You send your old passport to the same address where you mail your renewal application and supporting documents; it is included in the physical package, even if you completed the renewal process online.

Key point

  • When you “renew online” (for example, by filling out the form and paying on a government site), you still normally have to print or receive a cover sheet/instructions that tell you where to mail your documents.
  • Your old passport goes in that same envelope with your signed renewal form, photo, and any required supporting paperwork.

Example: U.S. passport renewals

For U.S. passports, the mailing address (and therefore where your old passport goes) depends on:

  • Where you live (certain states use an Irving, TX processing center, others a Philadelphia, PA center, and some applications go to other facilities).
  • Whether you choose routine or expedited service; the instructions show the exact PO Box and tell you to write “EXPEDITE” on the envelope for faster service.

Your instruction sheet will say something like:

Send your completed renewal form, your most recent passport, photo, and any required documents to:
National Passport Processing Center, PO Box XXXXX, City, State, ZIP.

You are told to use a trackable postal service (for the U.S., usually USPS, not private couriers, because the addresses are PO Boxes).

Other countries / special cases

  • Some U.S. citizens renewing from abroad send their old passport to a specific embassy or consulate address listed in that country’s mail‑in instructions (for example, to the U.S. Consulate General at a local address, not to the U.S. itself).
  • For other nationalities (e.g., UK passports), the principle is similar: you follow the address given at the end of the online renewal process or in the confirmation email, and your old passport goes in that same package.

How to be sure in your case

  1. Complete the online renewal steps until you reach the confirmation/“next steps” page.
  2. Look for a PDF cover sheet or email titled “how to send your old passport/application” or similar.
  3. Use that exact mailing address and include:
    • Your old passport
    • The printed form/cover sheet
    • Any required photos and documents.

If you can’t find the instructions, check the “renew passport” page for your country’s official foreign affairs or passport agency website (for U.S. citizens, the Travel.gov passport renewal page) and match the address there.

TL;DR: When renewing online, you do not mail your old passport to some separate place; you put it in the same envelope as your printed renewal documents and send everything together to the official processing address shown in your online confirmation or on the government’s renewal instructions page.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.