The U.S. Department of State reopened its online passport renewal portal on Wednesday (12), bringing back an experimental service that had not been available for over a year.
The service, available to a limited number of travelers who meet certain requirements, is part of a beta program designed to expedite the passport renewal process for Americans. For now, the program is only available for routine renewals, not for emergency services.
The Department of State’s website explains that you may not be able to start your application on the day of your choice. The system will open for a limited window at noon Eastern Time (starting at 1 PM ET) each day and will close once the daily limit is reached.
Therefore, if you cannot start your application, the Department suggests trying again on another day. If you do not want to wait or do not qualify to renew online, you can also renew by mail.
“In the coming months, we plan to continue limiting the number of applications accepted each day to monitor the system’s performance in real-time. This beta version, during which we are limiting daily applications, is an important and standard part of the software development process,” explains the Department.
Check below to see if you meet the requirements to renew your passport online:
You can renew online if you meet all of these requirements:
• The passport you are renewing is or was valid for 10 years, and you are 25 years or older.
• The passport you are renewing was issued between 2009 and 2015, or more than 9 years but less than 15 years from the date you plan to submit your application.
• You are not changing your name, gender, date of birth, or place of birth.
• You are not traveling internationally for at least 8 weeks from the date you submit your application.
• You are applying for a regular passport (tourist). You cannot renew a special issuance passport (diplomatic, official, service) online.
• You reside in the United States (any state or territory). You do not qualify to renew online if you live in a foreign country or have an Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) address.
• You have your passport with you, and it is not damaged or mutilated, and you have not previously reported it as lost or stolen. Keep your most recent passport and do not mail it to us.
• You can pay for your passport with a credit or debit card.
• You can submit a digital photo for the passport.
• You are aware that the passport you are renewing will be canceled after you submit your application and cannot be used for international travel.
How long is it currently taking to obtain or renew a passport?
According to the Department of State’s website:
Routine: 6 to 8 weeks
Expedited: 2 to 3 weeks
Urgent: Must schedule an appointment and have international travel within 14 calendar days
Source: The Washington Post and State.Tavel.Gov