Passport renewal process, including photos, now fully online

The State Department announced on Wednesday its entering the late 20th century and immediately making its new online passport renewal system fully available to the public.

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The new offering replaces the former method — printing out a paper application and mailing it with a check. The State Department declares the online renewal system "secure" and says it will save travelers time and headaches.

Clicking through to the online portal (Travel.State.Gov/renewonline) leads users to the seven-step process (eight-step if you choose to enroll in email updates). One of the highlights of the new process is the option to upload a digital photo (no more coughing up money at a pharmacy or post office!), but no selfies allowed.

Another important note: Renewing online can only be done if your international travel is more than eight weeks away. If a trip is planned between three and eight weeks in the future, renewal by mail is the preferred method, while in-person service is required if a passport is needed in three weeks or less.

Moving the renewal process online follows other bureaucratic overhauls at the State Department that promise more efficiency for travelers.

"Thanks to increased staffing, technological advancements, and a host of other improvements, the average routine passport is being processed today in roughly one-third the time as at the same point last summer, and well under the advertised six to eight weeks processing times," according to a statement from State.