Just realized the State Department finally launched online passport renewal and honestly it's pretty convenient but also kind of underwhelming? Like yeah you can renew passport online now through MyTravelGov instead of mailing everything in, which is nice. The cost is still $130 though so don't expect any savings there. Been the same price since 2021 apparently.

So if you want to renew passport online, you gotta be at least 25, live in the US, and your passport needs to be from 2009-2015 or somewhere between 9-15 years old. Pretty specific requirements. You upload a digital photo in JPEG format which beats having to get those annoying printed photos. Pay with card and wait up to 8 weeks. No expedited option available online which is kind of a bummer if you need it faster.

What's actually interesting is they said processing times have dropped to like a third of what they were last summer. They were dealing with massive backlogs so this online system plus more staff seems to be helping. Average time is now under 6-8 weeks which is the standard they advertise. Guess the whole travel boom after COVID really hit them hard with passport demand.

Anyone else gonna try this or still sticking with mail? Also heads up if you're getting Global Entry - fees are jumping $20 starting October so might wanna lock that in before the increase hits.