The online passport renewal program for U.S. citizens is back as of this week, although with limits: the system is still officially a beta release, and will only handle a limited number of applications a day.
It’s the first time the system has been open since March 2023, when it closed after a trial run of several months, saying it wanted to take time to evaluate and improve the system.
That’s still a goal, and the State Department says it will open the portal each day at 1 pm Eastern time, and close it when its limit for the day is reached. The limit isn’t specified, though officials said it will “gradually” increase as the program continues.
Processing time for online applications, which are only for renewals of existing passports, are the same as for mail-in renewals. Currently that means 6 to 8 weeks, or 2 to 3 weeks if applicants pay for expedited service. That’s way down from the pandemic-era logjam when processing times were stretching out for months.
. The can again renew expiring passports online, although you’ll have to be ready to grab a spot, since
