NEWS
Need a Passport? Delays are Finally Getting Shorter
Source: AP
It’s time to book that bucket-list international vacation and finally submit that passport application now that the Department of State has revealed processing times are getting shorter.
Last July, the Department of State reported passport application times were taking on average 18 weeks or longer thanks to staffing shortages, postage delays, and high travel demands.
Thankfully, the giant backlog has lessened and passport application times are beginning to get back to normal.
According to the State Department, the average wait for routine passport processing is taking eight to eleven weeks, with expedited processing ($60 extra) taking just five to seven weeks.
“The Department of State is committed to processing passport applications as expeditiously as possible,” The State Department revealed in a press release. “Reducing the volume of pending passport applications, shortening processing times, and increasing agency counter services remain top priorities.”
Still, the Department of States recommends passport applicants give themselves a time-frame of at least four months before they need to travel internationally, just in case!
