During the America.gov launch event hosted by President Donald Trump on 29 September 2026, the U.S. State Department unveiled a series of changes that will impact the passport application process. First-time applicants in particular will benefit from the overhaul, scheduled for the end of 2027.
Applying for a passport in the U.S. is about to become much easier. While citizens have already been able to apply online for a passport renewal for some years, many others are currently still obliged to apply in person. This is namely the case for adults who are applying for their first passport, for those whose last passport was issued more than 15 years ago, and for those whose last passport was issued when they were younger than 16.
Such an application requires them to schedule an appointment, to print the right forms (which isn’t always clear), and to wait in line. However, as far as the U.S. State Department is concerned, those administrative hassles will soon come to an end.
SECRETARY RUBIO on https://t.co/pt9rQXC44r PASSPORTS: 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. https://t.co/VeUskLGA9U
— Department of State (@StateDept) September 29, 2026
“Now, a United States passport, it means something, right? It’s a physical symbol of who we are. It’s a promise that, wherever you go in the world as an American, you are one of us. And that’s why the State Department is partnering with America.gov to rebuild the entire thing from the ground up, and it begins with something pretty remarkable. Starting next year, Americans will be able to apply for their first passport entirely online,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated at the America.gov launch event.
According to Rubio, U.S. citizens will be able to log into the secure America.gov website and to complete their details, many of which will already be visible on their profile. Applicants will have the possibility to take their own passport picture using their phone, meaning drugstore photos will be something of the past.
Moreover, once their application is completed, applicants will be able to track their passport status in real time. They will be given an estimated delivery time, knowing that routine processing takes approximately four to six weeks at the moment of writing.
SECRETARY RUBIO on https://t.co/pt9rQXC44r: The point of all of this that we’re doing here today, and this is simple, is to make the process more accessible and easier for Americans. https://t.co/8BKyPZJPrM
— Department of State (@StateDept) September 29, 2026
“So, for years, you could track any delivery – a pizza, whatever – more precisely than you can track where your passport is in the mail. Not anymore. We have an estimated delivery date, so you know it’s coming. And by the end of 2027, our goal is for the vast majority of Americans to be able to apply for a passport or a passport card on America.gov. Because the point of all of this, we’re doing here today – and this is simple – make the process more accessible and easier for Americans. So, whether you live in the middle of a major city or you live in a rural town, you’ll be able to apply from anywhere,” Rubio said.
Aside from the new application process, some other changes to the U.S. passport were announced during the event as well. Starting in 2028, the American Eagle will be more prominently displayed on the documents, and while flipping through the pages of the passport, the eagle seems to spread its wings and take off. Finally, the U.S. passport will be delivered at home in a new package, as the traditional envelope is set to be replaced by a thin white box emblazoned with the golden seal.
