Renewing an expired passport will be much easier thanks to a new program.
Americans with 10-year passports that expired within the last five years can now renew their documents online, rather than having to go through the often lengthy process of making an in-person appointment.
Travelers with passports that expire next year will also be able to use the online service, launched Wednesday by the State Department.
The department estimates that up to 5 million Americans will be able to use the service and plans to expand it in the coming months and years.
In 2023, it processed 24 million passports, of which about 40 percent were renewals.
Americans with 10-year passports that have expired within the last five years can now renew their documents online, rather than having to make an in-person appointment.
The launch comes after several months of testing earlier this summer.
The new 24/7 service is currently only available to US adults with a US address.
First-time passport applicants must apply by mail and parents cannot renew online. Expedited service is also not available online.
There will be no change to existing passport processing fees, which are currently $130 for a regular renewal.
“This is a new service that will allow Americans to pay to upload a photo and apply entirely online, without the need to appear in person or send documents by mail,” said Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter.
“Our goal, of course, is to move away from paper as much as possible, as quickly as possible,” he added.
“This is a first step in what we hope will be a much longer-term process to modernize the systems we are using.”
The State Department said processing time for passport renewals is currently at a “historic low” of six to eight weeks, as is the case for a standard application.
This is a marked change from the 10- to 13-week wait time Americans faced last year for processing of a routine application.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the State Department was left seriously behind after years of travel restrictions and uncertainty keeping people at home.
In 2021, at the height of the pandemic, waiting times increased to 18 weeks.
This comes after it emerged that Americans planning to travel to the UK will have to pay a fee to enter the country from next year.
There will be no change to existing passport processing fees, which are currently $130 for a regular renewal.
US travellers will now have to pay to enter the UK under new rules (Photo: London City Airport file photo)
The country’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) fee will come into effect on January 8, 2025, according to the UK government.
American travellers will have to pay $13.05 (£10) to obtain the authorisation, which will be digitally linked to their passports.
The authorization will be valid for multiple trips over two years for stays of up to six months at a time, “or until the holder’s passport expires,” the government said.
U.S. citizens can apply for an ETA beginning November 27, 2024, and should expect a response within at least three business days.
Each traveler must have their own ETA, including all children.
Nearly half of Americans now have a passport, up from 5 percent in 1990, according to the State Department.
