PASSPORT RENEWAL BY MAIL

U.S. citizens in Colombia and Venezuela who are eligible to use a DS-82 form can now renew their passports by mail.

***Please read the following guidance carefully Note that if you submit a renewal application in error, i.e. you are not eligible to use a DS-82 form, you will NOT receive a refund.***

You can use the DS-82 form if your most recent U.S. passport:

is undamaged, was never declared lost or stolen, and can be submitted with your application;
was issued when you were age 16 or older;
was issued within the last 15 years;
was not limited from the normal 10-year validity due to damage, mutilation, multiple theft or loss, or non-compliance with 22 C.F.R. 51.41 (see back page of your passport book for this endorsement information); AND
was issued using the exact same name you will use on the current application OR you can legally document your name change with an original or certified copy of your marriage certificate or the government-issued document of your legal name change under federal or state law.

If any of the above statements do not apply to you, then you are not eligible to renew by mail and you must make an appointment to apply in person using the DS-11 application form.

If you are applying for a passport for the first time after age 16, or if you are unable to present a prior 10-year passport (e.g. your last passport was lost or stolen) then you are not eligible to renew by mail and you must make an appointment to apply in person using the DS-11 application form.

NOTE: At this time, applications for Passport Cards cannot be submitted by mail.  If you wish to apply for a Passport Card, please refer to the instructions below for Third Party Submission of Form DS-82.

Need more assistance? The travel.state.gov Passport Wizard can help you determine which form you are eligible to use.

To renew your passport by mail, follow the steps below. 

1. Complete the Application

Complete the DS-82 application form, print it in a single-sided format, sign and date it.

The Form Filler selects the correct form based on the information you input. It may generate a different form from what you expect.

You must provide a Social Security number if you have been issued one.

If you do not have a Social Security number, enter all zeros in the DS-82 and submit a signed and dated statement.

2. Submit Your Most Recent U.S. Passport and Photocopy of Bio Page

You must submit your most recent passport and a photocopy of the biographic page with your photo. This passport will be returned to you.

3. Take and Submit a Photo

Provide one 5×5 cm photo that meets all requirements.

4. Make the Payment

Pay the passport renewal fee online and include a printed copy of your payment confirmation receipt.

5. Submit Name Change Documents (if applicable)

If the name you currently use is different from the name on your most recent U.S. passport, you must provide the original certified copy of the legal name change document (e.g., marriage certificate, divorce decree, court-ordered name change document) plus one photocopy. Your name change document will be returned to you.

6. Mail Your Documents

Send your completed and signed DS-82 form (printed single-sided), passport, 5×5 cm passport photo, online payment confirmation, name change document and photocopy (if applicable), and return shipping waybill as detailed in the shipping instructions below.

Shipping Instructions:

Please visit the nearest DHL branch to purchase two shipping waybills.

Waybill 1: To send the required application documents to the U.S. Embassy in Bogota. Send your application, photo, previous passport, payment confirmation, Waybill 2 (see below), and any other required documents to:

Oficina de Servicios al Ciudadano Estadounidense
Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Bogotá,
Carrera 45 # 24 B 27
Código postal 111321
Bogotá, Colombia

Waybill 2: To return new passport, previous passport, and original documents to the applicant. Include a second waybill in your shipment made out with this information:

SENDER INFORMATION
Sender: Embajada EEUU
Company: Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Bogotá
Content: Documentos
Phone Number: +57 601-275-2000
Address: Carrera 45 # 24 B 27
Código postal 111321
Bogotá, Colombia

RECIPIENT INFORMATION
Sender: Applicant’s came
Applicant’s phone number:
Applicant’s email address:
Address of the applicant or DHL location

Track your shipment at www.dhl.com.co. The current processing time is 8-10 weeks upon receipt of the complete application. Please keep the following timetable in mind when preparing any international travel:

When initially tracking your package, arrival at the American Citizens Services (ACS) office can take an additional 2 business days from the date of arrival at the U.S. Embassy.
ACS processes incoming mail within 7 business days after receiving the package.
You can track the process at the passport center by visiting: https://passportstatus.state.gov/, however, when you see that the process has been marked completed, the passport still must be returned to Colombia for delivery by ACS. The delivery date provided on this tracker is for applications made domestically, within the United States.
Generally, Passports take 5 business days to be received by ACS at the U.S. Embassy Bogota after being marked completed and 5 additional business days for delivery from the Embassy to DHL for distribution.

PASSPORT RENEWAL BY COURIER 

If you qualify to renew your passport with Form DS-82 or replace an emergency passport with Form DS-5504 and do not wish to submit your application by mail, you may arrange for an authorized third party to submit your passport application at the U.S. Embassy’s Americans Citizens Services Unit in Bogota or at the U.S. Consular Agency in Barranquilla.

Please note that if you choose to use a courier to complete your passport renewal, the U.S. Government takes no responsibility and is in no way liable for the actions of the courier.

EMERGENCY PASSPORT REPLACEMENT

If you were issued an emergency, limited-validity passport at a U.S. embassy or consulate because you had urgent travel, you should apply to replace this passport with a full-validity passport as soon as possible using the form DS-5504. There is no fee for replacing an emergency passport within the first year.

To replace the emergency or limited passport in the U.S. please follow this link Replace a Limited Validity Passport (state.gov).

If you are a resident of Colombia, you can replace the emergency passport by mail, using Form DS-5504 if:

An emergency passport was issued to replace a lost or stolen passport or an expired one.
Less than a year has passed since the issuance of the passport.
There are not special remarks in your passport (see page 2)

To replace your emergency passport by mail, follow the steps below:

1. Complete the Application

Complete the DS-5504 application form, print it in a single-sided format, sign and date it.

2. Submit Your Most Recent U.S. Passport and Photocopy of Bio Page

You must submit your signed emergency U.S. passport and a photocopy of the biographic page with your photo. This passport will be returned to you.

3. Take and Submit a Photo