Ready to renew your US passport? You can now apply online

WASHINGTON — There is an easier way to do that renew your passport – online.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has opened a trial period that will allow a limited number of people to apply for their updated travel documents with just a few clicks. You can’t just start: windows open around noon eastern time every day and then close once the system reaches the daily limit.

The department says it is taking it slow so it can monitor how the system is working. There are also a number of requirements that must be met in order to apply online, including:

— You are 25 years or older.

— You are renewing a passport issued between 2009 and 2015.

— You do not change any personal information.

— You do not travel abroad for at least eight weeks after your registration.

There are many other criteria for the The travel website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where you must create an account to renew online. Expedited service must still be done by mail.

It comes after travelers were confronted huge waiting times to renew their documents amid a backlog due to lingering pandemic effects such as staffing shortages and a pause in online processing last year that left the agency swamped with applications.

The current processing time for a routine passport renewal is six to eight weeks.