TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Journalist Eric R Stone compiled instructions for U.S. citizens wishing to renew their 10-year passports in Taiwan based on the American Institute in Taiwan’s passport renewal guide.
Who this guide is for:
U.S. passport-holders in Taiwan wishing to renew a 10-year passport (and who find the instructions on the official website convoluted and messy).
Prerequisites:
- Passport has not been lost or damaged
- Passport expired less than 5 years ago (or is not expired)
- Passport was issued in your current name
If you meet all of the above prerequisites, you must apply for renewal via mail (no walk-ins allowed).
If you fail to meet any of the above prerequisites, see the walk-in renewal guide (currently unavailable).
I. Preparing the Application Package
To renew your 10-year passport by mail, you need to prepare an application package with the following:
- DS-82 Application Form
- Most recent passport
- Photocopy of passport
- Passport photo
- Application fee
- Delivery form
Tip: All of this should fit in an A4 manilla envelope.
1. DS-82 Application Form
This is your application form.
- Fill out the form in English (including Taiwanese mailing address) using the U.S. Department of State application wizard here.
Click here if you are having trouble obtaining your social security number.
Once you have completed the form, you will be able to download it as a PDF file.
The PDF will include 6 pages: 4 pages of instructions (marked “Instruction Page N of 4” at the bottom right corner) followed by 2 pages that make up the DS-82 form itself.
- Print out the last 2 pages of the PDF file on 2 separate sheets of paper.
You do NOT need to print the 4 pages of instructions for the application package. You need only print the final 2 pages that make up the DS-82 form.
- Sign and date the 1st of the 2 pages of the DS-82 application form.
2. Most Recent 10-Year U.S. Passport
You need to include your most recent 10-year U.S. passport in the application package.
- Sign the front page of your passport if you have not already.
3. Photocopy of Passport
You need to include a scan or photocopy of your most recent 10-year U.S. passport in the application package.
This should include both the page with your signature (left, or top) and the page with your photo and other information (right, or bottom).
(Wikimedia Commons photo)
4. New Passport Photo
You need to include a 2 x 2 inch (5 x 5 cm) passport photo taken within 6 months in the application package.
See specific U.S. passport photo requirements here.
5. Application Fee
You need to pay the application fee before sending in your application, and include either A) proof of electronic payment or B) payment via bank draft in the application package.
The application fee is US$130, or NT$4,050 (As of July 2023 — you should recalculate this based on the current conversion rate to be safe).
We do not accept cash or personal checks.
Option A: Electronic Payment
- Make electronic payment of US$130.00 via the secure government payment portal Pay.gov.
- Print out electronic payment confirmation, which you will receive via email when the transfer is successfully completed.
Option B: Bank Draft
- Purchase bank draft (cashier’s check) at a post office or bank.
You can buy an NTD bank draft (匯票) at any local post office in Taiwan, or a USD bank draft at most banks.
Make sure your bank draft includes the following information, depending on the currency used:
USD Bank Draft
Recipient: American Institute in Taiwan
Amount: US$130
NTD Bank Draft
Recipient: 美國在台協會 (Chinese required)
Amount: NT$4,050
We only accept bank drafts issued within the past 5 months.
6. Delivery Form
You need to fill out and print this delivery form, and include it in the application package. This is to specify the delivery instructions for your new passport.
II. Sending in Your Application
Once your application package has been prepared, it needs to be addressed and sent to one of the following two American Citizen Services Unit locations:
American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei
American Citizen Services Unit
Passport-by Mail Service
№100, Jinhu Road, Neihu District, Taipei 114017
American Institute in Taiwan, Kaohsiung
American Citizen Services Unit
Passport-by Mail Service
5F, №88, Chenggong 2nd Road, Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung 80661
III. Getting Your New Passport
The processing time for a 10-year passport is 4–6 weeks.
Your new and original passport will be sent to the address on your delivery form for a pay-on-delivery courier fee of NT$190.
Eric R Stone is a journalist, travel writer, and translator located in Taipei. He writes about Taiwanese culture, cross-strait politics, and Chinese human rights issues. In his free time, he also runs a Chinese-language Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Editors are welcome to reach out to Eric at [email protected] or visit his website www.ericrstone.c.
