U.S. passports can now be renewed online, the U.S. State Department announced Wednesday.

Previously, Americans had one option: to fill out a paper application and mail it with a check.

What You Need To Know

  • U.S. passports can now be renewed online, the U.S. State Department announced Wednesday

  • Previously, Americans had one option: to fill out a paper application and mail it with a check

  • Online renewals are available to U.S. citizens aged 25 and older whose passport is or was valid for 10 years

  • The State Department began beta testing its online passport renewal system over the summer and has spent the last few months monitoring its performance

The State Department began beta testing its online passport renewal system over the summer and has spent the last few months monitoring its performance. 

Online renewals are available to U.S. citizens aged 25 and older whose passport is or was valid for 10 years. The passport must have been issued between 2009 and 2015, and the passport holder cannot change their name, gender, date of birth or place of birth.

People seeking online renewals cannot plan to travel for at least eight weeks from the date they submit their application. They also need to be residing in the United States.

“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,” the State Department said in a statement on its website. 

Online renewals are a result of an executive order President Joe Biden signed in December 2021 to transform federal customer experience and service delivery to rebuild trust in government. Staff increases and technology advancements helped enable the new online renewal system.

The average passport is being processed in about a third of the time as it was a year ago, the agency said, adding that renewals are “well under the advertised six to eight weeks processing times.”