Getting a passport photo might soon be as simple as pulling out your phone.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced that the State Department is developing a digital system for applicants to snap and submit photos from a phone or computer as part of a wider effort to speed up the application process.
He unveiled the plan at a reception celebrating the department’s new commemorative passport released as part of the country’s 250th anniversary, adding that applicants will eventually be able to handle nearly the entire process without leaving their homes.
From the photo counter to your couch
For a lot of people, tracking down a photo that satisfies the government’s rules is the most frustrating part of applying. The requirements are oddly specific, and meeting them usually involves a run to the pharmacy. Rubio’s proposal does away with that errand entirely.
“You’ll be able to take your picture from that device and be able to have it in real time, through our security system, verify the facial ID,” Rubio explained. The system uses facial recognition technology to instantly confirm each applicant’s identity, eliminating the need to visit a photo counter.
The change will trim processing times and cut back on the need for in-person appointments, all in service of a “much more customer-friendly” experience.
If everything comes together, the feature could arrive within a few months, and individuals who prefer doing things the traditional way will still have that option.
The digital photo tool is just one piece of what the State Department is changing. Down the line, passports will come packaged in a nicer presentation box with a certificate of authenticity, a step up from the plain envelope they arrive in today.
None of these updates are a sudden pivot. The State Department has spent the past few years gradually moving passport services online, including digital renewal options, largely to work through the enormous backlog left behind by the pandemic.
Sources: Department of State, DOS (250th Anniversary), Travel.Gov (Passport Processing Times), Travel.Gov (Photo Upload Guidance), Washington Examiner