US Passport Processing Times Are Shorter Right Now
The US Department of State announced recently that the wait time for new passports is now shorter than it has been in a long time.
The Department of State is reporting that their processing time for new passports has been reduced to 8 -10 weeks for non-expedited processing
Instead of having to wait 10 to 13 weeks for getting a new passport, the Department of State is reporting that their processing time for new passports has been reduced to 8 -10 weeks for non-expedited processing.
The processing time for expedited passports is now between 5-7 weeks (but reminds everyone, there is an additional cost for expediated processing).
Before the global pandemic, regular passport processing times for expedited was 2-3 weeks and non-expedited was 6-8 weeks.
They hope to be able to get back to those timeline times soon. The best time to submit documentation for a new passport is in the fall and early winter timeframe.
Spring and summer are the highest peak times due to everyone wishing to travel during those times. They also remind travelers that all passports must be valid for 6 months after your planned travel return date or you can and will be denied boarding for any type of international travel via air, cruise, etc.
The Department of State also noted that between Oct 2022 and Sep 2023 they had processed over 24 million new and renewed passport books and cards. This is a historically, the highest number of passports the US Government has ever issued.
