Time to renew your passport? You’re in luck! From October, U.S. citizens can make sure their travel document is up to date with just a few simple clicks.
Renewing a passport is typically a tedious process that can take weeks on end to complete. Renewal applications are sent by mail, or done via an appointment at a Regional Passport Agency. Processing times run between 7-10 weeks, but if you need your passport more urgently, you could expedite (for an additional fee, of course), in which case you’re looking at 4-6 weeks.
In February, the U.S. State Department attempted to make the process a tad simpler by introducing an online renewal test program. The initiative was originally for federal government employees and contractors, with a limited version being opened to the public in August which served 25,000 applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.
A third pilot was launched on October 11, with those wanting to renew their passports able to do so by creating a MyTravelGov account.
In order to be eligible, applicants must be 25 or older; have a passport that is not older than 10 years; be applying for a regular tourist passport; reside in the United States; and not be traveling internationally for at least six weeks from the date of submission.
The good news is that it can all be done from behind a computer screen in the comfort of your own home. The idea is to then wait up to 10 weeks for your new passport to arrive. The bad news? Once the application is submitted, travelers’ current passports will be immediately invalidated and unusable for international trips.
The official online passport renewal program is set to launch next year.