Do you remember that several months ago that it took months to get a new passport and months to even renew your passport?
Well, the U.S. State Department is reporting that passport wait times have now returned to normal.
As of December 18, 2023, passport applications will be processed within 6-8 weeks for routine service and 2-3 weeks for expedited service, which costs an additional $60. With this update, we have fulfilled our commitment to return to benchmarks from March 2020. This reflects the work of dedicated employees working for the American people.
In 1990, only five percent of Americans had a passport. Today, that number is 48%. More Americans can travel abroad now than at any time in our history. There are now over 160 million valid U.S. passports in circulation (nearly double the amount from 2007).
This past year, the Department experienced unprecedented demand for passports. Between October 2022 and September 2023 (the federal fiscal year), the Department of State issued over 24 million passport books and cards – the highest amount ever in our nation’s history.
We have worked hard to modernize and improve the service we provide to the American people. We will continue to do so in 2024.
Visit travel.state.gov/passport to plan your 2024 travel with the latest passport guidance and processing tips in mind. We encourage all U.S. citizens traveling overseas to renew their passports early. We also advise the U.S. traveling public to enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP.state.gov) so they can receive important messages about their destinations directly, including timely Alerts and updates to Travel Advisories.
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