You Can Now Renew Your Passport Online—Sort Of

Certain Americans can now renew their passports from the comfort of their home.

On June 12, the State Department announced the launch of a new beta test for an online passport renewal program, enabling eligible travelers to complete and submit their renewal applications online. Those who qualify for online renewal will not need to send in their old passport or supporting documents. This initiative comes more than two years after President Biden issued an executive order permitting U.S. citizens to renew their passports online, marking the second round of testing for this online renewal capability. In August 2022, a pilot program allowed select volunteers to renew their passport online, with over 500,000 participants before the program was paused on March 8, 2023.

The current online renewal initiative will process a limited number of applications each day during a designated midday Eastern Time slot, which will close once the limit is reached, according to a State Department spokesperson. This approach will gradually increase capacity over time, allowing the government to “identify any issues that arise and resolve them promptly while continuously enhancing the experience for Americans.”

“Our main goal is to ensure a seamless online passport renewal experience,” a State Department spokesperson shared with Dinogo, noting that, “offering a new tool like this in beta and gradually expanding availability is a standard practice across both industry and government when launching a new product—engaging the public is essential for evaluating how the site performs in a real-world context.”

Applicants must first create a login.gov account to use the program. Similar to the earlier pilot initiative launched by the State Department in August 2022, there are specific criteria travelers need to fulfill to be eligible, including the following:

• At least 25 years old
• Renewing a passport issued between 2009 and 2015 (it must have been valid for 10 years but no more than 15 years old)
• Renewing a passport that is set to expire within the next year or has already expired

It’s important to understand that individuals looking to change their name, gender, birthplace, or date of birth cannot do so during the beta testing phase. Applicants must also have their passport in hand—those who have lost or had their passport stolen cannot apply online. Additionally, the passport must be a standard tourist passport (not diplomatic, official, or service), and travelers must be able to upload their own photo.

Renewing a passport online will incur a fee of $130—only credit or debit cards are accepted for payment.

Expedited or urgent passport renewals cannot be processed online during this beta phase. The expected processing time for online renewals is the same as for those submitted by mail, which currently takes six to eight weeks. Since your passport will be canceled upon submission, it’s crucial not to have any international travel planned during this processing time (those in need of a new passport for immediate travel should make an appointment at a passport center).

“We recognize that not everyone wishing to apply online will have the opportunity to do so on their preferred day during this beta phase,” said the State Department spokesperson. “For those who are ineligible to submit their application online or prefer to renew by mail, that option remains available.”