How to Renew a U.S. Passport Online When You Meet the Eligibility Rules

Online renewal is only for applicants who meet every eligibility rule

The U.S. Department of State offers online passport renewal to eligible U.S. citizens who need routine service. It is not a universal replacement for renewal by mail or an in-person passport application.

You can use the online route only if all of the current requirements are satisfied. The passport you are renewing must have been valid for 10 years and must be expiring within 1 year or have expired less than 5 years ago.

You must also be age 25 or older when you apply.

You cannot use online renewal for travel within 6 weeks

The State Department requires online-renewal applicants to have no international travel planned for at least 6 weeks from the date the application is submitted.

This matters because online renewal is offered as routine service. You cannot choose expedited processing when you initially submit an online renewal.

If your travel is sooner, use the State Department route appropriate to your travel date rather than submitting an online renewal that does not meet the eligibility rules.

You must submit the application from the United States

You must be physically located in a U.S. state or territory at the time you submit your online application.

Online renewal is therefore not the normal process for a U.S. citizen who is abroad when applying. Passport renewal outside the United States follows separate State Department procedures through U.S. embassies and consulates or other designated routes.

Your current passport must be available and undamaged

You must have the passport you are renewing in your possession. It cannot be damaged or mutilated, and it cannot have been reported lost or stolen.

If the passport was reported lost or stolen, do not use the online renewal process merely because you later found the document. Follow the State Department procedure for lost or stolen passports and the appropriate replacement route.

Online renewal does not support qualifying personal-information changes

You cannot use the online renewal route if you are changing personal information such as your name or sex.

If you need to change personal information, use the State Department procedure that applies to the change rather than entering different information into an otherwise ordinary online renewal.

How much does online passport renewal cost?

Current State Department application fees for an eligible adult renewal are:

• $130 for a passport book;
• $30 for a passport card; or
• $160 for both a passport book and passport card.

Eligible applicants can also select 1-to-3-day return delivery for a passport book for $23.36.

The online application requires a credit or debit card for payment.

Online renewal is routine service only

The State Department specifically states that online renewals cannot be expedited when submitted.

That restriction is one reason the online eligibility rules require at least 6 weeks before international travel.

How long does online passport renewal take?

Current routine passport processing is 4 to 6 weeks.

Processing time measures the period when the application is being reviewed at a passport agency or center. It does not include delivery time after the new passport is printed.

The State Department says it may take up to 2 additional weeks to receive a passport after it is mailed, although actual mailing time varies.

Prepare these items before opening the application

The State Department recommends having everything ready because an online session can expire if you leave and return later.

Prepare:

• the passport or passports you are renewing;
• a credit or debit card;
• a compliant digital passport photo;
• your Social Security number; and
• important personal information such as an emergency contact.

You must complete your own application. The State Department says no third-party company can sign and submit the online renewal on your behalf.

You need a recent digital passport photo

Online renewal requires a digital photo, not a printed photo mailed to the State Department.

The current State Department digital-photo requirements include:

• the photo must be in color;
• it must have been taken within the last 6 months;
• accepted file formats include JPG, PNG, HEIC and HEIF;
• the file should be between 54 KB and 10 MB;
• you should stand several feet from a white background or wall; and
• you must not use filters or retouching tools to change your appearance.

The State Department reviews the submitted photo and determines whether it is acceptable.

Passport book and card combinations have specific online rules

The online system supports renewal of an existing passport book, passport card or both in several combinations.

For example, someone renewing a passport book can request a book or a combined book-and-card product online. Someone renewing a passport card can request a card or a combined book-and-card product online.

However, the State Department's current online-renewal table states that changing directly from only a passport book to only a passport card, or from only a passport card to only a passport book, is not supported through online renewal. Those situations use renewal by mail.

Your old passport becomes invalid for international travel

After you submit an online renewal, the State Department will cancel or invalidate the passport you are renewing. You cannot continue using it for international travel.

Unlike renewal by mail, however, you do not mail the old passport to the State Department. Keep it in your possession.

The State Department notes that previous U.S. passports can still serve as proof of citizenship even after expiration or cancellation, although they are no longer valid travel documents.

Use only the official State Department renewal service

The State Department warns that the only authorized online passport renewal service is its official government Online Passport Renewal system.

Third-party websites may charge additional fees, collect sensitive personal information or imply that they can submit an official renewal for you. The State Department states that no outside company can sign and submit your online application on your behalf.

Check that you are using the official government service before entering passport, Social Security or payment information.

You will receive application status updates

After you submit, the State Department sends updates to the email address provided in the application.

Updates can tell you when the application is:

• in process;
• approved; and
• mailed.

You can also use the State Department passport application status system to monitor the case.

Respond within 90 days if the State Department contacts you

If Passport Services needs more information, it may send a letter or email explaining what is missing or what you must provide.

The current State Department instruction is to respond within 90 days from the date on the letter or email.

A request for additional information can extend the time needed to process your application, so respond as soon as possible.

Use mail or an in-person passport application when required

Failing an online-renewal requirement does not always mean you cannot renew your passport at all.

The State Department says applicants who do not qualify online may still be able to renew by mail or may need to apply in person at a passport agency, center or acceptance facility depending on the reason they are ineligible.

For example, online renewal is not appropriate when the passport is lost, stolen or damaged, when the applicant is changing qualifying personal information, or when the timing of international travel violates the online rules.

Passports issued too long ago require a different application route

The State Department states that a passport issued more than 15 years ago cannot be renewed through the standard adult renewal process. In that situation, the applicant generally needs to apply again in person using the applicable adult passport procedure.

Passports issued to children under age 16 also cannot be renewed. A new child passport application is required.

Online renewal is not designed for urgent travel

If you need to travel internationally sooner than the online process permits, do not depend on online renewal.

Current State Department processing guidance provides separate expedited and urgent-travel routes. Passport agencies and centers serve qualifying travelers with urgent international travel and require an appointment and proof of travel.

Online renewal itself remains a routine-service option.

Prepare other trusted-traveler requirements separately

Renewing your passport does not automatically enroll you in airport trusted-traveler programs. If you frequently return to the United States from international travel, you can separately review how to apply for Global Entry after confirming that your passport information is current.

Common online passport renewal mistakes to avoid

• Applying when you are under 25: the current online program requires applicants to be at least 25.
• Using a passport outside the renewal window: it must be expiring within 1 year or have expired less than 5 years ago.
• Trying to change your name or sex in an ordinary online renewal: qualifying personal-information changes require another procedure.
• Applying with travel less than 6 weeks away: online renewal is routine service and cannot initially be expedited.
• Applying while outside a U.S. state or territory: the online route requires you to be physically in the United States or a U.S. territory when submitting.
• Using a lost, stolen or damaged passport: these documents do not qualify for online renewal.
• Submitting an altered or filtered digital photo: the State Department prohibits retouching that changes your appearance.
• Using the old passport after submission: the State Department invalidates it for international travel.
• Paying an unofficial website: use only the official U.S. Department of State online renewal system.
• Ignoring a request for more information: respond within 90 days of the date on the State Department notice.

Your new passport is mailed after approval

Once Passport Services approves and produces the new passport, it is mailed to the address associated with your application.

You will receive status updates by email, including confirmation when the passport is sent.

When the new passport arrives, review the biographical information and photo promptly. Keep the old canceled passport separately and use only the new valid passport for international travel.