US Passport Wait Times Return to Pre-Delay Levels
US passport processing times have returned to pre-pandemic levels, the State Department stated, signaling a resolution to the long delays experienced
The US State Department announced on Monday that passport application processing times have returned to pre-pandemic levels. After years of delays due to the backlog caused by the coronavirus pandemic, routine service now takes six to eight weeks, while expedited service takes two to three weeks (with an additional $60 cost). These updated times apply to applications submitted on or after December 18th.
"We have successfully met our goal of returning to benchmarks from March 2020 with this update, which is a testament to the hard work of our dedicated employees serving the American people," announced the department. In 2021, travelers became frustrated with processing times of up to 18 weeks, leading some Americans to cancel their travel plans due to documents not being received in time. By that summer, the State Department reported a backlog of 1.5 to 2 million applications.
The most influential passports in the world
After a record-breaking federal fiscal year, the return to pre-pandemic processing times is notable. From October 2022 to September 2023, the department issued over 24 million passport books and cards, marking the highest number in US history.
In 1990, only 5% of Americans had a passport, but today that number has risen to 48%. The number of valid passports in circulation has also nearly doubled since 2007, with over 160 million currently in circulation.
