Renewing Your Passport Just Got Much Easier—and Quicker

Passport renewal has just gotten much easier for Americans.

The U.S. State Department announced on Wednesday that its online passport renewal system is now fully operational and available to adult passport holders in the United States. The service is officially launching after undergoing several test 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 frequently led to processing delays.

Applicants will no longer have to print out any of their documentation and can instead submit applications, photos, and payment through a secure website—www.Travel.State.Gov/renewonline. There will be no change to the current passport processing fee of $130.

“By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

The State Department estimates that roughly five million Americans will be able to use the online renewal service this year, but unfortunately it’s not available for adults who are obtaining their first passport, or children under the age of 18.

The department decided to formally institute an online renewal option after multiple lengthy passport processing delays caused by the pandemic. After hiring more employees and fine-tuning other technological elements, the departments reported that delays have been reduced by as much as one-third over the last year. Most applications are completed well before the advertised six-to-eight week time frame, and the online service is expected to expedite that process further.

In the coming years, the department hopes to expand the online program to include Americans living abroad, children, and those renewing a second passport. “This is not going to be the last thing that 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 make this service available to more American citizens in the coming months and years.”

If you meet the above criteria, you can visit www.Travel.State.Gov/renewonline to renew your passport.

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