Renew a Thai passport abroad: US, UK and Sweden steps

If your Thai passport is running out, the renewal itself is usually simpler than the first passport was. You book, you go in person, and the new one arrives a few weeks later. The details that trip people up are the ID card, the way you pay, and the rules for children. This page goes through each of them for the US, the UK and Sweden.

If you don’t have a Thai passport yet, start with Should I get my Thai passport?, which covers the first passport, including a child’s first one.

How does Thai passport renewal work abroad?

You apply for a new passport; the old book isn’t extended. Washington DC says passports “cannot be renewed within the same book.” Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says applicants “must apply in person at the Thai embassies / consulates-general abroad,” and that Thai nationals “can only hold one Passport.”

In person matters because the new passport is an e-passport with your biometrics. Stockholm takes your photo and fingerprints. Washington DC, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York also scan your iris. Washington DC, Los Angeles and Chicago ask you not to wear coloured contact lenses that day; New York allows only clear prescription lenses.

What documents do adults need?

For an adult (20 or over) renewing a passport that is nearly or already expired, the lists we read agree on the core:

• your current Thai passport (a police report if it was lost)
• a valid Thai ID card
• the application form (US posts have you fill it in through the appointment system)
• the fee, and postage if you want the passport mailed back

Some posts add papers in specific cases. Washington DC and Chicago ask for your Thai house registration only if your address has changed. Stockholm asks for a copy of it if the name there differs from your old passport or ID card. Our house registration guide explains what that record is.

If your surname changed after marriage or divorce, the change is recorded in Thailand first. Washington DC’s FAQ says: “You need to change your last name in the Thai House Registration system before applying for a new passport.” You or someone you authorise can do that at the district office. You then bring the name change certificate. Washington DC and Chicago note that the new passport shows the name in the Thai registration database, which may differ from your old passport.

What if your Thai ID card has expired, or you never had one?

Expired card. Each post handles this in its own order:

• Washington DC: its renewal FAQ (last updated April 2025) says to book only the passport appointment, and “the officer will assist you in renewing your Thai national ID card before processing your passport renewal.”
• London: applicants “may request the renewal/replacement of Thai National ID Card on the passport appointment date.”
• New York: book a separate ID card appointment on the same day as your passport appointment.
• Stockholm: “please make an online booking to renew the Thai ID-card before booking a time for a Thai E-passport appointment.”

Never had a card. The first Thai ID card is made only in Thailand. Washington DC and Chicago say an adult who has held a Thai passport but never had an ID card can’t apply for a new passport abroad. Chicago says they must return to Thailand for a first card; Washington DC says to ask a passport officer about an Emergency Travel Document instead. Our guide to the Thai ID card for people born abroad covers the first card and how embassies renew it.

How much does it cost, and how long does it take?

This table shows what each official page said when we read it on 14 October 2026. Fees change, so check before you go.

Getting it back. Most posts let you collect in person or have it mailed. Return postage differs a lot, post by post:

• Stockholm: a pre-paid PostNord REK envelope bought online, one per passport. Stockholm says passports not collected within 90 days of the receipt date may be cancelled.
• London: a self-addressed, pre-paid Royal Mail Special Delivery 500g envelope.
• Washington DC: postage paid in cash on the day; its passport pages say 38.25 USD, by Priority Mail Express only.
• Los Angeles: bring your own stamps; it lists 13.90 USD for Priority Mail (no tracking) or 38.25 USD for Priority Mail Express.
• Chicago: cash; its adult page lists 14 USD for Priority Mail (Chicago and nearby areas) or 39 USD for Express Mail (other states).
• New York: a USPS Priority Mail Express flat rate envelope with real stamps (no metered stamps), one per person.

Less than six months left and travelling soon? Washington DC’s FAQ says to ask your airline first, and if it refuses, to ask about an Emergency Travel Document.

How do you book, and is there a mobile consular service?

Every post we checked asks you to book ahead. London says walk-ins are not permitted for passports. Washington DC and Chicago serve people with appointments before walk-ins. New York asks everyone to book except people over 60, and gives priority to residents of the ten states it serves.

Each US post serves specific states, so book with the one that covers where you live. Stockholm serves residents of Sweden and Latvia.

If you live far from the embassy, ask about a mobile consular service. Washington DC’s page lists ten passport and ID card visits between November 2025 and September 2026, all completed, with no upcoming dates posted when we checked. London held one in Cardiff on 28 and 29 March 2026 that included passports. We found no mention of one on Stockholm’s passport page.

How do you renew a Thai passport for a child?

Under-20s count as minors for a Thai passport. Stockholm issues them a 5-year passport only; the Washington DC and Chicago minors pages list only a 5-year fee. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says a minor’s “parents or legal guardian must appear and sign the parental consent form.”

What the posts ask for, broadly:

• the child’s current Thai passport
• the Thai birth certificate
• a Thai ID card if the child has one (London lists it from age 7)
• the parents’ papers: London asks for the Thai parent’s ID card and the non-Thai parent’s passport; the US posts ask for a marriage certificate, custody certificate (Por. Kor. 14) or divorce certificate
• a house registration copy in some cases, for example London when the child has no Thai ID card

Consent is where the posts differ most. Stockholm and London say both parents come. If one parent can’t, Stockholm mentions a certified power of attorney, and, for parents with shared custody, a letter of consent from a district office in Thailand, not older than 90 days, with a signed copy of that parent’s Thai ID card. London accepts a letter of consent from the embassy or consulate where that parent lives, or from a district office or the Department of Consular Affairs in Thailand. Washington DC and Chicago accept a consent form signed in person with an officer, or a notarised Power of Attorney and Consent. After a divorce, the parent with custody signs. Ask your post which route applies to your family before the appointment.

A child’s first Thai passport, and the birth registration before it, are covered in Should I get my Thai passport?. If your child travels on two passports, see which passport to use when entering Thailand, and for your other country’s rules, Thai dual citizenship.

Not sure which office covers you? Our list of Thai embassies and consulates for families has them by country.

What we couldn’t confirm

We only publish what an official page says. These points had no clear answer on the pages we read:

• London’s current return postage and any processing details beyond “4 to 6 weeks”; its page doesn’t mention biometrics, though the Ministry says you apply in person
• New York’s rules for minors, and a date on its passport pages
• whether Washington DC still renews an expired ID card at the passport appointment: its FAQ (April 2025) says so, but its passport page links a separate ID card booking and doesn’t say
• how Los Angeles and Chicago handle an expired ID card; both list a valid one as required
• whether Washington DC’s return postage is 38.25 USD (its passport pages) or 32 USD (its renewal FAQ, last updated April 2025)
• the details on the Los Angeles page for minors; we read only its adult instructions
• upcoming mobile consular dates for any of these posts

We re-check this guide at least every 90 days. Confirm with your embassy before you book.