STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — If you’re looking to get a passport for travel, your wait time may be shorter that expected.
The U.S. Department of State recently announced it will provide passport services two weeks faster than prior processing times. New times will be eight to 11 weeks for routine service and five to seven weeks for expedited service. These new processing times only apply to any applications received on or after Oct. 2.
According to the agency, processing times begin the day that an application is received, not including the mailing time.
The Department of State issued the most passports in the nation’s history — more than 24 million passport books and cards — from October 2022 to September 2023.
Its dedicated staff members have worked countless hours to reduce passport processing times, according to the agency, which is reassessing operations to maximize efficiencies and introducing innovations to customer service and processing models.
Those who are considering future international travel should check their validity early and often. Apply well in advance of your potential travel and at least six to nine months ahead of your passport’s expiration date.
Check your passport’s expiration date today and visit travel.state.gov to plan your 2024 travel with the latest passport guidance and travel information.
After you send in a passport renewal application via mail or in person, you can subscribe to email updates about its status.
Status updates may not be available in the first two weeks after you submit your application. During these two weeks before your application arrives at a passport agency or center, your application is securely sent to a mailing facility and an intake facility, where your payment is processed.
You will need the following information to check your status: last name, date of birth and last four digits of your social security number.
Visit https://passportstatus.state.gov for the status of a passport application.
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