

passport can only be done in person or by mail.Ī limited number of Americans will be able to renew their passports online this month, and the White House promises that those numbers will dramatically expand over the coming months. The latest estimate on passport processing times, as of October 29, is 8 to 11 weeks for a mailed-in passport, according to the U.S. So far in 2021, more than 15.4 million Americans were issued passports, according data from the State Department. Altogether, the executive order covers 35 “high-impact service providers” across 17 federal agencies, which will make it easier access to social security benefits, file taxes and get through airport security.Īmong the key improvements: “Americans will be able to renew their passports securely online, saving time from having to wait and the effort and cost required to print, go to a post office, and use a paper check,” according to the White House. USA.gov, the official site for federal government services, is being revamped as a centralized one-stop shop and “digital federal front door” to improve access to the most sought-after government services and programs. Very soon, turnaround time should improve as it will become possible to renew passports online.Įarlier this month, President Joe Biden signed an executive order, Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government , which promises to bring key government agencies into the digital era and decrease the red tape for a broad array of services, including passport renewals. In a statement, Interior Ministry spokesperson termed the reports of an increase in machine-readable passport fees baseless, saying that the government has. If you’re not able to get your passport renewal before Monday, there is a silver lining. The State Department says this is to cover increased security costs pertaining to the issuing of passports.MORE FROM FORBES Travelers, Rejoice! Soon You Can Renew Your Passport Online By Suzanne Rowan Kelleher Fees for a brand-new passport went from 100 to 135 (from 85 to 105 for those under 16), and renewal fees climbed from. I would have thought that would have been something that would have had more notice but maybe they did not want a rush of people applying to beat the fee and overwhelm their processing centers even more?Īt any rate, as of December 27, the fees for a US Passport will go up by $20.

I may have missed an earlier announcement that this was coming so if I did, let me know! But, if not, I find it kind of strange that I received word from the US State Department just one week before the fee increase is set to go through. Under the terms of section 202 of the bills, the fee would be increased from 1 to 2 for passport applications processed by clerks of Federal courts and. The US State Department has announced there is a new US passport fee increase coming. For people that have or want to apply for a US passport, prepare to spend a little more starting next week. First-Time Passport (16 or older): Adult Passport Book 130, Adult Passport Card 30, or 160 for both.
