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Can I keep my old passport? It's a common question we get all the time. There are many reasons why you may want to keep your old passport. It has nostalgia, it has an old picture of you, and most important it has the stamps from all the countries you have been to. It's nice to have a record of where you went, with exact dates for future reference. After the age of 16, you need a new passport every 10 years, so it would be nice to keep all your passports throughout your life.they're like mini travel journals.

When you send in your passport renewal application, you need to attach your old passport. However, the good news is that they will return it to you. Note that sometimes it is mailed separately, so don't worry if it doesn't come in the same envelope as your new passport. Oddly enough, it often comes back long after your new passport has arrived.

Furthermore, the U.S. Department of State occasionally 'forgets' to send it back to you. In that case, simply send them a nice reminder to return your old passport.



So the answer to your questions is, yes, you get to keep your expired passport. However, it will have holes in the front cover to show that it is invalid.

PS. We also heard that some people are so eager to keep their old passport and afraid that they will not get it back, that they report it lost before applying for a new passport. We do not recommend that you do that. Furthermore, like with any old IDs, make sure that you keep your old passport in a safe place.

We love keeping our old passports. They have big sentimental value.