<br><div><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el" aria-label="Video - Looking for a quick passport-free island getaway? Here are five island escapes in the US."/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">If you <a target="_blank" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2023/07/03/passport-wait-processing-time-outlook/70378481007/" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">need a new passport</a> before your next trip, you’re in luck.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">U.S. passport processing times dropped again this week, the <a target="_blank" href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport.html" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">State Department</a> 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 $60 fee – will take between three and five weeks, dropping from five to seven weeks previously.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">“As more Americans are traveling internationally again, we are directing resources to meet the unprecedented demand seen so far in 2023,” the State Department said in an <a target="_blank" href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/News/passports/passport-processing-updates.html" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">update on its website</a>.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">Those estimates do not include mailing times.</p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">“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.</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><strong class="gnt_ar_b_al">Passport renewal can be a pain:</strong><a target="_blank" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2023/09/25/how-fast-can-i-get-a-passport/70779341007/" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|spike click:7|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">What to know about applications, appointment wait times</a></p><aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">The changes come just over a month after <a target="_blank" href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2023/10/02/us-passport-processing-times-down/71037593007/" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a" rel="noopener">wait times last dropped</a>. Over 24 million passport cards and books were issued between October 2022 and September 2023, marking a record.</p><h2 class="gnt_ar_b_mt">How to get a passport?</h2><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">The process for passport application varies depending on your situation.</p><aside class="gnt_em gnt_em_anc" id="gnt_atomsnc" data-g-r="lazy" data-gl-method="loadAnc" aria-label="Newsletter signup form"/><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">According to the U.S. Department of State, you should <a target="_blank" href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/apply-in-person.html" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" class="gnt_ar_b_a">apply in person</a> if:</p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p">◾ You are applying for your first...</p></div> <style> .wrapper { text-align: center; } </style> <div class="wrapper"> <a class="button" href ="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/news/2023/11/07/us-passport-wait-times-drop/71478776007/">Read more <span>➤</span></a> </div>
