US issues new guidelines for passport processing
TCN Service/New York
Expecting a busiest summer travel season on record, the US Department of State has issued new guidelines for passport processing.
A Department of State spokesperson said all Americans are advised to check their passport expiration date before making international travel plans and renew it well in advance.
“Our passport processing times are currently 8-11 weeks for routine processing and 5-7 weeks for expedited processing, which costs an additional $60 per application.
These processing times fluctuate throughout the year depending on demand and we anticipate that they will rise, especially as we approach the busier travel season,” he said, adding processing times begin after receiving application and don’t include delivery times.
The spokesperson stated that ‘as more Americans are traveling internationally again, we are directing resources to meet the unprecedented demand seen so far in 2023.
‘We are on track to set the record for the highest demand year ever, far surpassing volumes seen during previous surges in demand in 2007 and 2017. During some weeks this winter, the Department received more than 500,000 applications, the highest number ever for this time of year, exceeding our official projections’.
“We encourage customers who have questions about how to apply or the status of their passport application to visit our website, travel.state.gov, which has extensive information and allows customers to check passport application status https://passportstatus.state.gov/ and sign up for updates via email.
“We also encourage all U.S. citizens travelling overseas to enrol in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program https://step.state.gov/ to receive important messages about their destinations directly, including timely Alerts and updates to Travel Advisories, and to enable us to assist in an emergency,” he added.
