If you need a new passport before your next trip, you’re in luck.
U.S. passport processing times dropped again this week, the State Department said. If your application is received Monday or later, you’ll wait between seven and 10 weeks for routine service, down from eight to 11 weeks. Expedited service – which comes with a $60 fee – will take between three and five weeks, dropping from five to seven weeks previously.
“As more Americans are traveling internationally again, we are directing resources to meet the unprecedented demand seen so far in 2023,” the State Department said in an update on its website.
Those estimates do not include mailing times.
“We are aggressively recruiting and hiring across our passport agencies and centers,” the update said. “Our passport team members nationwide contribute tens of thousands of hours of overtime a month to issue the millions of passports sought by traveling Americans.” The State Department also opened a satellite office to assist with processing.
Passport renewal can be a pain:What to know about applications, appointment wait times
The changes come just over a month after wait times last dropped. Over 24 million passport cards and books were issued between October 2022 and September 2023, marking a record.
How to get a passport?
The process for passport application varies depending on your situation.
According to the U.S. Department of State, you should apply in person if:
◾ You are applying for your first…
