What To Do If You Discover Your Expired Passport (Yes, It Happens to the Best of Us)
By Jamie Cassidy | Road & Table Travel
Table of Contents:
✈️ The Morning My Travel Plans Almost Fell Apart
😱 Step One: Don’t Panic (Easier Said Than Done)
🧾 Step-by-Step: How I Renewed My Expired Passport in One Day
✈️ The Morning My Travel Plans Almost Fell Apart
I’m that friend everyone teases for being overly organized — color-coded folders, printed confirmations, outfit charts, the works. Honestly, it’s how I keep my anxiety in check. When it comes to travel, my organizational skills shift into high gear.
So imagine my horror when, the day before a trip to Quebec, I discovered my passport was expired.
I had everything planned:
- Dinner reservations made
- Attraction tickets printed
- Outfit list perfectly packed two days ahead
Then, as I unlocked our safe to grab my passport — that pit-in-your-stomach moment hit. The expiration date had passed. Cue full-blown panic.
😱 Step One: Don’t Panic (Easier Said Than Done)
If you’ve just realized you have an expired passport before your trip, take a deep breath. It happens — even to seasoned travelers and professionals.
Here’s exactly what to do to hopefully get your passport renewed in time:
🧾 Step-by-Step: How I Renewed My Expired Passport in One Day
- Call the National Passport Information Center
- Ask for an appointment at a National Passport Agency.
- If possible, choose a less populated city — they often have shorter wait times and easier same-day processing.
- Print Everything — Seriously, Everything
- You’ll need printed proof of travel (flights, hotels, confirmations, etc.) dated within 14 days.
- The passport agency will not accept phone screenshots as proof.
- Complete the Passport Renewal Form
- Download it online (Form DS-82 or DS-11 depending on your situation).
- Fill it out in black ink and double-check all details.
- Get Passport Photos Taken Immediately
- Stop at Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, or a post office that offers photo services.
- Bring two printed passport photos.
- Prepare Your Documents
- Old passport
- Printed travel confirmations
- Completed renewal form
- Passport photos
- Check or money order for the passport fee
- Arrive Early — Way Early
- Don’t wait for your exact appointment time.
- Arrive hours early to ensure you’re seen and to handle any unexpected paperwork.
- Be Kind, Stay Calm, and Cross Your Fingers
- The staff truly want to help you — patience and politeness go a long way.
🎉 The Good News
I drove two and a half hours to a regional passport agency, walked in with every document ready, and seven hours later… I walked out with a brand-new passport in hand.
Was it stressful? Absolutely.
Worth it? 100%.
🌍 Key Takeaways for Avoiding Future Passport Panic
- Always check your passport expiration date at least six months before international travel.
- Set a calendar reminder six months before it expires.
- Consider keeping a digital copy of your passport for reference (never for travel).
- If you frequently travel, renew it early rather than waiting until the last minute.
✨ Final Thoughts
Discovering an expired passport right before a trip is every traveler’s nightmare — but it doesn’t have to ruin your plans. With quick action, preparation, and a little patience, you can often get a new passport in time to still make that flight.
Take it from someone who’s lived through it — and made it to dinner in Quebec with a glass of wine and a new passport in hand. 🍷
Jamie Cassidy – Founder & Travel Designer at Road & Table
Jamie Cassidy is the founder and travel designer behind Road & Table — a boutique travel brand curating food-forward journeys and authentic travel experiences around the world. From truffle hunts in Tuscany to oyster farms in Connemara, she believes every road leads to a great table (and an even better story).
© Jamie Cassidy and Road And Table, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jamie Cassidy and Road and Table with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
