One of the most annoying forms of US bureaucracy — renewing your US passport — just got easier, and millions of people are taking advantage of it.

The US State Department is now opening it online renewal system for passports of all eligible citizens, and more than one million Americans took advantage of the opportunity. The change is getting faster, too: The usual processing time for passports is now just four to six weeks.

Anyone with an expired US passport issued in the last 15 years can now renew it online. The State Department estimates that the online application will take about 40 minutes, but if you have all your documents and payment information, you can complete it in half an hour. The big catch is that you need a MyTravelGov account to apply online — we’ll explain more below.

Find out everything you need to know about the new US online passport renewal system, including who’s eligible and how you can apply. For more travel tips, check out the best days and times to get cheap airline tickets or the worst airlines for flight delays and cancellations.

How do I renew my US passport online?

Most US citizens today renew their passport by printing and filling the form DS-82then submit that form using a recent passport photo and a renewal fee in the form of a check or money order. The online passport renewal system uses a website form and payment system that allows credit cards, debit cards or online ACH transfers.

Renewing your passport online doesn’t mean you’ll receive it sooner than usual, however. The State Department remains in “usual service” for passport renewal, either online or by mail. That means you will receive your new passport within six to eight weeks, no matter how you apply. If you need your passport in before that, you need it by mail and pay $60 more for expedited service.

Who can renew their US passport online?

The most important eligibility factors for renewing your passport online are:

• You are at least 25 years old.
• You live in the US (state or territory).
• Your current passport is valid or valid for 10 years.
• Your current passport must be at least 9 years old and issued within the last 15 years (2009-2015).
• You still have your current passport, and it has not been cut or damaged.

Along with the main eligibility requirements, the State Department provides a list of additional restrictions for online renewal:

• You can only renew regular passports online, not “special issue” passports (such as diplomatic, official or service passports).
• You cannot change your name, gender, place of birth or date of birth from your previous passport.
• You must be able to pay for the online renewal using a credit card, debit card or ACH transfer.
• You must be able to upload a new passport photo.
• You cannot travel internationally for eight weeks after submitting your online renewal application.

That last restriction is important because your existing passport, if still valid, will be canceled as soon as your online renewal application is accepted.

If you do not meet the eligibility requirements for renewing your passport online, you must renew by mail or in person at a passport agency.

Here are the steps to renew your US passport online

Before you can apply for an online passport renewal, you need to create a MyTravelGov account, using the login.gov system. If you don’t already have a login.gov account, you can visit the MyTravelGov websiteclick the blue one Sign In button in the upper right corner, then click Create an account.

You need to enter an email address and your preferred language: login.gov is available in English, Spanish and French. After submitting your email address, you must verify it by clicking on a link in an email message from login.gov, after which you will choose a password and preferred form of multifactor authentication.

You must provide personal information for the account, at least your first and last name. Once you’re done, you should be able to access the online passport renewal page. Hit the blue dash button at the bottom of the page to start the application. The State Department estimates that the online application process will take about 40 minutes.

To start the application for online passport renewal, you need the following items:

• Your current US passport.
• A digital passport photo.
• Payment — credit card, debit card or your bank’s routing and account numbers for ACH transfers.

In the first part of the application, you enter information about your current passport, your legal name and if you want a passport book, passport card or both. Next you upload your digital passport photoand finally your payment information.

MyTravelGov will send you two email verifications after you submit your renewal application: The first will confirm your pending payment, and the second will confirm that payment has been received. One week after you apply, you can sign up for email updates about your passport with the State Department online passport status system. You should expect to receive your new passport in the mail within six to eight weeks.

Can I renew my US passport card online?

Passport cards are things like US driver’s licenses and can be kept in your wallet. They allow travel from the US by land or sea to Canada, Mexico or Caribbean countries. It is not valid for any international air travel.

You can renew passport books and cards online. Basically, you can renew any US passport document you currently hold. If you have an old passport book and passport card, you can renew both at the same time. If you have one or the other, you can only change the specific document.