Japanese officials started accepting new passport applications online in 16 prefectures on Monday.

Residents in 13 prefectures -- Aomori, Miyagi, Saitama, Chiba, Toyama, Osaka, Kyoto, Wakayama, Tottori, Tokushima, Kagawa, Kochi and Oita -- can submit new applications online to any passport office in their prefectures.

Only some passport offices in Ibaraki, Kumamoto and Okinawa accept new applications online.

Applications for renewal can be made online across the country, except for some areas.

People previously needed to go to local passport offices to submit new and renewal applications along with their identification documents.

To submit an online application, people must first register a photo and a digitized signature on their smartphone and then scan their "My Number" ID card. Once they have applied online, they can receive a passport by visiting a passport office only once.

A Foreign Ministry official says he wants many people to use the online system as they can apply anytime and anywhere. He adds more passport centers are expected to accept online applications in the future.