Online U.S. Passport renewals are now available

[Janann]

Today I was able to complete the passport renewal process completely online, and uploaded a photo from my phone.

The website is currently in testing, and the application window opens at exactly 1 p.m. ET. I'm not sure if it is available on weekends. I was online at the exact moment, and everything worked great!

https://mytravel.state.gov/s/

 

[pedro47]

Thanks for sharing this very important information.

 

[easyrider]

Today I was able to complete the passport renewal process completely online, and uploaded a photo from my phone.

The website is currently in testing, and the application window opens at exactly 1 p.m. ET. I'm not sure if it is available on weekends. I was online at the exact moment, and everything worked great!

https://mytravel.state.gov/s/

Is it still up to six weeks to get a passport ? We renewed in June and mine took about five weeks.

Bill

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Is it still up to six weeks to get a passport ? We renewed in June and mine took about five weeks.

Bill

DW sent hers in to be renewed last year. It took six months to receive the new one.

I mailed my renewal application on Monday. I paid extra for expedited processing.

 

[easyrider]

DW sent her in to be renewed last year. It took six months to receive the new one.

I mailed my renewal application on Monday. I paid extra for expedited processing.

My wife's new passport hasn't made it yet. Was there a reason it took so long ? My wife's passport hasn't arrived.

Bill

 

[Janann]

The website says an ordinary renewal takes 6-8 weeks.

 

[Luanne]

My wife's new passport hasn't made it yet. Was there a reason it took so long ? My wife's passport hasn't arrived.

Bill

Here is one reason:

Why do your processing times change? We change our processing times as demand for passports changes during the year. From late winter into summer, demand for passports is generally higher than other periods of the year. Plan ahead and apply during our slower season from October through December.

 

[easyrider]

The website says an ordinary renewal takes 6-8 weeks.

We still until September before we need hers. If it takes six months that would be a bummer.

Bill

 

[clifffaith]

Today I was able to complete the passport renewal process completely online, and uploaded a photo from my phone.

The website is currently in testing, and the application window opens at exactly 1 p.m. ET. I'm not sure if it is available on weekends. I was online at the exact moment, and everything worked great!

https://mytravel.state.gov/s/

Did you take the photo yourself? Or take a picture of a “professional” photo you had already made at a passport photo place (like AAA, UPS Store or CVS) to upload? The day we went to get photos the store camera wasn’t working so we just let it fall by the wayside for a while.

 

[Janann]

Did you take the photo yourself? Or take a picture of a “professional” photo you had already made at a passport photo place (like AAA, UPS Store or CVS) to upload? The day we went to get photos the store camera wasn’t working so we just let it fall by the wayside for a while.

The photo rules are on the website with lots of examples. All you need is for someone to take a cellphone picture of you against a white background. My first try failed because my "photographer" was too far away, but the second one worked. The software reviews the picture instantly, so you know if the picture was accepted.

 

[clifffaith]

It did not like my photo, and after trying several times (with almost two hours between first rejection and Cliff coming home to try again) instead of rejecting me I got a death spiral. Tried to start his process and got message no more for today (1:15 California time), so maybe my spiral was the result of being closed for the day. Will try again tomorrow, seeing how picky about how white the wall needs to be. My error messages were too close and shadows, but wall is decidedly creamy so we’ll see.

 

[clifffaith]

By the time my photos got rejected twice more yesterday, they reached their quota for the day. The good news is all your info waits until you are back on. Today the photo was accepted, but the difficulty was abbreviating Rancho Mission Viejo down to 15 letters and spaces. Between spell check’s help, not realizing right away that spaces counted, not liking the abbreviations I came up with, and debating whether or not to use Ladera Ranch (same zip code as ours and half our mail says Ladera Ranch) that took ten minutes. Finally got down to paying and being done!

Then it was time for Cliff, with me doing it on his phone since this sort of thing is now beyond his ability and I’d be so involved I might as well do it myself. First thing I did was get into a bogus website. Within a few bits of info they were wanting $35 and I knew something was wrong (I paid $130 on the legit site). Now wondering how much info they can harvest (basically address email and possibly phone number) before you actually submit a payment. Got as far as selecting Cliff’s photo only to find he hadn’t removed his glasses (our old passports had glasses; not allowed now). He wasn’t dressed to go downstairs to a hallway with a non-textured and almost white wall, and there is no hurrying him along anymore, so that was as far as we got today. So over the weekend we’ll get some more photos and be ready to try again Monday.

 

[dioxide45]

Today I was able to complete the passport renewal process completely online, and uploaded a photo from my phone.

The website is currently in testing, and the application window opens at exactly 1 p.m. ET. I'm not sure if it is available on weekends. I was online at the exact moment, and everything worked great!

https://mytravel.state.gov/s/

Do you still need to send in your old passport for it to be voided?

 

[Passepartout]

Glad you guys are working the bugs out. It should be easy-peasy by 2027 when we need 'em.

 

[rapmarks]

Is it still up to six weeks to get a passport ? We renewed in June and mine took about five weeks.

Bill

I renewed in May and received it in three weeks

 

[Janann]

Do you still need to send in your old passport for it to be voided?

No so far. I haven't been asked for it.

 

[clifffaith]

Do you still need to send in your old passport for it to be voided?

They didn’t ask for it.

 

[clifffaith]

Several more days went by until we made time to go downstairs to the hallway that worked for my photos. Remembered to take his glasses off this time. Logged in right at 10am our time, first photo was rejected for a reason other it was too close, but I knew that was the issue and so uploaded one slightly further back. Done!!

Since the plan is to be here for the duration of our lives, I used the Director of Resident Health Services as the contact name for someone not traveling with us. My mother will be 90 in January, my sister will be who knows where after mom dies, and Health Services has our advance directives, access to our home, and could figure out which neighbor is feeding our cats. I assume they’d work with our travel insurance company on medical evacuation if necessary, since in that instance we’d likely be coming home to Skilled Nursing for a while. Won’t worry about that unless some major foreign travel comes up, and honestly I don’t see that while Cliff is still alive. As far as “minor” foreign travel, I’d like to take an Alaskan cruise and northeastern US trip where as foreign as we’d get would be Canada.

 

[BigDawgTUG]

Did online renewal for my 90-year old mother on June 21. I selected normal processing, as she currently has no travel plans. It was approved on June 25 and she received it on June 27.

 

[Passepartout]

Won’t worry about that unless some major foreign travel comes up, and honestly I don’t see that while Cliff is still alive. As far as “minor” foreign travel, I’d like to take an Alaskan cruise and northeastern US trip where as foreign as we’d get would be Canada.

The potential problem is not the going somewhere. Lots of places will let visitors in with a driver's license. The catch is getting back home.

 

[Luanne]

The potential problem is not the going somewhere. Lots of places will let visitors in with a driver's license. The catch is getting back home.

The last international trips I've taken I've had to show my passport when leaving the U.S.

 

[Passepartout]

The last international trips I've taken I've had to show my passport when leaving the U.S.

Probably not to an Immigration officer, but to an airline employee.

 

[Luanne]

Probably not to an Immigration officer, but to an airline employee.

Right. But I still had to show it.

 

[Passepartout]

Right. But I still had to show it.

Actually, that was a courtesy in case the aircraft had to return to a U.S. airport where passengers would have to clear immigration or DHS. The airline was covering it's heinie.

 

[dioxide45]

Actually, that was a courtesy in case the aircraft had to return to a U.S. airport where passengers would have to clear immigration or DHS. The airline was covering it's heinie.

I am curious what countries will let you enter without any proof of citizenship? Can you provide specific examples?