If you are looking to renew your passport, the government is making it easier to do so. Those are words rarely spoken but I digress. Instead of renewing your passport in person by going to the appropriate facility in person, you can now renew your passport online.
The State Department first offered an online renewal option back in 2021. It was paused several times and in March of 2023 it was paused indefinitely. It has now been reinstated in a beta format.
There are some requirements that you must meet and a few different hoops to jump through but it just may be all worth it in the end if you don’t want to leave your home.
Who is eligible to renew their passport online?
The following list of things are needed to be met for you to be eligible to renew your passport online. You can read all of the details for each one at the government site.
- The passport you are renewing is or was valid for 10 years and you are over 25 years of age.
- The passport must be between 9 and 15 years old.
- You aren’t changing your name, gender, date of birth, or place of birth.
- You aren’t traveling internationally in 8 weeks from the date of submitting your application.
- You are applying for a regular tourist passport.
- You live in a U.S. state or territory.
- You have your passport and it isn’t damaged.
- You are able to pay with a credit card or debit card.
- You can upload a digital photo.
- Once you submit the online application, you can’t use the current passport to travel internationally.
Steps in Renewing Your Passport
Once you know that you meet all of the above requirements, you will then do the following steps to renew your passport online.
- Go to MyTravelGov homepage to create an account
You will click the Sign In button on the MyTravelGov homepage. From there you can create a new account or sign in to your existing account.
- Fill out the application
For the time being, they are limiting the amount of people that can fill out an application each day. The window to complete an application begins at 1:00 pm ET.
- Fill out information pertaining to your most recent passport
It is at this stage where they compare the information you provide versus what they have on record to see if you can complete the application online.
- Enter details about your travel plans
If you plan on traveling internationally in less than 8 weeks, you won’t be able to renew your passport online.
- Upload an original photo in the JPEG format
The photo must not be a selfie and the background must be plain off white. The following page gives you all the other requirements you must meet when taking your photo.
- Sign and pay for the passport
You can pay all of the passport fees by credit or debit card. It is also possible to use an Automated Clearing House payment from your bank.
- Enroll in email updates
Two emails will be sent to you after submitting your payment. The first one will confirm your payment is pending. The second email will confirm that they have received your payment. A week after completing the application, you can enroll in more email updates about the status of your passport.
Other Things to Keep in Mind
- The time that it takes to get your passport when renewing it online is no faster than the 6-8 weeks that it takes when renewing your passport the traditional way. There have been data points showing that some people have received their passport in just a few weeks. Just realize that your mileage may vary.
- The only way to ask for expedited service for your passport is if your travel plans change after submitting your application.
- If you have a passport card that needs to be renewed, it can also be done online.
- The cost for passport books are $130 and $30 for a passport card.
Make sure to go to my blog Travelwidstom to find ways to save on travel, travel itineraries, and how to earn and maximize credit card points and miles and more.
