Washington, September 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The United States will allow Americans to apply for their first passport entirely online from next year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced as President Donald Trump launched a central digital portal for federal services.
The proposed change will remove the current requirement for first-time passport applicants to appear in person at an acceptance facility, such as a post office, library or local government office.
“Starting next year, Americans will be able to apply for their first passport entirely online,” Rubio said at the launch of America.gov in Washington.
The announcement is relevant to naturalised citizens and US-born members of immigrant communities, including Indian Americans, who require US passports for international travel.
Rubio said the existing process involves multiple stages, even for applicants who have already accessed the information available on the State Department’s website.
“Today, if you need your first passport, you start at the State Department’s website. There’s a lot of information up there, but if you actually want to apply, that is where the maze starts,” he said.
Under the proposed system, applicants will be able to use America.gov to submit their details, upload photographs and complete the application process online.
“No printing forms, no drugstore hostage photo, no appointment, no line, no middleman that you’re paying to do something that should be available to you,” Rubio said. “You tell America.gov what you’re trying to do and it walks you through every single step.”
The administration has not announced a specific launch date for online first-time passport applications, saying only that the service will be introduced next year.
Trump signed an executive order establishing America.gov as a central online platform for people seeking federal government information and services. The White House said passport renewals and Medicare enrolment would become available through the portal later this year, while first-time passport applications would be added under the State Department’s planned expansion.
The executive order describes America.gov as a “unified digital front door” to the federal government and says it will go beyond functioning as a conventional website, search engine or directory of government links.
The platform is intended to allow users to sign in, ask questions in plain language, receive answers and complete transactions where legally authorised and technically available.
The General Services Administration, National Design Studio and Office of Management and Budget have been directed to operate the platform and connect it with Login.gov, the federal government’s existing authentication service.
The order covers online federal services used by more than 100,000 people over a 12-month period. Internal Revenue Service tax filing and national-security-sensitive services provided by defence and intelligence agencies are excluded.
The Office of Management and Budget has been given 90 days to issue implementation guidance. Federal agencies will then be required to identify eligible services and connect their digital forms, dashboards and application systems to America.gov.
The order also requires the platform to minimise data collection, use secure authentication and preserve agencies’ control over government records. It states that people must continue to have access to existing in-person, telephone, postal and agency-specific services.
Currently, first-time adult passport applicants in the US must appear in person, provide proof of citizenship and identification, submit a photograph and pay the required fees. Eligible adults renewing an existing passport can already complete the process online.
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