Washington, August 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The US State Department has proposed expanding its online passport renewal programme to eligible American citizens living abroad, potentially allowing them to complete the entire renewal process without visiting an embassy or consulate.
The proposed rule, published in the Federal Register on Friday, would extend the department’s Online Passport Renewal platform to qualified applicants overseas. The programme would be rolled out in phases, with participating countries to be listed on the State Department’s travel website as implementation progresses.
The department has not yet announced which countries would be included in the first phase. The proposed system could eventually benefit US citizens living in India once the service is authorised there.
Under the proposal, eligible applicants would be able to submit their renewal applications, pay fees and upload passport photographs online. The department said this would eliminate the traditional requirement for two in-person visits to a US diplomatic post.
The digital process would also eliminate the need to physically transfer applications from overseas missions to passport agencies in the US for adjudication, potentially speeding up processing and reducing logistical challenges.
The State Department estimates that the overseas expansion could add around 220,000 eligible applicants to the online platform in fiscal 2027. It expects about 10.51 million passport renewal applications using Form DS-82 during the year, with approximately 6.28 million, or 60 per cent, submitted online.
The proposal would also remove the current requirement that an applicant’s latest passport have one year or less of validity remaining for online renewal. Instead, the applicable validity requirement would be published on the department’s website.
Other eligibility requirements would remain. The previous passport must have been valid for 10 years and issued when the applicant was at least 16 years old. Applications would generally need to be submitted within 15 years of the previous passport’s issuance.
Applicants would also need to have their latest passport available for online verification and cancellation. Passports reported lost or stolen would remain ineligible.
The department said online applicants would pay the same passport fee as those submitting paper applications, while potentially saving on photographs, postage and travel costs. It estimated that the expanded programme, together with existing domestic online renewals, could generate annual savings of nearly $148.7 million.
The proposal is not yet final. The State Department will accept public comments for 60 days before deciding whether to implement or modify the rule.
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