The biometric passport is an identity document and a circulation document given by the state to its citizens which allows them to travel around the world. Without a passport you will not be able to travel freely, this identity document is your entry card if you want to travel around the world and enter a country legally.
However, the passport has a validity date and may after a few years no longer be valid. In this case, we will talk about passport renewal. In other cases, you can lose your passport or have it stolen, so you have to redo it and the procedures are different from a classic renewal. Even if an expired passport allows travel to certain destinations.
To redo a biometric passport today, it is imperative, in all cases, to request it at the town hall and equipped with the necessary supporting documents. Your passport is a personal title and you must not give it away or sell it.
Renew your passport following an expired validity date
If your passport has reached its deadline, you will have to apply for a passport renewal from a town hall equipped for this. Remember that your expired passport must be returned.
Complete the passport renewal application
You can apply and complete the passport renewal file at the town hall. You do not have to make your request in the town hall where you live, it does not matter, as long as it is equipped.
If you wish, you can make and complete a pre-request for renewal directly online on the site provided for this purpose.
In all cases, you will have to go to the town hall with your file to apply for your passport renewal. The town hall will take charge of your file and take care of your loans.
Vouchers
You will need to provide several supporting documents to the town hall to have your new passport. However, the number of these parts may change depending on the situation. Here is a list of specific cases as well as the supporting documents to provide for each situation.
Passport expired for less than 2 years:
- Your passport
- Identity photo in accordance with the standards in force
- A tax stamp in the amount of 86 €
- Proof of address
- Pre-request number if you have done this online, otherwise, cardboard form available in town hall completed and signed
Old passport model expired for a date between 2 and 5 years after the passport was made available:
- Identity photo in accordance with the standards in force
- A tax stamp in the amount of 86 €
- Proof of address
- An identity card (valid or expired for less than 5 years)
- Or Birth Certificate
- Proof of French nationality if the birth certificate does not prove nationality.
The price
In all of the situations outlined above, you must purchase a tax stamp with a value of 86 €. You can buy your tax stamp at any point of sale. You also have the option of purchasing your stamp directly online.
The price of the fiscal stamp varies if you make your request in Guyana or Mayotte:
- Guyana: € 43 if you provide the photo, € 44.50 if you take the photo at the town hall ticket office
- In Mayotte: 86 € if you provide the photo, 89 € if you take the photo at the office of the town hall
Waiting period and passport production
Passports are not made at the town hall and therefore you will not be able to collect your passport directly after making your renewal request.
However, if you don’t want to wait too long, consider when you will apply. Indeed, depending on the time of year, the wait may vary. For example, it is not recommended to apply for a passport renewal before the Christmas holidays or the summer holidays because the request literally explodes at these times of the year.
When you apply for your passport at the town hall, you can leave your phone number so that you can be quickly notified when it becomes available.
The lead time is 28 days on average for a passport renewal.
There is one way to obtain your passport within approximately 48 hours, it is an emergency request. However, the reasons for having access to this specific process are limited.
Withdrawal of passport
You must withdraw the passport within 3 months of its creation, otherwise it will be destroyed.
You can collect your new passport from the town hall where you applied for renewal. Bring your old passport as it must be returned.
Validity
Your new passport will be valid for 10 years from the date of issue.
Redo your passport following a lost or stolen passport
You may have lost or been stolen your passport. In this case, the process to renew your passport differs on a few points compared to a simple renewal.
In case of loss
If you have lost your passport, you will have to bring all the supporting documents for a renewal with an additional document; the declaration of loss of your passport.
You can make your declaration of lost passport at the town hall of your place of residence. Once it’s done, follow the same steps as for a renewal.
The cost, the waiting period, and the validity of your renewed passport following a loss will be the same as for a passport renewal.
In case of theft
If you have had your passport stolen, you must first make a declaration of theft of your passport. You can make this declaration at a police station.
Once this declaration has been made in a police station, follow the same steps as for a passport renewal.
The cost, the waiting period, and the validity of your renewed passport following a flight will be the same as for a passport renewal.
Read also: Passport in emergency: in which cases and how to obtain one?
