Renewing your passport has always been a lengthy task that everyone seems to dread.
Well, I think things will get easier for all of us moving forward.
Today, I want to discuss how to renew your passport online and give us a better understanding of the process and how it works.
The U.S. State Department says it plans to fully launch an online passport renewal option for the general public in early 2023.
That sounds like great news to me!
Without further ado, Let’s go renew our passports!
For more information on getting your passport, please check out https://www.travel.state.gov
Renewing Your Passport Online and How it Works
It’s time to be brutally honest for a moment.
Getting your passport was always super annoying, but it was much worse during the Covid-19 pandemic when the wait times reached as long as 18 weeks.
Talking about running out of patience!
The US Department of State said it has reduced its backlog of about 2 million applications, but the agency still estimates at least 9 weeks to renew a passport, not including mail time.
A new program is underway that will allow people to renew their passports online and shorten that dreaded wait time.
Originating from an executive order by President Biden, a pilot program for online passport renewals was launched on August 2nd with over 25,000 open slots that were filed by August 12th alone!
While it’s unclear yet how much time the online process will save, it should eliminate the mailing time and the burdensome requirements of passport renewal.
How Does the New Online Passport Program Actually Work?
Back in the day, you would handle a passport renewal by mail. You’d package up your old physical passport, fill out a form called a DS-82, include a new photo, pay the fees, mail it off and then play the waiting game.
With the new renewal system, you can seamlessly complete the request online and upload a digital photo, pay electronically, and then wait a couple of months. Well, maybe.
The Department of State is not promising anything at this point, it’s still sticking with its 9-week estimate, regardless of how you apply.
However, early applicants for online passport renewals have reported quick turnaround times- some as fast as fourteen days!
Despite all of this, the passport fees will not go down in price.
Here are the current prices:
- $130 for a Passport Book
- $30 for a Passport Card
- $160 for both
FYI, for a quicker turnaround, online applicants will be given the opportunity to pay $60 for expedited service.
Who Can Renew?
During the beta testing phase of the new program, the Department of State has put some strict regulations on who can apply and who can’t.
Let’s take a look.
- Passport renewal applicants must be 25 or older, with an existing physical passport in good condition that has been valid or was valid for 10 years.
- That required passport must have been issued at least nine years ago, but not longer than 15 years ago (between 2007 and 2013).
These are the two main qualifications for online passport renewal, but the Department of State includes some additional caveats.
Here are a few of them to be aware of…
- You cannot change your name, gender, or date or place of birth.
- You can only renew online for tourist passports, not special issuance.
- You must live in the US.
- You must be able to pay your passport fees by credit card, debit card or ACH bank transfer.
- You must be able to upload an acceptable digital passport photo.
- You should be aware that your existing passport will immediately become invalid.
What if I am eligible?
So, we meet the requirements, how do we go about renewing your passport?
First, you’ll need to create a My Travel Gov account on the Department of State’s website. If you don’t have one, that’s perfectly fine. The process is much quicker than registering for other accounts such as an IRS account or buying a saving bond online.
First things first, you will want to visit the My Travel Gov portal and click the blue button that says click here for your MytravelGov account log-in. This should take you to the sign-in page.
When you register, please put your legal name, email address, and a strong password. That’s it. That’s all that’s required.
You should receive a verification email, click the verification link, and then you will be requested to answer 3 security questions.
For the best practices, store these answers in a safe place.
After completing the security questions, Mytravelgov will promptly send you a one-time code to your email that will allow you to log into your account.
If you need further assistance, there is a tutorial video on how to walk you through the entire process!
What’s next on renewing your passport?
The next program launched in September of this year. If you’re anxious on renewing your passport, I recommend checking for the site’s updates to stay informed during the fall.
The Department of State is using these beta programs to test stability and performance of this renewal system. If it goes according to plan, the department should open up the system to all Americans by 2023.
Thoughts & Takeaways
And that wraps things up for today. As with any new program that the Government launches, we can expect for some early bugs that need to be worked out. But from everything that I have researched, it looks like the wait times for renewing your passport will shorten, resulting in a much more pleasant experience. I hope you found this article to be helpful. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
-CT