Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Aug 28: The US State Department has proposed allowing eligible American citizens living abroad to renew their passports entirely online, potentially eliminating the need for two visits to a US embassy or consulate.
The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on Friday, would expand the department’s Online Passport Renewal platform to qualified applicants in foreign countries.
The programme would be introduced overseas in phases, with the department maintaining a list of participating countries on its travel website as implementation progresses. The countries that would be included in the first phase have not yet been announced.
The proposed service could benefit Americans living in India once it is authorised for the country.
Under the proposed system, eligible applicants would be able to submit their applications, pay the required fee and upload passport photographs online.
“By enabling eligible persons overseas to submit applications, pay fees, and upload photos entirely online, the traditional requirement for two in-person visits to a consular post would be eliminated,” the State Department said.
The department said the digital process would also eliminate the need to physically transfer applications from overseas diplomatic missions to a passport agency in the US for adjudication.
The change is expected to speed up processing and reduce logistical challenges for Americans living abroad, including difficulties in securing appointments at embassies and consulates.
The department estimates that expanding online renewal overseas could add around 220,000 eligible applicants to the platform during fiscal 2027.
It expects nearly 10.51 million people to submit passport renewal applications using Form DS-82 during the fiscal year, with around 6.28 million, or 60 per cent, projected to be filed online.
Eligibility rules
The proposal would also remove the existing requirement that an applicant’s most recently issued passport have one year or less of remaining validity to qualify for online renewal.
Instead, the department would publish the applicable remaining-validity requirement on its website. It said improvements to its computer systems had made the current one-year restriction unnecessary.
Applicants would still have to meet other eligibility requirements. Their previous passport must have been valid for 10 years and issued when they were at least 16 years old.
The online application would ordinarily have to be submitted no more than 15 years after the previous passport was issued. Applicants would also need to have their most recent passport available for verification and cancellation through the online system.
Passports reported lost or stolen would not qualify for online renewal. The department said including such cases would require significant changes to the adjudication process.
Applicants whose passports were issued more than 15 years earlier would also remain ineligible. The department said it currently lacked the technology needed to process those applications online, although it could consider a separate rule in the future.
Savings for overseas Americans
The State Department said applicants using the online system would pay the same passport fee as those submitting paper applications.
They could, however, save on expenses such as passport photographs, postage and travel to a consular facility.
The department estimates that the expanded overseas programme, together with existing domestic online renewals, could generate annual savings of nearly $148.7 million. The savings would include reduced expenditure on professional photographs, postage, travel and wages lost while attending appointments.
Americans living abroad could avoid an estimated four hours away from work for a consular visit. For 220,000 overseas applicants, the department estimates the resulting avoided wage loss at around $18.8 million annually.
The online system could also free consular staff to focus on complex citizenship cases and emergency services for Americans overseas.
The department said passport information submitted electronically would be encrypted and processed on controlled workstations accessible only to authorised employees.
The Online Passport Renewal platform was introduced in 2022 with limited eligibility while its technology was being developed. Its use has so far been restricted to qualified applicants located within the United States.
The proposed rule is not yet final. The State Department will accept public comments for 60 days before deciding whether to adopt or modify the proposal.