Of course if you need pages added for a visa, you'll have to have it done here.

[frank1538]

Or Option B:

 

While in China, drop into your local consulate ( Hong Kong, GZ, Shanghai, or Beijing), and they will add pages while you wait, for free.

 

I prefer to get my pages added overseas as it seems easier, and less complicated than doing it in the States. Certainly faster.

 

If you go to the Consulate to register your arrival in country in person, as was recently suggested by Squeeky, this would be a perfect time to toss in some new pages.

 

Dean

This is what I did while Jingwen and I were in GZ for her interview. It gave me a chance to scope the place. I had not filled all the pages, and the staff was very cordial - took about 20 minutes.