Renewing an expired U.S. passport has become significantly easier as the U.S. State Department has reopened its online renewal portal by introducing a beta program aimed at expediting the process for eligible travelers.
To qualify for online renewal, travelers must be U.S. citizens or residents aged 25 or older who have previously held a passport with 10-year validity. Additionally, applicants must not request any changes to their name, gender, date of birth or place of birth.
Other requirements include not traveling internationally for at least eight weeks from the application submission date, paying for the application with a credit card, debit card or ACH (automated clearing house) payment an uploading a digital passport photo in JPEG format. Also, the current passport must not be lost, stolen or damaged.
As this is a beta rollout, online passport renewals are available only during specific times. Starting at midday Eastern Time, the department will accept a limited number of applications each day. Once the daily limit is reached, the portal will close until the following day. There is no set timeline for when the beta program might expand into a permanent option with enhanced processing capabilities.
The State Department notes that those not eligible for online renewal can still submit their renewal applications by mail or in person at a passport agency or center. The processing times for online renewals are the same as those for mail-in renewals.