State Department Introduces Pilot Project for Online Passport Renewal

The U.S. State Department introduced a test-run for its long-awaited online passport renewal program.
To test its portal, the State Department opened the portal to 25,000 eligible Americans in August 2022
to renew their passports online, with plans to launch to the general public in early 2023. This will be a
first-come first-serve basis.

Eligibility to Renew Online

• Applicants must be 25 or older, with a passport still in hand (and in usable shape) that was valid
for a full 10 years – though an expired one is OK.
• That passport must have been issued at least nine years ago (no more recent than 2013) but no
more than 15 years ago (no earlier than 2007).

Steps to Participate in Pilot Program

If you meet all 10 of the requirements above, you must follow these steps:
1. Create a MyTravelGov account.
2. Click the link in the ‘account verification’ email you will receive after creating your account.
3. Wait up to 24 hours for us to register your account.
4. Login to your MyTravelGov account and start your application. You should see an option to
“Renew Passport” after 24 hours.
During the pilot project, The State Department warns that since processing times are the same as
normal mail-in, anyone with international travel in the next five weeks should not apply for online
renewal.
Once you create and activate a MyTravelGov account, you should wait 24 hours, then log into your
account and look for the new option to “Renew Now.” You’ll also need to take and upload your own
digital passport photo as part of the online renewal process – an elegant solution to that particular
problem.

Passport Fees

At the end of 2021, the Department of State raised passport fees for new applications and for renewals.
Currently, Adult renewals now cost $130, up from the previous $110 rate – and that’s before any
additional fees to expedite processing, which costs another $60. New adult applications have jumped
from $145 to $165, while minors under 16 applying for a passport now pay $135 (up from $115).

If you wish to get additional information on the naturalization process or details to renew or apply for
a passport, please contact our office.