The U.S. State Department recently announced that domestic passport processing times are returning to pre-pandemic levels. This welcome news relieves a considerable burden on those planning to travel internationally in the coming months.
It was a long road back to get here, though. As the world struggled to contain the spread of the Coronavirus, many governments were forced to drastically reduce or suspend passport processing services. This disruption was felt particularly hard here in the United States, where the response was especially slow to begin with.
Since then, the State Department has had to clean up the mess they created. Several processing centers were shut down temporarily, with only a few remaining open to service the backlog. The passport application acceptance process has also been slowed over the past year.
Fortunately, the number of applications has dropped since last March, allowing passport processing centers to catch up. Now that the backlog is successfully cleared, the State Department can return to normal processing times.
Domestic passport processing times currently average four to six weeks for postal mail and two to three weeks for expedited service. While these timelines are comparable to pre-pandemic levels, they can still vary by region. Applicants are encouraged to contact their nearest passport acceptance facility for more information.
The return to pre-pandemic processing times is excellent news for U.S. citizens planning an international trip. They can now rest assured that their passports will arrive in a predictable time frame, allowing them to have peace of mind when making their travel plans.