How you renew your passport is changing. Here’s what to know…

Major changes are coming to the way Americans can renew their passports, which has been a time-consuming and inconvenient task in the past.

The State Department announced on Wednesday that it is now possible to renew your passport online with their fully functional online renewal system. Prior to this, those wishing to re-up their passport had to mail in a paper application which tended to cause delays.

NPR additionally reported that “adult passport holders whose passport has expired within the past five years or will expire in the coming year” will be able to take advantage of this new program. However, it is important to note that children’s passport renewals and first-time passport applicants do not qualify for online renewal.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on the technological update: “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.”

It is estimated that nearly 5 million Americans will benefit from the efficiency of an online process, as in 2023 about 40% of passports processed were for renewals. This will also ease the pressure on both Americans and employees, as short staffing largely caused by the pandemic created longer delays than many were okay with. The State Department has ramped up hiring and developing technology that would expedite the process and now says that wait times have been reduced by about one-third from last year.

For those needing to renew their passports, or those interested in browsing the process, you can do so at www.Travel.State.Gov/renewonline.

The $30 processing fee for renewing a passport will remain the same.

According to Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter, the department is looking to expand its services in the future in the hopes of providing renewal options to “possibly include Americans living abroad, those seeking to renew a second passport and children’s passports.”

“This is not going to be the last thing that we do,” she assured 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.”

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