Online Passport Renewal

[Erica1016]

The US Consolate recently started beta testing an online renewal system for passports. They are allowing only a limimted number of applications per day, but I recently did this and wanted to share the experience.

You need to take your own digital photo and they have lots of requirements in terms of the size of the photo and the lighting, etc. We were able to take an acceptable photo in my husband's office, which has a plain white wall and lots of natural light.

Once you have your photo, you just need your old passport to get information and your credit card.

The application says it will open "midday" each day. I went into the system at noon and refreshed every so often for an hour (while doing some other things). When I'd just about given up, I tried one more time and it opened right up. I think "midday" might be 1 pm?

The website says it will take about 40 minutes to complete the application and that once started you have up to 30 days to complete the process. I was done in about 10 minutes. You just have to enter your passport information, address, etc. It was a quick process becuase I had all my information already gathered and it was just a matter of typing it in.

Once submitted, it says that processing will take up to 6-8 weeks. I signed up for email updates and watied. I was a little worried about the photo being accepted because the requirements are so particular, but I knew I'd have plenty of time to resubmit a photo, if necessary. I don't need the new passport until November.

I submitted my application on July 3, received notification that it was under review on July 5 and would be processed in the order in which it was received. I got the email that it was being shipped on July 10 and it arrived on July 12! Obviously, this came much faster than the 6-8 weeks they'd stated, but I'm sure they're just covering themselves for when it is busy. I would not depend on this quick turnaround regularly.

Overall, the experience was easy and fast and saved a bit of money. We didn't have to go get a photo taken and didn't have to ship the old passport and application materials. I'd highly recommend giving it a try if you need to renew and have a bit of time.

 

[fla4fun]

The US Consolate recently started beta testing an online renewal system for passports. They are allowing only a limimted number of applications per day, but I recently did this and wanted to share the experience.

You need to take your own digital photo and they have lots of requirements in terms of the size of the photo and the lighting, etc. We were able to take an acceptable photo in my husband's office, which has a plain white wall and lots of natural light.

Once you have your photo, you just need your old passport to get information and your credit card.

The application says it will open "midday" each day. I went into the system at noon and refreshed every so often for an hour (while doing some other things). When I'd just about given up, I tried one more time and it opened right up. I think "midday" might be 1 pm?

The website says it will take about 40 minutes to complete the application and that once started you have up to 30 days to complete the process. I was done in about 10 minutes. You just have to enter your passport information, address, etc. It was a quick process becuase I had all my information already gathered and it was just a matter of typing it in.

Once submitted, it says that processing will take up to 6-8 weeks. I signed up for email updates and watied. I was a little worried about the photo being accepted because the requirements are so particular, but I knew I'd have plenty of time to resubmit a photo, if necessary. I don't need the new passport until November.

I submitted my application on July 3, received notification that it was under review on July 5 and would be processed in the order in which it was received. I got the email that it was being shipped on July 10 and it arrived on July 12! Obviously, this came much faster than the 6-8 weeks they'd stated, but I'm sure they're just covering themselves for when it is busy. I would not depend on this quick turnaround regularly.

Overall, the experience was easy and fast and saved a bit of money. We didn't have to go get a photo taken and didn't have to ship the old passport and application materials. I'd highly recommend giving it a try if you need to renew and have a bit of time.

Thank you for this. I want to do the online renewal, but I need to find a place to do my photo (no white walls in the house). I may be visiting my sister next week so perhaps she can assist with that part.

Mine expires early next year and I don’t have any trips planned at the moment, so it it takes the eight weeks, I am okay with that.

 

[tvguy]

I gather they suspended online renewal for a while because we renewed our Passports in April 2023 online, so it has been around over a year. We used our cell phones for photos, and the website was fussy about the background. It would not accept photos that were taken in front of a white wall because the wall was textured. We ended up tacking up a white sheet for the background. An my wife and I have worn glasses all our waking hours for over 50 years, but you have to take off your glasses for the photo. But it was easy.

 

[CamColt]

Thank you for the information, that is great to know.

Mine expires next spring but I'm considering doing it early (when we get back from our cruise next month due to our cruise schedule) and I was interested in trying this. The picture part has me a little nervous, but I supposed I could get one done like usual and just use that one.

 

[auntlynne]

Thank you for this. I want to do the online renewal, but I need to find a place to do my photo (no white walls in the house). I may be visiting my sister next week so perhaps she can assist with that part.

Mine expires early next year and I don’t have any trips planned at the moment, so it it takes the eight weeks, I am okay with that.

A white poster board behind you should do the trick. Since passport photos are mainly head and shoulders.

 

[Erica1016]

The picture part has me a little nervous, but I supposed I could get one done like usual and just use that one.

It really wasn't hard. The biggest thing is making sure you have everything plain and that you have enough light so there are no shadows around your face. You need to have a digital copy and it can't be texted to you. I'd check out all the requirements beforehand so you know you've got what you need.

I may be visiting my sister next week so perhaps she can assist with that part.

Hopefully that works. As someone else said, you can also put up a white sheet or something as a background. I'd check out all the requirements and tips beforehand so you'll know you've got what you need. They have some specific language about the size of the photo file and that it can't have been sent to you via text.

 

[Erica1016]

A white poster board behind you should do the trick. Since passport photos are mainly head and shoulders.

Yes, they have specfic guidelines about how to do it. As long as your face is in the center and there aren't shadows, it's pretty easy. Once you upload it, it crops it so that it's just the face and shoulders.

An my wife and I have worn glasses all our waking hours for over 50 years, but you have to take off your glasses for the photo.

Yes, this was pretty clear in the explanation as well. I think as long as someone reads the requirements first, it should be easy, like you said.

 

[auntlynne]

Okay - digital photo for online is a little different than one you mail in (which is cropped before you mail it). The processing office crops the photo how they want it.

And background does not have to be true white.





Thanks for the reporting!

 

[tvguy]

Yes, this was pretty clear in the explanation as well. I think as long as someone reads the requirements first, it should be easy, like you said.

Just struck me as odd as I am ALWAYS wearing my glasses, so if they are using Facial Recognition software, I would have to take off my glasses of it to work. Wonder how the software works if I have a beard in the passport photo and I shave it off, or vis versa?

 

[Erica1016]

Just struck me as odd as I am ALWAYS wearing my glasses, so if they are using Facial Recognition software, I would have to take off my glasses of it to work. Wonder how the software works if I have a beard in the passport photo and I shave it off, or vis versa?

Yeah, that is interesting. I can't recall if there were signs about glasses or not. The beard is an interesting question. Since passports are valid for 10 years, it'd be interesting to see what happens as there are changes in appearance.

 

[tvguy]

Yeah, that is interesting. I can't recall if there were signs about glasses or not. The beard is an interesting question. Since passports are valid for 10 years, it'd be interesting to see what happens as there are changes in appearance.

I had a beard for a 12 years or so, so one of my Passport photos had to be with the beard when I no longer had it, and one without a beard when I had it.

 

[Kwami]

I guess the online applications go into a different queue than the mail-in ones. I submitted my renewal by mail a few weeks ago and it's still being processed. You submitted yours online way after I did and got it back much earlier.

 

[Erica1016]

@Kwami I figured as much. I was very surprised to hear back so quickly and get it in the mail in about 10 days.

 

[AZMermaid]

I did mine online about two years ago and it took 4 months! They were quoting 12-16 weeks and mine was on the 16 week end. Glad to hear they’ve sped things up!

 

[OKW Lover]

For those worried about the plain white background, check your photo app to see if it has a feature to remove the background. You can then replace it with white.

 

[Lilias]

I renewed mine online around October 2022, and I think I got mine in a month and a half, maybe two months. I was shocked how quick it was because they had been quoting 3-6 months (was during the big travel boom where everyone was getting passports). I also couldn't get anyone to take a decent picture of me, so I took a selfie VERY CAREFULLY so that it didn't LOOK like I had taken a selfie, and I was super worried they wouldn't accept it. Nope, approved no problem!

 

[auntlynne]

Just struck me as odd as I am ALWAYS wearing my glasses, so if they are using Facial Recognition software, I would have to take off my glasses of it to work. Wonder how the software works if I have a beard in the passport photo and I shave it off, or vis versa?

Off the top of my head, I imagine recognition has more to do with shape of eyes, nose, and mouth and the spacing of them. It’s easy to modify hair for a disguise, but you just cant get the eyes farther apart.

 

[MrMagoo]

Just renewed ours online just before I found this thread. As a matter of fact our payments are still being processed!
Will be interesting to see how long it takes.
Hope it isn't like my global entry. 3 of us applied for renewal of global entry in March and 2 were approved in April but mine
is still waiting!

As for your photo, take more than one.
I had 6 photos taken and the sight rejected each one.
The next 6 I had taken it accepted only 3.
My wife had 6 taken also and it accepted the first one I submitted for her.
We did get some white poster board from Wal Mart and taped it to the side of the house and got a picture that way
with natural light. Our pictures indoors all had a shadow but outdoors they didn't. Camera flash didn't work either.
The web sight will reject your photo right away if it detects something wrong.

 

[Flossbolna]

Just struck me as odd as I am ALWAYS wearing my glasses, so if they are using Facial Recognition software, I would have to take off my glasses of it to work. Wonder how the software works if I have a beard in the passport photo and I shave it off, or vis versa?

At the electronic gates/kiosk I have used for immigration in USA, Germany and Japan, everyone required me to take off my glasses. Very annoying as I am pretty shortsighted and just can’t function without them. It’s hard to figure out where to look even.

 

[tvguy]

At the electronic gates/kiosk I have used for immigration in USA, Germany and Japan, everyone required me to take off my glasses. Very annoying as I am pretty shortsighted and just can’t function without them. It’s hard to figure out where to look even.

I had to take my mask off at TSA for flights within the U.S. in March, but not my glasses. I haven't been out of the U.S. since 2019, but my daughter is moving to Germany so there will be international travel in my future.