- The US passport system is backed up even more as a busy Summer of travel kicks off.
- Waits for renewals have increased from 11 weeks to 13 weeks.
If your passport is expiring anytime soon, get in line — and quickly.
US passport renewal services are facing increased wait times this month as travelers gear up for Summer vacations.
Processing times for routine passport renewals are now up to 13 weeks, with expedited services also increased to 7-9 weeks, according to the State Department website. That doesn't include delivery times, which can add "several weeks" more, the agency says.
Travelers have been facing passport renewal backlogs for the past two years, as the government struggles to keep up with pent-up travel demand following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With COVID, the bottom basically dropped out of the system,” Antony Blinken told a House subcommittee March 23. When demand for travel all but disappeared during the pandemic, he said, the government let contractors go and reassigned staff that had been dedicated to handling passports.
The agency has increased staffing levels this year and is currently hiring additional staff, a State Department spokesperson told Insider earlier this year, adding that a majority of customers receive their passports within the published timeframes.
Expedited passport renewal services are reserved for travelers whose departure dates are within less than 11 weeks away from the time of application and cost an additional $60. Travelers can apply in-person at an acceptance facility or by mail.
The agency has been slowly rolling out an online passport renewal option since August, with the latest application window closing earlier this month. Approximately 500,000 applicants have used the new online portal since its launch, according to the agency in February.
But some frustrated travelers with international trips quickly approaching say they still haven't received their passports despite applying multiple months in advance and are now faced with canceling costly vacations, The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend.
In tight situations like these, it's recommended to call your local congressional representatives for emergency assistance.
If you applied and have not received your passport within five days of planned international travel, you should call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 to make an appointment at a passport agency, a State Department spokesperson said.