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I’ll be the first to admit that for a while there, getting a renewed passport was something of a joke. There were anecdotal stories of people not getting their passports for months and months and months. I mean, I was so concerned about getting my passport renewed in time for my cruise that I mailed in the paperwork seven months ahead of time. And then do you remember how long it took to get it back? of course, there was also that poor guy who took 2 flights the day before his international trip, just to ensure he would have his passport in time.

It was crazy!

But finally, after several years of being the brunt of jokes everywhere, the State Department got its act together. They finally got the passport renewal system online. Granted, it started as a pilot program that was kind of on-again, off-again. And then, this past June, it was on again and pretty much every day, albeit only from 1 pm onward and only or X number of renewals per day (they never did say how many “X” was).

And then it got even better

About two weeks ago, the State Department said the pilot program was working so well that they were switching it “on” 24/7. However, since it was still considered a pilot program, they reserved the right to shut the system down intermittently.

Big announcement!

And now, finally – FINALLY – the State Dep’t has announced that online renewals have arrived. It’s an official thing, no longer a pilot program.

Who’s eligible

The program is available for U.S. citizens who meet the following requirements:

1. The passport you are renewing is or was valid for 10 years, and you are age 25 or older.
2. The State Dep’t issued the passport you are renewing between 2009 and 2015, or over 9 years but less than 15 years from the date you plan to submit your application.
3. You are not changing your name, gender, date of birth, or place of birth.
4. You are not traveling for at least 8 weeks from the date you will submit your application. We will only offer routine service, and the time it takes to get a passport will be the same as renewing by mail.
5. You are applying for a regular (tourist) passport. You cannot renew a special issuance (diplomatic, official, service) passport online.
6. You live in the United States (either state or territory). You do not qualify to renew online if you live in a foreign country or have an Army Post Office (APO) or Fleet Post Office (FPO) address.
7. You have your passport with you, and it is not damaged or mutilated, and you have not reported it as lost or stolen. Keep your most recent passport and do not mail it to them.
8. You can pay for your passport using a credit or debit card.
9. You can upload a digital passport photo.
10. You are aware that they will cancel the passport you are renewing after you submit your application. You cannot use it for international travel.

If you don’t qualify to renew online, you may be able to renew by mail or in person at a passport agency or center.

What’s the turnaround time?

The State Dep’t’s website says that processing time for a routine renewal is currently 6-8 weeks. However anecdotally, real-life experiences have overwhelmingly been significantly different from that.

How can I start the process?

Funny you should ask…just click here.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary