Por Pedro Bianco
En esta noticia
The option to renew a U.S. passport online remains available to citizens. The process, which lets applicants complete the entire process from a computer and avoid mailing it in, is still operating under the State Department after a run that included a pilot program, pauses and a reopening before settling in as a permanent option.
It does not replace the other options or open the door to everyone: It works for people who meet a set of requirements and can complete each step online.
Trump administration keeps online passport renewals available
Online renewal is the digital version of the process many used to do by mail: Instead of filling out the paper form and mailing in the passport, everything is handled through an official account called MyTravelGov on the State Department website.
It is the electronic equivalent of renewing by mail, designed for people whose passports are eligible for renewal and who do not need to change any information.
These are the requirements to renew a passport online
To renew online, you must meet all of these conditions:
- Be 25 or older.
- Renew an adult passport, the 10-year kind, issued within the past 15 years (that is, close to expiring or expired recently).
- Have no changes to your personal information: It does not work if you need to change your name or other details.
- Still have the passport in hand and have it not be damaged, lost or stolen.
- Be in the United States (or have an APO/FPO military address).
- Have no international travel planned within eight weeks of the application.
- Be renewing a standard tourist passport, not an official or diplomatic one, and choose routine service, not expedited service.
- Be able to upload a digital photo and pay with a credit or debit card.
Step by step: How to complete the process from home
The process is done entirely online:
- Verify that you meet all the requirements.
- Create or sign in to a MyTravelGov account (access is through Login.gov).
- Start the renewal: You can save your progress, but you have 30 days to finish it.
- Enter the details from your most recent passport; the system checks the records and, if you do not qualify, tells you so.
- Provide your travel plans.
- Upload a digital .jpeg photo (selfies and photos of printed pictures are not accepted).
- Sign and pay with a card.
- Important: You must keep your current passport, but do not use it for travel, because it is canceled when the process begins. One week after submitting the application, it is a good idea to sign up for alerts to track the status of the process.
The fees are the same as by mail: $130 for the passport book, $30 for the passport card, or $160 for both. As for processing times, routine service takes six to eight weeks, not counting shipping time.