Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bojangles]

Has anybody renewed an expiring passport at the US embassy in Seoul? The website indicates that you can do it by mail. Just wondering how easy,expensive, or complicated it actually is....and how long it took. tanks.

[koreatimes]

I would definitely do it in person.

[mmstyle]

I had a stolen one replaced here. I went in to get the process started, then had it couriered to me. It was about 4-5 years ago, though, so even if I could remember how long it took, it may no longer be accurate. It wasn't much of a hassle, though. If you travel much, you'd want to get extra pages (I can't recall if the US makes extra long passport books like some other countries do). I have been to the embassy since they started the appointment system, and it does seem to cut down on waiting time significantly.

[crazyfingers]

I did mine a couple months ago using one of the courier companies listed on the embassy website.[Hanjin] They came and picked it up (cost me 10,000 won) and I had they brought the new one back in less than 7 days (another 10,000 won). I opted for the 52 page book at no extra cost. Just attached a sticky note to my application stating I wanted the 52 page book.

I downloaded the application form on the website as well. All the instructions are there. Quick and painless.. Here's the site:

http://seoul.usembassy.gov/acs_renewal_for_adult.html

[tran.huongthu]

[jamesd]

They return the old passport with a hole punched through it.

[bojangles]

tanks for the info y'all.

[jizza]

I did it by mail. They want you to do it by mail and explicitly say so.
Doing it by mail is a lot easier. Use one of the 택배 and it's like 5000W total.

Also I was surprised by the turnaround. I got mine back in about 2-3 weeks.

[laynamarya]

I did mine about a year ago, made an appointment, went in early, and was done in about fifteen minutes.

A couple of caveats: the embassy now requires you to make an appointment for anything that is non-emergency, and all passport fees went up significantly last year, especially adding pages to your passport (but I think if you request extra pages in your renewal passport, it won't change the cost).

[jisun]

I am trying to renew my US passport by mail, but I can't find anything on either of the approved couriers' websites that tells me how to schedule a pickup/dropoff. If I call them, will I be able to speak with someone in English? Or is there another way I can contact them without having to ask a Korean speaker for assistance? Do I need to notify the embassy that they should expect my renewal application? Lastly, will I be able to request return service to my school rather than my apartment? Thanks!