But if you’re one of those lucky ones, and you need to renew your passport, you may be eligible to renew your passport online, without seeing anyone or going anywhere, not even to the post office. This is thanks to the recently soft-launched US passport online renewal system.
US passport electronic renewal system
The US Department of State says that it’s a limited release, or a beta version, if you will. Not everyone can use the system yet. Actually, not even every passport owner who needs renewal is “eligible to renew,” and this new system is even more “exclusive”, to say the least.
Using this system, your renewal process can be done entirely online, and the processing time is the same as renewals by mail. Isn’t that neat?
Who is eligible to get a US passport online?
To to renew your US passport online, you need to be eligible to submit the DS-82 and satisfy even more criteria. Read those requirements below and see if you fit:
- Your most recent passport is/was valid for 10 years;
- You are at least 25 years of age;
- Your recent passport was issued over 9 years but less than 15 years ago from the date of application submission. That means between 2008 to 2014;
- You are not changing any personal details: your name, gender, date of birth, or place of birth;
- You are not traveling internationally and need your passport for at least six weeks from the date of submission;
- You are applying for a regular passport (not diplomatic, official, or service);
- You live in a state or territory of the United States;
- You have your undamaged passport with you and have not previously reported it as lost or stolen.
Besides those requirements, you must be able to pay for your passport using a credit/debit card or an ACH (Automated Clearing House) payment transferring funds from your bank account and uploading a digital passport photo to complete the application.
Also, keep in mind that your most recent passport will be immediately canceled when you submit your application.
How to apply for a passport electronically?
We would say that the most challenging part of applying for a passport renewal right now is being eligible to begin with, as the process is entirely online. But that doesn’t mean you can relax and skip important steps! Make sure you follow the process carefully and do not make mistakes. It’s still your passport.
Here is the process in brief:
- Create a MyTravelGov account on the official passport renewal platform. Don’t forget to read the Privacy Act statement and use a unique and safe password;
- Verify your account by clicking on the verifying link that arrives in your email;
- Wait for up to 24 hours to register;
- Log in and click “Renew Passport” and “Start New Application” to begin the application;
- Have your current passport (that you’re going to renew) with you, and fill out the required fields on the form based on your passport data;
- Answer other questions such as travel plans and other data;
- Upload a compliant passport photo;
- Submit your application once ready. You can also save your application and continue later if you need more time.
US digital passport photo requirements
The photo you use to apply for your passport renewal can’t be just any photo, it has to fulfill several requirements.
Your digital photo must have a minimum size of 600 x 600 pixels and be JPEG format. Notice that the size requirement implies square-formatted photos. The file size must be between 54 kilobytes and 10 megabytes. The compression ratio should be less than 20:1.
Besides the “technical” requirements, ensure you do your hair neatly to avoid obscure your facial features and pay attention to other details that will allow for proper identification. Check this guide to make sure your image meets all US passport photo criteria.
Note that your application also requires that your photo be verified before getting accepted. Noncompliant photos will be automatically rejected.
Is it okay to take a passport photo by phone?
Yes, it is okay to take a picture for your passport using your phone is okay, as long as it complies with the resolution and quality requirements. Of course, as is the case with pictures taken with other devices, you need to check that it’s properly lit and fully complies with the requirements.
You can ensure that your image is fully compliant by using an online passport photo-formatting program that considers all technical requirements and prepares the DIY photo for submission. In this case, you can take a picture against any background: the photo editor will automatically replace it with white.
For those who are not eligible for electronic renewals: how to get a US passport by mail
We mentioned above that to apply for an electronic renewal, you would first need to qualify for DS-82 mail renewals and satisfy additional criteria. So, if you lack those other criteria but still fulfill the requirements below, you can still renew without showing up in person:
- You currently possess a U.S. passport and can submit it;
- Your passport is undamaged beside the usual wear and tear;
- Your current passport was issued when you were 16 or older;
- It was issued within the last 15 years;
- It was issued with your current name, or you can document your name change.
If you fulfill all the criteria above, fill out the DS-82 form and mail it to the processing center that serves your area with the passport you’re renewing and a passport-formatted photo.
US passport fees in 2023
The online application fee is the same as other processes: a passport book costs $130, while a passport card costs $30.The additional processing fee is $35 in both cases, so the total regular passport price is $165.
