Renew Online

Eligible U.S. citizens who want routine service can now renew their passports online. 

If you do not qualify to renew online, you may also renew by mail.

Follow these steps to renew your passport online and track your status:

  1. Confirm you meet the requirements
  2. Create your account 
  3. Start your application
  4. Enter your most recent passport info
  5. Enter travel plans
  6. Upload digital photo
  7. Sign and pay
  8. Enroll in email updates

 

Step One

You can renew online if you meet all these requirements:

  1. The passport you are renewing is or was valid for 10 years, and you are age 25 or older. 
  2. We issued the passport you are renewing between 2009 and 2015. The passport was issued 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 6 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), Fleet Post Office (FPO), or Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) 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 us. 
  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 we will cancel the passport you are renewing after you submit your application. You cannot use it for international travel.

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

Step Two

Go to the Sign In button on the MyTravelGov homepage. Selecting the button will take you to Login.gov where you can sign in as an existing customer or create a new account.   

Our MyTravelGov video explains how to create an account.

Step Three

After creating your account, select the "Renew Your Passport" link on the MyTravelGov home page to start your application.  

You can save your application and finish it at a later date. You have 30 days to complete your application after you start it. If you do not complete your application in 30 days, you will need to start over. 

Step Four

At this stage, we check the passport(s) you are renewing against our records to see if you can renew online. 

  • Enter your information as we printed it on the passport you are renewing. 
  • Try again if you believe you should be eligible to renew online. We may be experiencing temporary, technical issues with our system.
  • If you are not eligible to renew online, the application will give you a list of reasons. Double check your information before re-entering it.

Validity of Most Recent Passport: Make sure your most recent passport is or was valid for 10 years. The passport must be expiring within one year or have been expired less than five years.  

Your Name: Check the spelling, capitalization, hyphens, and spacing between letters in your name and compare them to your most recent passport. 

  • If your last name is spelled "McDonald" but printed as "Mc Donald," (with a space), make sure you enter your name as "Mc Donald"(with the space included) on the application. 
  • If your last name is spelled “Smith-Jenkins“ (with a hyphen) and printed in your most recent passport with the hyphen, try entering your name as “Smith Jenkins” (without a hyphen) or "SmithJenkins" (with no space). We will add the hyphen to your name when we review your application. 

Passport Book, Passport Card, or Both Documents: You can renew passport books and passport cards online. If you want to renew a passport book but not a passport card, leave the card section blank on the application. If you want to renew a passport card but not a passport book, leave the book section blank.

The following chart explains what documents you can renew online:

Document (s) I have Document(s) I want Can I renew online?
Passport Book  Passport Book  Yes
Passport Book Passport Card  No
Passport Book Passport Book and Card No
Passport Card Passport Card Yes
Passport Card Passport Book
No
Passport Card Passport Book and Card No
Passport Book and Card Passport Book and Card Yes

This video explains how to enter info about your passport

Step Five

If you are traveling in less than 6 weeks, you cannot renew online. We are only offering routine service.

  • Routine times do not include mailing times.
  • Routine times are the same for customers who renew online and by mail. 

Need your passport in 3-6 weeks? Get expedited service and renew by mail.

Need your passport in less than 3 weeks? Make an appointment to renew in person at a passport agency or center.

Step Six

You will need to upload an original, digital photo in .JPEG file format. 

  • Go to our Uploading a Digital Photo page to see photo examples and requirements.
  • Have someone else take your photo. No selfies.
  • Do not scan a photo, or take a photo of an already printed photo.

This video will help you learn how to upload a digital photo

Step Seven

Paying for your Passport

To complete your application, you must pay all passport fees using a credit or debit card. Click the “Sign and Pay” button in your application which will take you to pay.gov where you will pay your passport fees.  

Confirming Payment

We will send you emails about the status of your payment.

The first email will notify you that your payment is pending. The second email will confirm we processed your payment. If we are unable to process your payment, you will receive an email asking you to login to your account and pay again.  

Check your spam or junk folder if you do not see the emails in your inbox. 

Keep Your Most Recent Passport

When you complete your application, you will need the passport you are renewing on hand. Keep your most recent passport. Do not mail it to us, or try to use it to travel since we will cancel it. 

Step Eight

One week after you apply, go to our Online Passport Status System to enroll in more emails about the status of your application. We will notify you when your application is in process, approved, and when we send your passport. We will also notify you if we need more information to process your application. 

Our Application Status page includes details about what each status message means. 

This video explains what to do after you apply

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How to get support

If your travel plans change, you may request expedite service for an extra $60, or 1-2 day delivery of your completed passport book for an extra $21.36. One-to-two day delivery is not available for passport cards. We only send cards via First Class Mail.

If you are changing your mailing address, please note your new address must be in the United States (either state or territory). You cannot use an Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), or Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) address.

Call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 . Provide your application number, or your last name and date of birth.

After you contact us, you won’t see any changes to your application in your MyTravelGov account.

Follow the instructions in the letter or email. You must respond within 90 days of the date on the letter or email. Our Respond to a Letter or Email webpage has tips and reminders on how to respond. 

There are two different paths for support:  

Technical Support for your Account: Contact the Login.gov team if you need help changing your password, verifying your account, or changing your account information.  

Customer Support for your Passport Application: Contact us at 1-877-487-2778 if you have an issue completing your passport application, or you want to upgrade to expedited service, 1-2 day delivery, or change your mailing address. 

Last Updated: October 2, 2024