# Renewing French passport



## solost1992

My passport expires in 8 months and wondering if I can renew it now. In 2 months' time I won't be able to use it to travel outside of France because I will run into that 6-month validity problem. Since it is so hard to find an appointment in city hall for renewal, I thought I would start looking now and if I happen to get an appointment in June, that would be great.


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## Bevdeforges

Unlike when you are looking to renew a carte de séjour, there isn't really any limitation on when you can apply to renew your passport. (One of the "privileges" of nationality?) Go ahead and start trying to find an appointment. Lots of people renew "early" due to precisely those sorts of requirements (i.e. the need to have 6 months left on your passport, etc.)


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## Nunthewiser

I have no idea if this applies to France (but guessing that it does), but the six-month validity limitation applies to the outgoing, visiting country. The passport only needs to be valid when returning home-doesn't matter how close to expiration . This is for US citizens.


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## Bevdeforges

Nunthewiser said:


> The passport only needs to be valid when returning home-doesn't matter how close to expiration . This is for US citizens.


Actually, many countries don't actually require the passport to be valid on the return of a citizen to their home country. (The US is that way - they have to allow you in as long as you can prove you ARE a US citizen, even if your passport has expired. ) But to return to your home country, you have to first be admitted to another country - and that's where the difficulty comes in. Especially this summer, with the backlog here in France for renewing passports.


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## solost1992

Thanks Bev. Found an appointment for middle of June. If anyone is interested in trying to find appointments in Paris, they are listed from midnight Sunday, I got mine at 1:30 AM Sunday morning. Trying to find appointments during the week is impossible. And also have to renew my US passport, but that's an easier process.


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## Bevdeforges

solost1992 said:


> And also have to renew my US passport, but that's an easier process.


Just be certain to follow their instructions to the letter. Nearly everyone I know has had their first attempt returned to them because they included the "wrong" sort of return envelope (and it does seem to keep changing). 

Anyhow, glad to hear you got your appointment for the French passport renewal. Happy travel planning.


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## solost1992

There is one thing I don't understand about renewing the US passport. If I use a Chronopost for the return portion to me, do I have the post office stamp the receipt for my tracking even though it won't be sent to me until much later. I'm not sure if the Embassy takes it to the post office or just drops it in a post box. Or do I just take a copy of the receipt without it being stamped by the Post.


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