Travelers from the United States looking to continue their worldly adventures can now renew their passports online. Last week the State Department announced they would begin testing an online passport renewal program.
However, there is a catch, according to Travel and Leisure, only travelers who live in the United States at present and have passports that were issued between 2009 and 2015 will be able to renew online. Those who hope to change identification details such as name or date of birth will also not be able to use the online renewal system.
So what do you need to do to renew your passport online? Those who submit for online renewal must pay a fee of $130 and be able to take and upload a new identification photo.
You may be eligible to renew your passport online if the passport you’re renewing was valid for 10 years and you are age 25 or older, you are not traveling internationally for at least eight weeks from the date you will submit your application, or if you are applying for a regular tourist passport.
Next you’ll need to make an account on MyTravelGov, and opt to renew your passport online. You will then be asked questions about the information indicated on your current passport, enter future travel plans, upload your photo, sign electronically, and pay the fee.
Though you may be used to the instant gratification of online platforms, those who submit for renewal will need to wait 6-8 weeks for your new passport to be processed, this also excludes mailing time.
The State Department’s beta release of this program will be available over the course of several months, during which time, the daily number of accepted applications will be limited as the system’s performance is monitored for effectiveness.
