The US Department of State has temporarily reopened the online passport renewal procedure to new clients. To renew their passports, Americans must first create and activate a MyTravelGov account, according to the government’s official website. Users will be able to renew their passports after around four hours.
While the State Department did not specify how long the online service would be available (a temporary availability in August allowed 25,000 people to renew their passports), officials stated it would return for new clients in November.
According to the website, Americans who are 25 years or older and whose most recent passport was valid for ten years are eligible to renew online. Furthermore, passports must have been granted more than nine years ago but less than 15 years ago from the date of application.
The New York Times reported in September that State Department officials planned to fully implement an online passport renewal option for the general public in early 2023. President Joe Biden issued an executive order establishing the initiative in December 2021.
According to information provided at the time the Executive Order was signed, online renewals were predicted to reduce the time it took to renew a passport by 1-7 weeks, reducing the average renewal process time from 8-11 weeks via mail to 5-7 weeks online.
As for cost, adult passport renewals cost $130, up from the previous $110. New adult passport applications increased from $145 to $165, while people under 16 years old paid $135, up from $115. To expedite the process, Americans must pay an additional $60. Americans must pay an extra $60 to accelerate the procedure.