INDIANAPOLIS — The State Department announced on Wednesday that its online passport renewal portal is returning, after over a year of unavailability.
The service is available to a limited number of travelers who meet specific requirements. As of this article's publication, it is only available for routine passport renewals. Website visitors will not yet be able to use it for expedited services.
According to a press release, the program is still in its beta stage. Because of this, the State Department will accept a limited number of applications each day, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Senior State Department officials said in a press briefing that there will be a daily threshold the portal will have to reach. Once that threshold is met, it will close until the following afternoon. However, the capacity for accepted applications will continue to gradually grow each day.
Applying online does not necessarily mean your renewal will process faster, but it does allow for you to skip the process of applying by mail, the press release said.
For more information, check out the State Department's step-by-step process.