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Thanks for the update. I notice our local SS office has shortened office hours. Signing up Mediacare Part A online was pretty easy, and took another month to get confirmation letter.
Same goes to Postal Service. Have to find another post office to renew my passport. Since COVIS, this essential service has cut back considerably.
Thanks. As for the white background, I would tape large sheet of white paper on a table as the background. The other way is to scan it on your printer and save the image as jpeg file. We wish to travel to Canada this year.
I helped my daughter to get her first passport. There they want the birth certificate (and a printed copy), and a headshot photo (no smiling!).
The hardest part was finding a relatively clean, white, untextured wall to serve as background for my passport photo. No one has white walls anymore.
I just renewed my passport online. I went to Staples for the picture as I was concerned with the background and shadows. I uploaded the picture without a problem and I received my passport in the mail yesterday. From start to finish it was under 3 weeks.
Beware that several conditions must apply for online US passport renewal.
We have used Walgreens for visa photos too.
Walgreens have an extensive database of various (country) passport and visa photo requirements - some can be in color, others require B&W; some allow glasses, others don't. some require neck and ear visibility; smiling or frowning has been mentioned. We don't want to risk application return due to problem photos.
I hope that Walgreens' new private-equity owners will keep services such as these.
Ya, I find the regs for US passport work find for Ireland-EU. Upload the pic into the Irish online form. They make the thing B&W, themselves. Then the info page in the passport is SOLIDLY laminated. More like a panel than a page, like all of the other pages.
You can renew online if you meet all these requirements:
The passport you are renewing is or was valid for 10 years, and you are age 25 or older.
The passport you are renewing is either expiring within one year or has expired less than five years ago.
You are not changing your name, sex, date of birth, or place of birth.
You are not traveling for at least 6 weeks from the date you will submit your application. We will only offer routine service, and the time it takes to get a passport will be the same as renewing by mail.
You are applying for a regular (tourist) passport. You cannot renew a special issuance (diplomatic, official, service) passport online.
You live in the United States (either state or territory). You do not qualify to renew online if you live in a foreign country or have an Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), or Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) address.
You have your passport with you, and it is not damaged or mutilated, and you have not reported it as lost or stolen. Keep your most recent passport and do not mail it to us.
You can pay for your passport using a credit or debit card.
You can upload a digital passport photo.
You are aware that we will cancel the passport you are renewing after you submit your application. You cannot use it for international travel.
This is the website that I used to renew my passport as I met all the criteria that yogibearbull posted. To my surprise, the process was seamless and efficient.
That last line, while solid practical advice, is not quite precise.
When you submit your application, its status is "payment pending". After the CC/debit card payment clears, the government changes its status to "received". Only then is your old passport "cancelled".
Subject: Your Passport Application Status – Payment Pending
Thank you for renewing your U.S. passport online! Your payment is pending.
We will send you a confirmation email when your payment has been successfully processed. After your payment is successful, your application will be transferred for processing.
Two days later, Subject: Your Passport Application Status – Received
Your payment was successful! Your application will be transferred for processing.
We are currently processing routine applications in 4-6 weeks. Processing times begin on the date your application is received at a passport agency or center and does not include mailing time. ... You cannot travel internationally with your current passport as it will be invalidated during the renewal process. [bold in original]
Regarding the photo, cheapskate that I am, I didn't pay for a photo. The first photo we uploaded we took without flash at high ISO (hoping to render any scuff marks on the background wall invisible). The website complained that the background was too dark and rejected the picture. We took another shot with flash and it passed the automated screening. The system also automatically crops the picture for a head shot.
I doubt that a photo that passes the computer screening will get rejected later. The State Department may not have the staffing to dedicate to secondary screenings.
Comments
Same goes to Postal Service. Have to find another post office to renew my passport. Since COVIS, this essential service has cut back considerably.
https://www.hellogov.com/l/passport?h1=online
The hardest part was finding a relatively clean, white, untextured wall to serve as background for my passport photo. No one has white walls anymore.
I helped my daughter to get her first passport. There they want the birth certificate (and a printed copy), and a headshot photo (no smiling!).
Beware that several conditions must apply for online US passport renewal.
We have used Walgreens for visa photos too.
Walgreens have an extensive database of various (country) passport and visa photo requirements - some can be in color, others require B&W; some allow glasses, others don't. some require neck and ear visibility; smiling or frowning has been mentioned. We don't want to risk application return due to problem photos.
I hope that Walgreens' new private-equity owners will keep services such as these.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/renew-online.html
.
The passport you are renewing is or was valid for 10 years, and you are age 25 or older.
The passport you are renewing is either expiring within one year or has expired less than five years ago.
You are not changing your name, sex, date of birth, or place of birth.
You are not traveling for at least 6 weeks from the date you will submit your application. We will only offer routine service, and the time it takes to get a passport will be the same as renewing by mail.
You are applying for a regular (tourist) passport. You cannot renew a special issuance (diplomatic, official, service) passport online.
You live in the United States (either state or territory). You do not qualify to renew online if
you live in a foreign country or have an Army Post Office (APO), Fleet Post Office (FPO), or Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) address.
You have your passport with you, and it is not damaged or mutilated, and you have not reported it as lost or stolen. Keep your most recent passport and do not mail it to us.
You can pay for your passport using a credit or debit card.
You can upload a digital passport photo.
You are aware that we will cancel the passport you are renewing after you submit your application. You cannot use it for international travel.
When you submit your application, its status is "payment pending". After the CC/debit card payment clears, the government changes its status to "received". Only then is your old passport "cancelled".
Subject: Your Passport Application Status – Payment Pending Two days later,
Subject: Your Passport Application Status – Received Regarding the photo, cheapskate that I am, I didn't pay for a photo. The first photo we uploaded we took without flash at high ISO (hoping to render any scuff marks on the background wall invisible). The website complained that the background was too dark and rejected the picture. We took another shot with flash and it passed the automated screening. The system also automatically crops the picture for a head shot.
I doubt that a photo that passes the computer screening will get rejected later. The State Department may not have the staffing to dedicate to secondary screenings.