Basic Guide for the Process of Renewing your U.S. Passport while Living in Mexico

As a U.S. citizen living abroad (in this case in Mexico, either in Puerto Vallarta and/or Riviera Nayarit), your passport may need to be renewed. For this, there are two situations at the time of carrying out this procedure: On the one hand, it is not really necessary to travel to the United States to request it. However, unlike how this management is carried out in that country where you can renew a passport by mail, here it must be requested in person.

Even in person, the whole process is very simple when you renew in Mexico. Both the staff of the Embassy and the Consulates General and Consular Agents of the United States make the renewal of the adult passport valid for 10 years relatively fast and easy.

Using the information available on the U.S. Department of State website, the Vallarta Real Estate Guide editorial team has compiled the following guide to help. This information will clarify some of the basic details involved in the process of renewing your passport from within Mexico.

It should be noted that, although the staff of the Embassy, as well as the Consulates General and Consular Agents of the United States have begun to resume their operations gradually after the health contingency derived from COVID-19, it is always necessary to consult the official website of the U.S. Embassy (mx.usembassy.gov/passports/) for the most up-to-date information on its operations as well as to know if the office is open or closed.

For starters, a valid passport is essential for international travel and can serve as a legal form of identification both in the United States and abroad. It is an official document of the US government that confirms the identity and citizenship of the person who carries it. However, it has an expiration date, so it is imperative to ensure that it remains in effect and/or is valid for at least six months after any planned travel. In other words, you cannot travel internationally within six months of your passport’s expiration date.

Appointment Scheduling

This is the first and surely the question that arises most frequently at the time of starting with the passport renewal process. How to schedule a predetermined appointment for passport renewal will depend on where the process is to be carried out. You can apply at the U.S. Consular Office nearest to where you live, or you can apply at the U.S. Embassy located in Mexico City.

U.S. Consular Agents and Consulates General typically require an in-person appointment for the renewal process. However, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City recently launched a new initiative called the “Adult Renewal Delivery Program.” With this renewal option, you are not required to attend an in-person appointment in order to apply for a renewal 10-year adult passport.

Documents Necessary to Carry Out the Procedure

According to the U.S. Embassy, these are the documents necessary to complete the process of renewing the U.S. passport in Mexico:

• Form DS-82 completed and signed by the interested party.
• A 5×5 cm color photo that has been taken in a period not exceeding six months.
• The receipt of the fee paid, either in U.S. dollars or in Mexican pesos at the officially published exchange rate.
• The current passport.

Important consideration: For personal protection, you must make a copy of the passport page where your photograph appears, as well as any visa sticker that may be on the inside pages of the document.

Delivery/Receipt of the New Passport

Depending on the office where this procedure has been carried out, an extra payment may have to be covered for the passport to be sent by DHL or FedEx, either to an address located in Mexico or to the local parcel office.

Duration of the Procedure

The process of renewing the U.S. passport in Mexico can take between four and eight weeks. Because you can’t travel during this period, you need to take that timeframe into consideration before scheduling a trip abroad.

For current and future references, it is highly recommended to check the website of the U.S. Embassy (mx.usembassy.gov/passports/).