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Passport renewal checklist

Start six months out. Not because renewal takes six months, but because destination countries count validity from your return date, not today's.

32 items

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

The items

  1. Before you start
  2. Check the current expiry date
  3. Check the six-month rule for anywhere you plan to go
  4. Check current processing times, today, on the official site
  5. Note whether you need the old passport back and how soon
  6. Check whether a name change needs its own evidence
  7. What to gather
  8. The current or most recent passport
  9. Birth certificate, if it is a first application
  10. Proof of address
  11. Marriage certificate or deed poll for a name change
  12. A countersignatory, if one is required
  13. Payment card
  14. The photo
  15. Taken within the last month
  16. Plain light background, no shadow behind the head
  17. Neutral expression, mouth closed
  18. No glasses unless you genuinely cannot remove them
  19. Hair clear of the eyes
  20. Digital code or prints, whichever the form wants
  21. Applying
  22. Fill in the form and read it back before submitting
  23. Keep the reference number somewhere you will find it
  24. Send by tracked post if it is a paper application
  25. Set a calendar reminder for the quoted turnaround
  26. Do not book non-refundable travel until it arrives
  27. When it arrives
  28. Check every detail, especially the spelling of names
  29. Sign it if signing is required
  30. Update the number anywhere it is stored — airlines, visas, trusted traveller schemes
  31. Store the old one; it is proof of past travel
  32. Add the new expiry date to the calendar, minus six months

Makes your own editable copy. No account needed.

Questions people ask

How early should I renew a passport?
Six months before expiry. Many countries refuse entry unless the passport is valid for six months beyond your stay, so a passport is effectively dead early.
Why do passport photos get rejected?
Glasses, shadows on the background, hair over the eyes, smiling, and photos taken more than a month ago. Use a booth or a photographer who guarantees acceptance.