New and Easy Ways to Renew Your Passport

When it came time to renew my passport recently, I was delighted to find that the process has become easier than ever before. The reason? The U.S. government now allows you to renew online if you meet certain requirements and you can take a photo with your phone.

"The online option makes for a smoother process for consumers," says Bill Coyle, vice president of agent engagement for KHM Travel Group, which offers credentials and support to independent travel agents. "You don't have to print out a form, get pictures and go to a passport office to renew."

Many countries require you to have six months of validity on your passport so they know you will be able to re-enter the U.S. and won't be staying in their country illegally, so be sure to keep track of when your current passport expires. You can't utilize the online system if your passport is out of date – in that case, you may be able to renew via email.

If your passport has ever been stolen, damaged or lost, however, or was issued more than 15 years ago or under a different name (say, if you got divorced or remarried and you don't have a legal document that verifies your name change), you have to apply in person at a passport office, post office or local library that handles passports. And if you have never had an American passport before, you will definitely need to present in person.

You can renew online here. The fee is $130, and there are eight steps to the online process. I found it easy to navigate and I didn't have to turn in my old passport as was required in the past (although I was not allowed to use it anymore once I applied for the renewal). The State Department says that it typically takes four to six weeks for processing, so I was surprised to receive my new passport by U.S. mail in just two weeks.

I found the trickiest part of the online process was taking a photo that passed muster with the State Department rules for passport photos. For online renewal, you can take a jpg photo with your phone, but it can't be a selfie — you need to have someone take it for you.

You should keep a neutral expression in the photo and you shouldn't wear glasses or a hat (although you can wear a hair covering for religious reasons). You must stand in front of a white or off-white, smooth, neutral background (no doors or windows, textures or objects). The photo can't have been altered in any way, and you need to make sure there's plenty of blank space around your head and enough of your body in the photo so that the passport agency can crop it.

You can find all of the instructions and sample photos here.

If you are planning on traveling soon, you can apply for expedited service online, which promises receipt of the new passport within two to three weeks. You should note, however, that the processing time given doesn't include mailing time and costs $60 on top of the $130 renewal fee. If you need your passport renewed within two to three weeks, which is considered "urgent travel," or you have a "life-or-death emergency" and need it within two weeks, you will need to make an appointment with a passport agency or center.

If you require assistance, you can pay a passport courier or expeditor company to help you file the appropriate forms and get faster service. These companies charge extra fees and are not operated by the State Department, but they are registered with the government. Just be sure to only choose one of the companies listed on the State Department website.

The app ItsEasy.com is one such service. According to owner and entrepreneur David Alwadish, for the price of just $39.95 (in addition to State Department fees), ItsEasy offers advantages over applying online on your own. Most prominently, for a regular or expedited renewal, they have a 10-year loss guarantee.

"If you lose your passport while traveling overseas, you can call us 24/7 and we will help you get an appointment with the U.S. consulate," he says. "And when you return to the U.S., we will help you exchange your temporary passport for a permanent one."

Julie L. Kessler, an LA-based lawyer and travel writer, found ItsEasy helped her out of a jam when she needed a second U.S. passport — an option that many people aren't aware is available to Americans. People who travel frequently and students studying abroad may need a second passport because they have to turn in their first passport to obtain visas, explains Alwadish, and they can get a second one if they can prove they have a travel conflict.

In Kessler's case, she was traveling to seven countries in West Africa and found that she would need to obtain a visa for Ghana before her arrival there. She would have to surrender her passport to Ghana's embassy in Washington, D.C. for seven to ten business days, which was a problem since she was soon traveling to Norway. She decided to renew her first passport while also applying for a second passport, and Itseasy was able to expedite the process for her and even sent her text and email updates about the progress of her applications to quell her anxiety.

Once she received both passports, she returned one to Itseasy so they could obtain her visa for Ghana. In a blog post she wrote for Luxe Beat Magazine about the experience, Kessler reported "I never could've accomplished that on my own, not even close."

One of the biggest changes coming in travel for 2025 will be the implantation of the European Travel and Information Authorisation System (ETIAS), which will require Americans to get a visa before visiting any of the countries in the European Union (the EU). According to Antoinette Hannan Leon, vice president of Itseasy and an expert on travel visas, the EU is implementing the program for security purposes to keep track of people going in and out of their 29 member countries and to do background checks on people.

Although it's a simple and inexpensive form (just 7 Euros) that is completed online, Leon says it's best handled by specialists because the form asks you to divulge information about your criminal record, and even a DUI in your past could lead to the visa request being denied.

"Itseasy is registered into the portal to get the authorization and can help answer questions properly so the visa doesn't get rejected," she says. Once you obtain the visa, it is good for four years or until your passport expires.