Passport renewals for Americans just got a whole lot easier.
The U.S. Department of State announced Wednesday that its online passport renewal system is now fully functional and available to adult passport holders in the U.S. The service is officially launching after going through several testing programs. The online renewal service allows you to avoid the time-consuming mail-in application process, which was previously the only option for passport renewal and often resulted in processing delays.
Applicants will no longer have to print any of their documents and will instead be able to submit their application, photo, and payment through a secure website—www.Travel.State.Gov/renewonline. There will be no change to the current $130 passport processing fee.
“By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to deliver the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
The State Department estimates that approximately five million Americans will be eligible for online renewal this year, but unfortunately, the service is not available to adults or children under 18 who are obtaining a passport for the first time.
The department has officially decided to implement an online renewal option after several long passport processing delays due to the pandemic. After hiring more staff and tweaking other technological elements, the department reported that delays have decreased by a third in the past year. Most applications are being completed well ahead of the advertised six- to eight-week timeframe, and the online service is expected to speed up the process even further.
In the coming years, the department hopes to expand the online program to Americans living abroad, children and those renewing second passports. “This won’t be the last thing we do,” Rena Bitter, assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, told reporters. “We want to see how this goes and then we’ll start looking at ways to continue to provide this service to more Americans in the months and years ahead.”
If you meet the criteria above, you can visit www.Travel.State.Gov/renewonline to renew your passport.