US Passport Can Now Be Renewed Online: Service Now Fully Operational

Americans can now renew their passports online, eliminating the need for paper applications by mail that often caused delays, writes Associated Press. The online renewal service was tested for several years, being launched partially for different categories of applicants. And now it is finally working.

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On September 18, the State Department announced that online passport renewal system is fully operational and has been tested in pilot programs. It is available to adult passport holders whose documents have expired in the last five years or will expire in the next year.

The system is not available for renewals of children's passports, first-time passport applicants, renewal applicants who live outside the United States, or those who require expedited processing.

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“Filing online is a convenient alternative to the traditional paper application process,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The department said it estimates that about 5 million Americans could use the service each year. In 2023, the State Department processed 24 million passports, about 40% of which were renewed.

After staff shortages, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, led to long delays in processing passports, the department increased staffing and implemented other technology improvements that have cut wait times by about a third compared to last year. Most applications are now processed much faster than the stated six to eight weeks, and the online renewal system is expected to reduce that time even further.

The system will allow applicants for passport renewals to avoid wasting time on printing and mailing paper applications, photographs and payment receipts. All documents can now be sent via a secure Web site.

The passport processing fee remains the same at $130.

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Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter, whose bureau oversees passport processing, said the department hopes to expand the program in coming years to include Americans living abroad, those seeking to renew a second passport and children's passports.

“This isn’t the last thing we do,” she said. “We want to see how this program works, and then we’ll start looking at ways to make this service available to more American citizens in the coming months and years.”

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