American citizens applying for a new passport or for an extension of the validity of their existing one will be unpleasantly surprised.
Starting December 27, 2021, the fee for such services will increase by 18% – twice the official inflation rate. The passport renewal fee will increase from $110 to $130 and the new passport fee will increase from $145 to $165.
“The increase in fees for renewing an existing or obtaining a new passport was necessary so that we can continue to issue some of the most reliable travel and identification documents in the world to our citizens,” the State Department said in a statement.
However, there is also good news. Per President Biden’s executive order (see note below), passport renewals may soon be moved online (now they must be mailed or in person at a government office). Before the coronavirus pandemic, the process of renewing a passport took from 6 to 8 weeks, and now it takes from 8 to 11 weeks. But it’s still a lot better than the 18 weeks that Americans had to wait last summer.