Key takeaways:
- The U.S. State Department is facing an “unprecedented demand” for passports as Americans prepare to travel again.
- The State Department is receiving 500,000 passport applications a week, with a wait time of 10-13 weeks for a regular passport and 7-9 weeks for an expedited passport.
- The State Department has hired additional staff and increased resources to meet the increased demand, and is urging travelers to plan ahead and apply for passports as soon as possible.
The U.S. State Department is facing an “unprecedented demand” for passports as Americans prepare to travel again following the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday.
At a House Appropriations subcommittee budget hearing, Blinken said the State Department is receiving 500,000 passport applications a week, which is 30 to 40% higher than last year. He noted that the current wait time for a regular passport is 10 to 13 weeks, and for an expedited passport, seven to nine weeks.
The U.S. Travel Association, a nonprofit, reported that 52% of Americans are planning to travel in the next six months. Blinken said that during the pandemic, the “bottom basically dropped out of the system,” and “demand went way down.”
To meet the increased demand, the State Department has hired additional staff and increased resources. Blinken said the State Department is working to ensure that customer service phone lines are manned and that the adjudicative capacity is increased.
The State Department is urging travelers to plan ahead and apply for passports as soon as possible. They are also encouraging travelers to check the State Department website for the most up-to-date information on passport processing times.
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