Using The Internet Makes Renewing A New Passport Online Easier Than Ever

by erin on February 26, 2010

It may seem like a passport lasts forever, but that 10 years goes by before you know it. The last thing anyone wants to get caught with in an expired passport with a trip looming in the very near future. U.S. online passport renewal is not the daunting task that it was before the Internet and now the process is as easy as ever.

When renewing a passport online, there are a few criteria that need to be met before even beginning the application process. The current passport must be in good shape and undamaged along with still being legible. It must have been received by the applicant when they were above the age of 16 and it must be less than 15 years old with your current name on it.

As long as the passport falls in line with what is allowed to be done online, the renewal can be done in a snap. The online pass port application can be filled out right on the computer and then printed out for the official record. This makes it much quicker and easier than heading to the passport office to do everything by hand.

Once the forms are finished, there is just one more thing that has to be done before everything can be sent out, pictures. Passport photos must be a specific size (2’x2′) and should be done by a professional passport photo shop. These are fairly easy to find and the photos are pretty cheap. Actually, many of the passport agencies will offer this service for an added fee.

Sometimes, this process is a little more than anyone wants to deal with. Filling out forms, regardless of how quickly that they can be done, is not exactly on anyone’s high list of things that they want to do. There are services that can not only handle these tasks, but also expedite the speed in which the passport is received.

These special companies are plugged into the Department of State and have been given permission to process everything and speed up the entire turnaround time. They do all the dirty work and get the forms submitted and have the passport in hand long before traditional channels would be able to accomplish the same task. Family emergencies or an upcoming trip will no longer result in added stress.

There are quite a few things that have to be turned into the agency, so make sure that the checklist is completed before sending the package off. If you are lucky enough to have one of these services close by, there isn’t even the need to mail it as everything can be dropped off in person. If not, simply put it in an overnight mailer with UPS or FedEx and they will take care of the rest.

Anyone who looking into American online passport renewal will realize how much quicker this process is and also how convenient it has become. Even if they are not using expedited service, just about everything can be handled online or via the mail instead of wasting a day at the passport office. The technology for US online passport application is there, so you might as well use it.

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