New year, new passport: U.S. searches for passport renewals more than double in first full week of January

MIAMI, Oct. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. search interest in passport renewal more than doubled in the first two weeks of 2026. Specifically, from Christmas week through the first full week of January, according to new analysis from HelloGov, which recently merged with travel company iVisa. Since 2024, January has been the busiest month for U.S. passport searches. Passport applications show a similar seasonal pattern: from January through May 2023, the State Department received about 500,000 passport applications a week, easing to about 400,000 a week by July, and a record 23.3 million applications in fiscal year 2025.

The January passport rush

Across the United States, people spend Thanksgiving and the holidays talking about the trips they want to take. In the first week of January, many check their passports and find they have expired. U.S. search interest in “passport renewal” more than doubled between Christmas week (December 21-27, 2025) and the first full week of January 2026 (January 4-10), according to the HelloGov analysis of Google Trends data.

It is now a repeating pattern. January was the busiest month for U.S. “passport renewal” searches in 2024 and 2025, and it has been the busiest month so far in 2026. Average January interest is 40% to 73% above December in each of the past five years. Searches for “passport application” follow the same curve. SEO platform Ahrefs estimates U.S. Google searches for “passport renewal” at about 240,000 in January 2026, up from about 152,000 in December 2025.

HelloGov’s own orders show the same January surge. Completed passport orders rose 111% from December 2025 to January 2026, after rising 139% from December 2024 to January 2025. In the first full week of January 2026, HelloGov processed 141% more passport orders than during Christmas week.

The spike coincides with New Year’s resolutions, although travel isn’t near the top of the list. According to YouGov, about one in nine U.S. adults (11%), including 18% of those aged 18 to 44, made travel one of their New Year’s resolutions for 2026, ranking 15th of 25 resolutions. At the same time, January is when spring break and summer trips start getting booked, and the State Department says passport demand is generally higher from late winter into summer. With State Department routine processing at four to six weeks, plus about two weeks for mailing, January is also roughly the last comfortable moment to renew for a March getaway. Expedited service is faster, at two to three weeks for an extra $60, and travelers with an international trip within 14 days can request an urgent in-person appointment, though those appointments are limited.

Record demand, by the official numbers

The January rush lands on a system already handling record volumes. The U.S. Department of State received 23,308,976 passport applications in fiscal year 2025, the most in its published records and about 14% more than the 20,437,207 it received in FY2024. It issued 27,348,416 passports in FY2025, including 4,544,022 passport cards. In FY2025, 183,170,240 valid U.S. passports were in circulation, up from 169,915,821 in FY2024 and 125,907,176 in FY2015.

“Most people treat a passport as a one-time errand, and that’s where trips go wrong,” said Adam Boalt, co-CEO of HelloGov. “Parents are often surprised that a child’s passport is valid for only five years and can’t be renewed, so every child under 16 needs a brand-new application in person. Adults trip over smaller details: a name that changed after a wedding, or a photo that doesn’t meet the rules. My advice is simple. Set a reminder on your phone nine months before your passport expires, because some destinations expect several months of validity. Additionally, check every passport in the house, including the kids’, before booking anything.”

Five things to do before booking your 2027 trip

1. Check the expiry date on every passport in the household now. Passports for children under 16 are valid for only five years and can’t be renewed; each one needs a new in-person application.
2. Check how much validity your destination expects. Some countries want a passport valid well beyond your travel dates, so confirm with your airline before you book.
3. Renew before paying for non-refundable travel. Routine processing takes four to six weeks, and mailing can add about two more. If you can, apply in the slower season, October through December.
4. If time is short, expedited service takes two to three weeks for an extra $60 government fee.
5. See whether you can renew online. Eligible adults can renew through the State Department’s Online Passport Renewal; anyone who wants their forms and photo checked before submitting can use a private service such as HelloGov, which charges a service fee on top of the government fee.
   
   

About HelloGov

HelloGov AI, Inc. ("HelloGov") is a private company registered with the U.S. Department of State as a hand-carry passport courier, and it operates a marketplace of independent registered couriers. HelloGov is not a government agency and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of State. Using HelloGov's service may not process your passport any faster than applying in person at a passport agency. HelloGov aims to increase efficiency, reduce errors, and avoid the travel, time, and expense of the in-person application process by having a registered courier submit your application on your behalf, while always following State Department requirements. HelloGov's fees do not include any government, adjudication, or passport photo fees.

Methodology

HelloGov analyzed U.S. Google Trends data for the search terms “passport renewal” and “passport application” covering October 2021 to October 2026, retrieved on October 15, 2026. Google Trends reports relative search interest on a 0-100 scale, where 100 is the highest weekly interest in the period; it does not report search counts. Monthly figures are averages of weekly values. Search volume estimates come from Ahrefs Keywords Explorer (United States, October 2025-September 2026) and are modeled estimates, not official counts. Search interest reflects intent, not submitted applications, and the data shows when interest rises but not why; the link to New Year’s resolutions is based on the timing and the survey data cited. HelloGov order figures are based on completed orders on HelloGov.com, in Eastern Time, including orders later refunded. Fiscal year (FY) figures follow the U.S. federal fiscal year, October through September.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b1a9133e-32fc-44c2-bfd4-b9815434a514
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5e2d764b-cc6d-462d-8d05-8e1e30ca26a9

annkatrin.siegl@ivisa.com

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