Passport Delays Won’t Cut Back To Pre-Pandemic Levels Until End Of The Year

The wait-time before the pandemic was two to three weeks for expedited cases and six to eight weeks for routine.

The U.S. State Department says passport processing times are not expected to reduce to pre-pandemic levels until the end of the year.

In March, the department increased the time for new passports to 10 to 13 weeks for routine processing and seven to nine weeks for expedited processing. The wait-time before the pandemic was two to three weeks for expedited cases and six to eight weeks for routine.

There are nearly 40% more applicants this year than last. The department shared they are focused on hiring, training, and retaining staff to address the current surge in demand.

Plans to launch an online passport renewal system is expected to rollout at the end of the year to assist people who already have a passport and factor them out of the processing waiting line.