Are you planning a trip soon? For the first time since pandemic travel restrictions were eased, passport processing times have already sped up.
Anyone who applied on or after Oct. 2 can now anticipate to wait 8 to 11 weeks for standard service and 5 to 7 weeks for expedited treatment, according to the State Department.
These figures are lower than the department’s previous estimates of 10 to 13 weeks for routine and 7 to 9 weeks for expedited, which occurred months ago when a post-pandemic rush of passengers prompted applications to increase by 30% to 40% compared to the previous year, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Between October 2022 and September 2023, the State Department issued more than 24 million passport books and cards, the most in the country’s history.
This was ascribed to a large number of eager-to-travel Americans needing new or renewed passports at the same time during the outbreak. Meanwhile, agencies were understaffed, resulting in a backlog and longer processing times.
These difficulties prompted a surge of congressional efforts to create new steps to improve the process, including the Passport Act, which was proposed last week and intends to apply new methods to cut delays.
The State Department announced that it has expanded staffing numbers by 10% and aims to hire hundreds more. It also stated that it is investing in cutting-edge technologies to further minimize processing times.
Although this reduction is great news, the department advises applicants to apply far in advance of any anticipated travel.
These shorter wait periods do not include mailing time, which can take up to two weeks.
To be safe, the agency recommends that anyone wanting to travel apply at least six to nine months before their passport’s expiration date.