# Travel >> Travel Preparation >> Passports

How to Renew a Portuguese Passport

Journalist José Antónia Saraiva has memories of the difficulties in renewing his Portuguese passport as a child. "All these endless laps (of) time involved in waiting rooms.... Years and years of lost evenings of fruitless trips to the registry," he wrote in a translated version of his article "O Passaporte" in the April 25, 2008, publication of "O Sol." However, in the same story, he went on to say how easy it was for him to renew his passport in 2008. "What once was a torment is now almost a pleasure - everything works so well," he wrote. Since Portugal joined the European Union in 1986 and because of the electronic passport, renewing a Portuguese passport from the U.S. became much easier when you have the proper documentation.

Current Portuguese passport
Portuguese Identification Card

Instructions

- 1
  Register at the Portuguese consulate in the United States with jurisdiction over the state in which you live. The website of the Embassy of Portugal to the United States lists of U.S. consulates and their respective states of jurisdiction. The list also includes several honorary consulates. Find additional information about Portugal's U.S. consulates on its citizen website, Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas.
- 2
  Travel to Washington, D.C. Appear in person at the consulate section of the Portuguese Embassy. At this point, if you have not already registered with a Portuguese consulate, you can register there.
- 3
  Bring your current passport and your Portuguese Identification Card with you. The passport renewal process requires the PIC. "Passports may be renewed six months within date of expiration," according to the Embassy of Portugal to the United States.
- 4
  Complete an application form for passport renewal. Minors under the age of 18 must also have a parent sign their application. The parent must have a valid PIC or Portuguese passport.
- 5
  Pay the consular fee with cash or a money order. At the time of publication, the fee is $70.63 for those 11 years old or younger, $98.88 from 12 to 65 years of age and $84.75 for those 66 years old and older. Pay an additional $17.00 for your new passport to arrive by overnight shipment.