Renew a Vietnamese Passport in the USA

Is your Vietnamese passport about to expire — or already expired — while you're living in the U.S. and unable to travel home? You can renew (replace) your Vietnamese passport right here in the U.S. without flying back or waiting in line at a Consulate. The whole process is surprisingly simple: you just send a few phone photos, VietVisas handles the rest, and your new passport is delivered free to your door. You also pay only after your application is approved, so there's almost no risk in getting started.

"Renewal" is really a replacement

One thing worth knowing up front, because it determines which service you need: a Vietnamese passport's validity cannot be extended. An ordinary passport is valid for up to 10 years; while it is still valid you can be re-issued one, and once it has expired you apply for a new one — no days are ever added to the old book. That rule is set out in the official procedure published by Vietnam's missions in the U.S.

In everyday speech people still say "renewing my passport", and that is exactly the service this page describes. The only difference is what arrives: a new passport with a new number, not your old one stamped with a later date.

Who is this for, and when?

For Vietnamese citizens living in the U.S. (adults and children). Get a new passport when:

• Your passport has less than 6 months left, or has already expired.
• The passport has run out of stamp pages.
• Your name changed after marriage, or your details changed.

About that six-month mark: many airlines and many countries require a passport with at least six months' validity on the date of entry. So a passport that is technically still valid may not be usable for the trip you've booked — which is the most common reason people end up needing this in a hurry.

Which service do you actually need?

Passport situation	The right service
Expiring, expired, out of pages, name changed	Renewal / replacement — this page
Lost or badly damaged	Replace a lost passport
Never had a Vietnamese passport	First-time passport
For a child born in the U.S.	Passport for children

Starting in the wrong category is a common reason a file has to be restarted — if you're unsure, ask first.

Not sure which category you're in? Message VietVisas with a photo of your passport's info page — we'll tell you which service you need, including when it isn't this one.

What do you need to prepare?

Very little — usually just a few photos you can take on your phone (no notarization, no complicated paperwork) plus your mailing details. Broadly, a renewal application involves four types of documents and information:

1. Your current Vietnamese passport — a photo of it; the original stays with you.
2. Proof of your U.S. status — a green card, U.S. passport, or equivalent document.
3. One headshot — a phone photo is fine; see our document photo guide.
4. A mailing address and phone number for the new passport.

Every case differs a little — children, name changes, and passports that expired years ago each have their own requirements. A specialist sends you the exact list for your situation as soon as you message us and reviews everything before filing so nothing is missed.

New to renewing a Vietnamese passport in the U.S.? Don't worry — a specialist walks you through each step, from how to take the photos correctly to the fastest way to send them. No notary visit, no office trips; it's all done right from your phone.

The 4-step process

1. Message us — via Messenger, Zalo, phone, or email. A specialist sends you the document list to prepare.
2. Send a few photos following our document photo guide (phone photos are fine).
3. VietVisas files & tracks your application with the Consulate / competent authority.
4. Receive it at home — free, tracked delivery. You pay only after it's approved.

File it yourself, or have VietVisas do it?

You are free to file directly with a Vietnamese mission. If you go that way, a few points from the official procedure are worth knowing first:

• Filing in person means going there during office hours — for many people that is a flight or a day off work.
• Filing by mail requires U.S.-issued documents to carry an apostille from the Secretary of State of the state you live in; documents without one are not treated as valid.
• You must enclose a prepaid certified-mail envelope for the return, and the guidance says explicitly not to use FedEx Ground or UPS Ground.
• Fees are paid by money order, cashier's check, certified check, or cash in person — not by card, as most U.S. transactions are.
• An incomplete or invalid file is sent back; without a return envelope enclosed, it is not processed at all.

Going through VietVisas skips all of that: you send photos, we prepare the file, submit it, track it, and deliver the new passport to your door. And if you would rather do it yourself, our step-by-step guide is free to read.

Special cases

A passport that expired long ago. Still fine — there's no point at which you lose the right to renew. A passport expired more than 10 years has its own fee (below); otherwise the process is the same.

A name change after marriage, or names that don't match across documents. Very common for people who've been in the U.S. a while — diacritics on the Vietnamese passport, none on the American paperwork, or a different surname after marriage. It's usually workable, but flag it up front so the specialist prepares correctly from the start.

The new passport design. Vietnamese passports issued in recent years look different from the old ones — no handwritten signature or seal on the data page. That's the current standard, not a defect. More: why the new passport has no signature or seal.

Does your case have a complication? Long expired, a name change, documents with conflicting details — send photos and we'll look first. Reviewing a file is free, and knowing up front beats finding out halfway.

Time & cost

Processing and delivery times often get confused. Keeping them separate makes planning much easier:

Stage	Typically takes
You send photos; a specialist checks and completes the file	same day
Processing, until the application is approved	2–3 business days
Free, tracked delivery of the new passport to your door	about 2 business days

In other words, "2–3 days" is processing time, not the day the passport is in your hands — allow time for shipping and any public holidays in Vietnam or the U.S. that fall during that period.

All-in cost:

Passport situation	Fee
Still valid, or expired less than 10 years	$175
Expired more than 10 years	$210 (includes express shipping from the Consulate to your home)

Pay later, not up front — via Zelle, Venmo, or any major credit card once your application is approved.

Start earlier than you think you need to. If the passport is for a flight you've already booked, count backward from the departure date: subtract delivery, subtract processing, subtract a few days' margin — and remember the six-month mark above, because many airlines require at least six months' validity on the date of entry.

Why choose VietVisas?

• Fully handled in the U.S. — no trip to Vietnam, no waiting in line.
• Remarkably simple — just a few phone photos; your original passport stays in your hands.
• Pay only after approval — nothing due up front.
• Bilingual support — real people, in Vietnamese or English, not a chatbot.

Want the full details — eligibility, special cases, and key things to watch for? Read the complete guide: How to renew a Vietnamese passport in the U.S..

Need the passport in time for a booked flight? Message VietVisas — or call +1 (415) 390-6525.