U.S. Passport Delays - Up to 4 Months
Photo by Jeremy Dorrough on Unsplash
By: Cindy Medina
If you plan to travel abroad this year, check your passport and ensure it is current! If it is not, then you need to submit your passport application as soon as possible.
The U.S. Department of State has warned that passport processing times are delayed - it could take up to 4 months to receive your passport from the time the application is received.
What has caused this backlog? Most people feel comfortable enough to travel again this year as tourism is returning to pre-pandemic numbers, causing an influx of passport applications to be received. Additionally, the State Department was unprepared for this influx and must restaff passport staff reassigned during the pandemic.
Typically application demands occur seasonally, with March through September being peak season. Weekly applications were about 40% above this year compared to last year. These numbers are expected to increase in the summer months ahead.
Information directly from the Department of State states the following processing times:
Routine: 10-13 weeks*
Expedited: 7-9 weeks and an extra $60*
*Mailing times are not included in processing times. Processing times only include the time your application is at one of our passport agencies or centers. The total time to get your passport includes both processing and mailing times. It may take up to 2 weeks for applications to arrive by mail at a passport agency or center, and up to 2 weeks for you to receive a completed passport in the mail after we print it. Consider the total time it will take to receive your passport when you are booking travel.
For more information see the U.S. Department of State website: