US Passport Processing Times Reduced by 2 Weeks: State Department

A passport processing employee with a stack of blank passports at the Miami Passport Agency in Miami, Fla., on June 22, 2007. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The U.S. Department of State has cut down the time it takes to process passports after facing criticism last year for delays.

“Today, the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs is reducing processing times for passports to 4–6 weeks, down from our prior commitment of 6–8 weeks,” the agency said in an Oct. 3 statement. It is applicable to paper and online applications. Citizens who require expedited services will continue to experience processing times of two to three weeks, according to the statement.

“This announcement comes after months of issuing passports well under the 6–8 week commitment and showcases our progress to continuously improve the efficiency, equity, and accessibility of the U.S. passport application process,” the department stated.

Last year, the agency’s processing times experienced delays after Americans started traveling in large numbers in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In August 2023, the department said it was taking 10 to 13 weeks for routine approvals and seven to nine weeks for expedited services, and the delays attracted criticism from lawmakers. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) wrote to the department at the time, urging the agency to address the issue.

During the January to July period last year, the senator’s office dealt with more than 1,600 passport-related cases, up from just 43 cases during the same period in 2019 prior to the pandemic.

By Dec. 18, 2023, the agency had returned to its traditional processing period of six to eight weeks.

The same month, a group of lawmakers introduced the Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act to address the issue of passport backlogs.

“Passport processing backlogs have been a nightmare for my constituents. It has been almost four years since the start of the pandemic,” Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.), a co-sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. “There is no excuse for forcing the American people to wait more than three months for a passport.”

The bill seeks to expand the online passport renewal system for first-time adult applicants, mandate a text and email notification system covering application status, and boost congressional oversight of State Department modernization efforts.

The regulation also seeks to accelerate the passport renewal process by increasing automated services in matters related to passport adjudication. The Government Accountability Office would be tasked with conducting a top-to-bottom review of the passport issuance system.

“This transformative approach will not only address many of the problems that led to the backlog but also deliver modernizations that are overdue and will set the system right for decades to come,” said Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who introduced the bill.

Meanwhile, the State Department announced a beta trial of its online passport renewal system in June, allowing a limited number of people to apply online. Last month, the agency opened up the online renewal system to all American citizens to save the “time and effort” of applicants.

“By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said according to the announcement.