Renewing Your Passport Just Got a Whole Lot Easier—Here's How

If you’re a U.S. passport holder, you know how long the process can take to get it renewed, not to mention the stress involved hoping all your documents come back safely in the mail. But there's some good news—the U.S. Department of State announced it will now allow people to renew their passports online rather than using the traditional paper application method.

“The Department of State is making our new online passport renewal system fully available to the public today, a significant step forward in ensuring that Americans can more easily access passport services,” said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a recent press release. “Instead of printing a paper application and mailing it with a check, Americans can now renew their passports through a secure process that will save time and effort.”

To renew your passport online, visit the U.S. State Department website to confirm you meet the requirements, then create an account and start your online application. You'll also be asked to upload a digital photo with the specified dimensions and you'll need to pay all passport fees, among a few other steps.

According to AP News, roughly 5 million Americans can use this new online feature each year. However, this only includes adults, “whose passport has expired within the past five years or will expire in the coming year,” and does not include children’s passports that need renewal or first-time applicants outside the U.S. interested in renewing their passports. Expedited applications are also not available with this new online feature.

“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,” Blinken said in the press release. “Thanks to increased staffing, technological advancements, and a host of other improvements, the average routine passport is being processed today in roughly one-third the time as at the same point last summer, and well under the advertised six to eight weeks processing times.”