For first time, U.S. passport holders can renew online

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. passport holders can skip a trip to federal offices or mailing renewal forms and instead renew their passports online, the Department of State announced Wednesday.

"Our online passport renewal system is an important example of how the department is modernizing government services," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday in a press release .

"The department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible," Blinken said.

He said the online renewal requests will be processed in about a third of the time that traditional renewal requests were processed a year ago.

The quicker renewal time helps support increased travel abroad among U.S. citizens.

"More Americans than ever are traveling abroad," Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter told reporters Wednesday. "We've seen a huge increase in demand for passports over the last few years."

She said the new online service enables U.S. citizens to pay and upload a photo when applying online.

An adult who has a 10-year passport that has expired in the past five years or will expire within the coming year can used the online renewal service.

Passport holders seeking renewals online can visit Travel.State.Gov/renewonline to start the process.