US passport renewal
January 9, 2023 5:45 PM Subscribe
The passport is eligible for the "temporarily open" (since Nov. 20, 2022) online renewal process. Are there any downsides to renewing online? Secure passport photo app recs and other renewal tips also welcome. TIA.
I did my renewal during this "temporary" window online. I entered the application on October 29, 2022. It promised 9 weeks at longest for turn around but it just indicated it had been shipped to me on Saturday, so I'm finally expecting it to hopefully show up this week. I don't now if that timeline is different for other methods, but that's something to consider.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 7:08 PM on January 9, 2023
posted by pixiecrinkle at 7:08 PM on January 9, 2023
We also did ours online during the temporary window over the summer. It was easy, shot our photos at home using our phone cameras, and got them quicker than the longest estimated window. Unless you have international travel coming up very soon, online was awesome and the way to go.
posted by leastlikelycowgirl at 8:26 PM on January 9, 2023
posted by leastlikelycowgirl at 8:26 PM on January 9, 2023
I recently did this over December through mail and it was super fast, i sent it to Philadelphia office if that matters. The turnaround seems to be 8-10weeks but i got it within 4 weeks.
I used https://epassportphoto.com/ where you can upload a picture, crop it to the right specification and get a 4x6 picture to print at a local pharmacy for 30 cents.
posted by radsqd at 6:43 AM on January 10, 2023
I used https://epassportphoto.com/ where you can upload a picture, crop it to the right specification and get a 4x6 picture to print at a local pharmacy for 30 cents.
posted by radsqd at 6:43 AM on January 10, 2023
If you live near a UPS store or that kind of thing, they can take a photo that meets the criteria, and email it to you.
posted by matildaben at 9:03 AM on January 10, 2023
posted by matildaben at 9:03 AM on January 10, 2023
I just submitted the online renewal. It was super-easy. I used my phone for the picture, using the regular camera app. Not flattering, but it seemed to match what they needed. Fingers crossed!
posted by redyaky at 11:31 AM on January 10, 2023
posted by redyaky at 11:31 AM on January 10, 2023
Once my MyTravelGov account was activated, I used the online renewal form today.
I had problems where the connection to their server went down at the start of the application process, timed out when submitting a photo, and again at the final step of payment.
Once access to the site worked again, it looked like my application was submitted after all, but I have not received any confirmation email or message that the application went through correctly.
Maybe it worked? I will check my credit card statement to see if it was billed, but if not, I'm not sure what I would do as there doesn't seem to be any contact for assistance, and I do not appear to have a way to check the status of the submitted application.
On the plus side, I was able to take my own photo and submit it, and it was approved. The web application cropped the photo for me, although I use an iPhone, which does not store photos as JPEGs directly. It only took a minute to convert it with OS X Preview. So no need to go to the pharmacy, etc.
Though I agree that the online application is easy, their servers might not perhaps be able to handle the traffic at this time. It might be safer to do things the "old" way, if you need the process to be reliable.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:14 PM on January 10, 2023
I had problems where the connection to their server went down at the start of the application process, timed out when submitting a photo, and again at the final step of payment.
Once access to the site worked again, it looked like my application was submitted after all, but I have not received any confirmation email or message that the application went through correctly.
Maybe it worked? I will check my credit card statement to see if it was billed, but if not, I'm not sure what I would do as there doesn't seem to be any contact for assistance, and I do not appear to have a way to check the status of the submitted application.
On the plus side, I was able to take my own photo and submit it, and it was approved. The web application cropped the photo for me, although I use an iPhone, which does not store photos as JPEGs directly. It only took a minute to convert it with OS X Preview. So no need to go to the pharmacy, etc.
Though I agree that the online application is easy, their servers might not perhaps be able to handle the traffic at this time. It might be safer to do things the "old" way, if you need the process to be reliable.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 2:14 PM on January 10, 2023
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The last time I renewed it was via mail so I can't speak to the online aspect, but I did renew my Nexus card online last fall, which was originally a much bigger PITA to get (a passport itself was one of several additional requirements), and it was far more convenient to do online, so I'd assume online passport renewal is just as good.
posted by SquidLips at 7:01 PM on January 9, 2023