Last Updated on September 24, 2021 by Natalie
It just so happened that it was time to renew our US passports, at least for me and the kids. How do you go about renewing US passports for children while living abroad? It’s definitely easier than I thought!
A fun aside: the US Consulate office in San Miguel de Allende is located at the outdoor mall. This is so convenient. There’s a DHL office in the same complex (this is important to know and more information is within the post) and places to eat. I did grab a snack for the kids on our way out.
Renewing US Passports for Children While Abroad
As expats in Mexico since 2017, I knew the time would come for renewing my US passport. The kids and I had close passport expiration dates (within a week), so we scheduled our three to all be renewed at the same time. This is convenient for so many reasons.
If you are living in the US and need to get a passport, check out this post about getting passports for kids while in the US. Please note that this post does NOT contain legal advice or details about the documents needed, as those things change quickly. This post is intended to give you an idea of what it’s like to renew an US passport while living outside of the US. It is our direct experience and your experience(s) may vary.
Disclaimer
Blissmersion is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Posts on this site might contain affiliate links. If you click them and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission.
Renewing child passport USA
In the US, passports for children are only good for five years. This happened to coincide with both the expiration of my passport and while we are living in Mexico. I thought it would be a big deal to get this done. For us, it was a little bit of both of those things. The actual process went fine.
It was a big deal due for us only because we couldn’t renew them until after we’d finished our Mexico residency process. If our passports hadn’t arrived before that expired, we’d have had major issues. So, we had to wait to do it afterwards.
Also, being 2021 and there’s a lot of garbage going on, things are probably different now than they used to be. This information will outline the process as it is in 2021. It can change without warning or notice, so be sure to check out the available government sites with the more up to date information.
Make an appointments at the US Consulate office
We sent an email to the US Consulate’s office to request an appointment. Luckily, our closest one opened again in April (how can these types of offices close for long periods of time?!), so we didn’t have to travel to Mexico City and complete this at the US Embassy. Though, I’d have been delighted to see an Embassy, it wasn’t to be and that’s okay. It’s definitely okay with me to never have to need the services of the Embassy.
At this time, email seems to be the only way to contact the US Consulate office in San Miguel de Allende.
They returned our email with our appointment date and time. We requested mid-August and we got exactly mid-August.
Fill out documents to print and bring along
For an adult, you fill out a renewal form. For minors, an application requesting a new passport is required. We brought our current passports and cards, birth certificates, and Mexican IDs. We requested just over 2 months in advance and I’m so pleased we were able to get an August appointment. Again, due to having to get our permanent resident cards in Mexico all around the same time, we had to wait until we knew we’d be finished with that process.
We filled out all the forms and printed them. We also printed out blank forms, just in case there was an issue with our forms.
Official documents needed
It’s very important to read the email that outlines what you need to bring as well as checking the official government website for any updates.
We brought:
- US birth certificates
- Current passports
- Mexico IDs
- Social Security cards
- Marriage certificate (we didn’t need this, but brought it just in case)
Also, because minors were involved, both parents do need to be present and both parents need to bring ID. My husband showed his US passport.
Minors have to show their birth certificate on every renewal. I brought mine and I didn’t need it. We were told to bring the SSN cards and those weren’t checked, either.
At the time of our appointment, masks were required. Incidentally, they did not ask us or the kids to show our faces to confirm our identities. Keep in mind, the office is and always has been covered by thick glass.
At the appointment to renew passport from abroad
We showed up and checked in with the guard at the door. At this time, everyone has to wait outside the office until they are called. Thankfully, we had beautiful weather. That’s the norm in Central Mexico and I love it.
For some reason, we weren’t on the list, but we had our email confirming our appointment and they fit us in. Once we were inside the office, we walked up to the window and presented our documents. I signed my form in front of the person at the window. However, we had to go in front of the Consul and take an oath that everything was accurate and up to date. We signed the documents for the children in front of her, too.
Once we were finished, she accepted our paperwork. We had to go to DHL to prepay for 6 different envelopes (1 per person for each passport book and passport card, so two total. If you are only getting a passport, it is one envelope per person). They will be delivered to the DHL store of your preference, so choose the one closest to you. You will be required to pick up the documents with your expired passports in hand.
After we prepaid for our DHL envelopes, my husband returned to the office where they made copies of our receipts and we were on our way. Keep those receipts in a safe place. They are needed to pick up the passports and passport cards from DHL.
Time between passport application and passport arrival
We were told the processing time will be 4-6 weeks and our passports will be processed in Mexico City.
We received one group of passports/cards 4 weeks later (actually, two days less than a month) and the second group arrived a week after (a total of 5 weeks from the appointment)*. My husband wasn’t emailed this time by DHL, as he was when he renewed his passport in very early 2020. He didn’t know if he neglected to sign up for emails or not. Luckily, he checked tracking and discovered they were all delivered.
Times will vary between countries, including for those completing the process in the USA.
*Remember, the time frame quoted and actual delivery time was for the Mexico process only and will vary from embassy to embassy.
What to do when the passports arrive (important information)
They were delivered to the DHL facility that we indicated (we picked the closest one to us). Once they arrive, we had to go with our passports to pick them up. For the kids, both parents will need to be present and with IDs.
All four of us went to DHL with our expired documents in hand (you definitely need your US passports, we also had our FM3 IDs just in case).
In conclusion
If your passport expires while abroad (living, not just traveling), it’s not too difficult to renew it.
The process went smoothly, even though we hadn’t made copies of the documents as we didn’t see that anywhere. It should say exactly what you need in the email confirming your appointment, so be sure to check that. Both parents must be present. For those who aren’t able to have both parents present will have to have the supporting documents. Of course, if you’re living abroad with your kids as a single parent, you likely already have what you need to proceed in such a case.
Though we had to wait a bit, which was hard today for my kids, it all went well. I’m looking forward to my fresh passport!
Have you gone about renewing US passports for kids while living abroad? The best feedback and stories come from readers. Please leave a comment, suggestion, and/or story. Thank you!
