The U.S. Embassy in Montevideo has introduced an online payment system for adult passport renewals, aiming to make the process more accessible for U.S. citizens living in Uruguay. Applicants can now pay their renewal fees using various methods such as electronic funds transfer from a U.S.-based bank account, credit or debit cards, Amazon Pay, or PayPal through the Pay.Gov platform.
This new option allows eligible applicants to submit their passport renewal by mail instead of appearing in person at the embassy. The service is available around the clock.
Eligibility is limited to those 16 years and older who already possess a ten-year validity U.S. passport issued within the past 15 years and have a residential address in Uruguay. Those seeking to renew passports for minors under 16 must still apply in person with both parents or guardians present.
According to information provided by the embassy, individuals without their current passport book—whether lost or stolen—must also apply in person using form DS-11.
Online payments via Pay.Gov are currently restricted to standard passport books; applications for passport cards require different procedures handled directly at the embassy.
Payment through Pay.Gov is only accepted in U.S. dollars and does not allow combining multiple applications into one transaction. The process requires access to a computer or mobile device with internet connectivity but does not demand any special software.
The embassy states: "Pay.gov is a secured portal that uses 128-bit SSL encryption to ensure that your personal and payment information is protected. It is a trusted site used by more than 40 U.S. government agencies to collect forms and payments for customers."
Once payment is made, applicants should print their confirmation email and send it along with their current passport, pre-paid return envelope, photo, and signed DS-82 application form by mail or courier service to:
U.S. Embassy Montevideo
American Citizen Services Unit (ACS Unit)
Lauro Muller 1776
Montevideo 11200, Uruguay
Applicants can expect routine processing times of up to seven weeks before receiving their renewed passports via courier delivery. For urgent travel needs, an emergency one-year validity passport may be issued following an in-person appointment at the embassy; expedited processing is not available through online payment.
For further assistance or status inquiries after mailing documents, applicants are advised to wait five business days before contacting the Consular Section using the embassy’s U.S. Citizens Services Navigator tool.
"Payments made in person are still accepted, but require an appointment," according to information from the embassy website.
If technical issues arise during online payment attempts on Pay.Gov, users are encouraged to refresh their browser or try another browser before reaching out via onsitefees@state.gov if concerns persist.
Contact details for assistance remain available on the official [U.S. Embassy website](https://uy.usembassy.gov/).
For security updates while traveling abroad, Americans residing in Uruguay are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).