Washington, August 28: The U.S. State Department has proposed a fully online passport renewal service for eligible American citizens living abroad. If implemented, this will eliminate the need for two in-person visits to embassies or consulates.
According to the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on Friday, the State Department plans to extend its online passport renewal platform to eligible applicants residing in foreign countries.
This program will be rolled out in phases. The department will publish a list of countries where this service will be available on its travel website. However, it has not yet determined which countries will be included in the initial phase.
If this service is implemented in India, American citizens residing there will benefit from it.
Under the new proposal, eligible applicants will be able to submit their applications online, pay passport fees, and upload their passport photos digitally.
The State Department stated that this system will allow individuals living abroad to complete the entire process of application, fee payment, and photo upload online, thus avoiding the need for two trips to the embassy or consulate.
According to the department, the digital system will also eliminate the need to send paper applications from foreign missions to passport agencies in the U.S.
This new arrangement is expected to expedite the passport application process. Additionally, it will relieve American citizens living abroad from the hassle of scheduling appointments at embassies or consulates.
The State Department estimates that the expansion of this service in fiscal year 2027 could allow approximately 220,000 additional eligible applicants to use the online platform.
The department anticipates receiving around 10.51 million passport renewal applications via the DS-82 form during that fiscal year, with approximately 6.28 million applications (about 60 percent) expected to be submitted online.
The proposal will also remove the existing rule that required passports to be valid for less than one year for online renewal eligibility.
The department will publish the applicable rules on its website, stating that improvements in the computer system have made the one-year validity requirement unnecessary.
However, other eligibility criteria will remain in place. Applicants must have had their previous passport issued for ten years, and they must have been at least 16 years old when it was issued.
Online applications must generally be submitted within 15 years of the passport issuance date. Applicants must also have their most recent passport available for verification and cancellation.
The State Department clarified that cases involving lost or stolen passports will not be included in this plan, as significant changes to the verification process would be needed to accommodate them.
Additionally, individuals with passports older than 15 years will also not be eligible for online renewal at this time.
According to the department, those applying online will pay the same fees as paper applications, but they will save on photo, mailing, and travel expenses to the embassy.
The U.S. State Department estimates that the expanded program, along with the existing domestic online renewal service, could save approximately $148.7 million annually.
Moreover, American citizens living abroad will not need to take about four hours off work to visit the embassy. The department estimates that this could save approximately $18.8 million in potential income loss for around 220,000 applicants living abroad.
The online passport renewal platform was initially launched in 2022 with limited eligibility, restricted to applicants residing within the U.S.
However, this proposal has not yet been finalized. The U.S. State Department will accept public comments and suggestions for the next 60 days before deciding whether to implement the proposal as is or make changes.
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