RENEWING A US PASSPORT WHILE LIVING IN FRANCE (PART III)

The final document of my passport renewal came today.

My new passport card arrived by Chronopost after I received an e-mail yesterday from the US Consulate in Marseille advising me that the passport card was en route. It took only three weeks for my new passport booklet to arrive and ten weeks for my passport card. I need to compliment the Marseille Consulate again for its spectacular service. I had incorrectly assumed that with living oversea there would be extensive delays to a passport renewal.

Passport Card package from Marseille Consulate

I now have my complete set (passport booklet and passport card) of United States travel documents, ready for use until their expiration in 2026. My passport card will also double as an approved REAL ID document for future domestic US air travel and to enter high security US government offices without having to always carry my passport booklet. In all, it was a much easier process to renew my passport while living oversea than I anticipated.