White House calls for online passport renewals

An executive order issued Monday by President Joe Biden will direct the State Department to make passports renewable online. 

“Americans will be able to renew their passports securely online, saving time from having to wait and the effort and cost required to print, go to a post office, and use a paper check. This new online process will be done with safety and security,” says a White House primer. 

Currently, the standard processing time for in-person and mail-facilitated passport renewals is between eight and 11 weeks, while expedited renewals take between five and seven weeks.

The White House did not say when digital renewal will go live.

• Related: TSA envisions big future for AI and biometrics

The executive order extends well beyond passports to broadly address the customer-service experience offered by the U.S. government. The administration said it will make 36 customer-experience improvement commitments across 17 federal agencies, many of them involving technology enhancements. 

In travel, other promised enhancements include shorter security and check-in lines at airports due to increased use of technologies and additional channels of communication to make it easier for travelers with time-sensitive questions to connect with the TSA. 

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