An Easier and Faster Way to Renew Your Passport

Chris Gullotti, CFP®

August 31, 2026

This is an updated version of an article original published in 2024.

You’d like to travel abroad but there's one thing holding you back: Your passport will be expiring soon. You’ve been putting off renewing it because you just can’t face the time-consuming and energy-draining process of filling out pages of paperwork, standing in line at your local post office, or getting a new passport photo.

Fortunately, you don't have to.

Now, nearly everyone can renew their passports online. If you don’t need your passport book or card right away, and you’ve got some patience, you may want to participate.

Before you begin

Before you apply, there are certain requirements you must meet. According to the State Department:

You must live in the United States (either a state or territory).
You’re applying for a regular (tourist) passport.
You still have your current passport.
The passport you’re renewing must have been valid for 10 years, and you must be age 25 or older. 
You are not changing your name, gender, date of birth, or place of birth.
You are not traveling internationally for at least 4-6 weeks from the date you will submit your application. 
You must pay for your passport using a credit or debit card or an automated clearing house (ACH) transfer from your bank.
You can take and upload your own digital passport photo as long as it meets State Department specifications (see Step 1 below).

Once you submit your application, your current passport will be canceled. You will no longer be able to use it to travel internationally.

Here’s a brief overview of the steps involved.

Step 1: Take a new passport photo

One of the best features of the new system is that you’ll no longer need to go to the post office or a photo store to get a new passport photo.

You can have someone use a phone, tablet or digital camera to take your photo and upload that photo during the application process (don’t use selfies). The photo must meet State Department requirements:

It must be in color.
The image of you must be clear (i.e., not fuzzy or blurry)
The background must be off-white with no shadows, lines, or textures
You must face the camera straight on with a neutral expression—eyes open, mouth closed. Add a lot of space above your head and around your shoulders to allow for cropping. Head coverings are only permitted for religious purposes.
The photo must be a high-quality JPEG at least 600x600 pixels in size and a file size between 54 kilobytes to 10 megabytes (the larger the better). The photo can be vertically rectangular (i.e., the typical cell phone photo).
If you’re editing with photo software, do not use any filters or effects. Save it to the highest quality JPEG setting available with the least amount of compression.

Make sure your photo is saved on the computer or mobile device you’ll be using to go through the renewal application process.

Get more information on photo requirements.

Step 2: Have your renewal materials ready

Before you begin, make sure you have the following nearby.

Your most recent passport.
A credit card, debit card or ACH banking information.
Your new digital passport photo.

Step 3: Renew your passport

Go to https://travel.state.gov/en/passports/renew-replace/online.html to begin the passport renewal process and follow the steps.

The cost for renewing your passport will be:

$130 for a passport book renewal
$30 for a passport card renewal
$160 for a passport book and card renewal.

You can pay by credit card, debit card or ACH transfer from your bank account.

Once that’s all done…

Check your email. You’ll first receive a message that your payment is pending. Within three days, you’ll be notified that your payment is processed. After that, you’ll be notified if there are issues with your application or photo.

If all goes well, you should receive your new passport within four to eight weeks.

But hold on to your old passport until your new one arrives, even though you won’t be able to use it.

If you need your passport sooner

This process is best suited for those who won’t be traveling abroad soon. If you need to renew your passport faster than that, the State Department offers other methods to get it faster. But you won’t be able to fulfill your request online.

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This article was authored by Chris Gullotti and Jeffrey Briskin. Chris is a financial advisor and Partner with Canby Financial Advisors, a SEC-registered investment adviser. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement by the SEC nor a statement about any skill or training. Chris can be reached at 508.598.1082 or cgullotti@canbyfinancial.com. Jeffrey Briskin is Director of Marketing at Canby Financial Advisors.