How to Get Official Documents While Living Overseas
When Robert needed a new passport while living in South Korea, he discovered the process was nothing like doing it at home. Appointments booked months out, documents required in Korean, fees payable only by local bank transfer.
I have a confession. I once avoided getting a new passport for eight months because I was so intimidated by the thought of doing it from overseas. The embassy website was confusing. The appointment calendar was booked for months. The requirements list looked like it was written in a language I did not speak. So I just kept using my expiring passport and hoped for the best.
For US citizens, the process is actually surprisingly smooth. The State Department allows you to renew by mail using Form DS-82 if your current passport is not severely damaged, you were over 16 when it was issued, and you have no name changes. You mail your application, old passport, new photos, and fee to an address that varies by country. Processing takes four to six weeks.
This varies enormously by country. Some countries recognize international driving permits issued by your home country for a certain period, typically one year from entry. After that, you usually need a local license. Some countries require you to take a written test and sometimes a driving test. Others have agreements that let you simply exchange your home license for a local one.
An apostille is a form of authentication that makes a document valid in countries that are party to the Hague Apostille Convention. If you need to use a document from your home country in another country, you often need an apostille. For US documents, the apostille comes from the Secretary of State of the state where the document was issued.
If you have children while living abroad, you need to register the birth with both the local government and your home country's embassy or consulate. For US citizens, this means filing a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) at the embassy within a short window, typically 18 years but the process is easiest in the first few months.
Many official processes require documents to be translated into the local language by a certified translator. Not all translators are accepted. Some institutions require translations from translators registered with a specific body. Others accept any translation from a native speaker as long as it includes a translator's certification.
Documents are boring until you desperately need one and discover the process takes six months. Start the moment you think you might need something, not the moment you need it. Keep multiple certified copies of every important document in separate secure locations. Scan everything and store it in the cloud. The bureaucratic universe does not care about your deadlines.