Travelers should expect passport processing wait times to remain the same for 2023
Editor’s note: This story is regularly updated.
Processing times have not improved for U.S. passports since the Department of State announced delayed service in March, and the agency expects them to remain consistent for the rest of 2023.
As of July, Americans can expect routine passport service to take 10 to 13 weeks and expedited service to take seven to nine weeks, plus an additional two weeks for processing and mailing.
“We are working hard to get back to our pre-pandemic processing times by the end of… 2023 [by] increasing hiring and training, authorizing overtime, and investing in automation and other technologies,” a State Department official said. “We are also working to improve our communications with the public so that U.S. citizens apply earlier and understand the passport application process.”
The State Department advises travelers to renew at least six months before planned travel. It’s also important to renew at least six months in advance since most countries require visitors’ passports to be valid for six months at the time of travel. Be sure to check the requirements of each specific country since some require validity to be six months from the date of entry and some six months from the date of intended departure.
Current processing times
New and renewal passport applicants should factor in 10 to 13 weeks for routine service. Alternatively, they can pay an additional $60 and expedite their application for slightly faster service within seven to nine weeks.
Quoted wait times do not include mailing times, which may contribute additional weeks to the door-to-door time it takes to receive your passport.
Delayed wait times are due to a pandemic-induced soar in passport demand. In 2022, the agency processed nearly 22 million passport products and expects to exceed that number this year with half a million passports per week, per a State Department spokesperson.
This demand led to a backlog of applications and longer-than-average wait times across the board for some U.S. government agency services, including passport services. The four Trusted Traveler programs run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, Nexus and SENTRI) were also affected, though to a lesser degree.
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Even so, processing times continue to decrease from what they were during the height of the pandemic. Case in point: I went on a self-induced wild goose chase to retroactively expedite my passport renewal in June 2021, when routine processing times were 18 weeks.
Although I eventually received my passport seven weeks later, travelers can retroactively expedite their passport applications by calling 877-487-2778. Before you call, check your status online to see where in the process your passport is.
I shared my own experience of being unable to connect with someone at the National Passport Center via phone (which mirrors stories from others I’ve heard).
If applicants pay the extra $60 for expedited service and don’t receive their passports in the provided expedited time frame, they can apply for a refund.
Other things to know
For urgent international travel, you can attempt to make a limited in-person appointment for two circumstances:
- For emergency circumstances — such as a death — requiring travel within 72 hours or three business days, you must provide proof of a qualifying incident.
- For non-emergency travel within 14 days, or if you need a foreign visa within 28 calendar days, you must provide proof of travel.
Life-or-Death Emergency and Urgent Travel appointments can only be made via phone.
Online passport renewal remains unavailable as the agency implements customer feedback to improve the process. Though it anticipates rolling out online passport renewal services for applicants later this year, the timing is to be decided, despite a previously announced March implementation date.
Even so, processing times mirror those done in person or via mail.
Bottom line
Regardless of your travel plans, submit your passport as early as possible for processing, as times will likely remain consistent for the rest of the year.
The State Department will update its website with the latest passport processing times for travelers.
“We continue to advise travelers to carefully review the current passport processing times … before making any definite or nonrefundable travel plans,” per the State Department official.
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