Americans can now renew passports online

Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing a cumbersome mail-in paper application process that often causes delays.

The State Department announced Wednesday that its online renewal system is now fully operational after testing in pilot programs. It is available to adult passport holders whose passports have expired within the past five years or will expire in the coming year. It is not available for the renewal of children’s passports, for first-time passport applicants, for renewal applicants who live outside the United States, or for expedited applications.

“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 department estimated that about 5 million Americans would be able to use this service annually. In 2023, it processed 24 million passports, about 40% of which were renewals.

The department ramped up hiring after staffing shortages caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in lengthy passport processing delays. It introduced other technological improvements that have reduced wait times by about one-third over last year. It says most applications are now completed in far less than the advertised six weeks to eight weeks, and the online renewal system is expected to reduce that further.

The system will allow renewal applicants to skip the current process, which requires them to print out and send paper applications, photos, and a check by mail, and submit their documents, photo, and payment through a secure website, www.Travel.State.Gov/renewonline.

The existing passport processing fees, which are $130 for a regular renewal, will not change.

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