As the U.S. State Department’s operations begin returning to normal, a California-based visa and passport processing company announces it would be accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment.

According to an announcement made on November 6th, from passport and visa expeditor based in San Jose, Peninsula Visa has stated it would be giving customers an option to pay for selected passport services using Bitcoin (BTC).

Backed by retailer payment facilitator Coinbase Commerce, Peninsula Visa will be offering passport renewals and name changes in addition to applications related to second passports.

U.S. citizens over the age of 16 are allowed to hold one “primary” passport book or card valid for 10 years in addition to a second one valid for 4 years.

“Offering travelers the ability to pay via Bitcoin feels like the right move at the right time,” said Peninsula Visa COO Evan James, citing his hope that travel would return to normal once the threat from the pandemic was over.

However, many of the State Department’s offices have already opened with staff for in-person passport applicants. The government agency announced on 3rd November that it had reduced processing time for standards applications from 10–12 weeks to 4–6 weeks. For expedited passports — pre-COVID, one could obtain a passport in person within a week under certain circumstances.

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