The United States Government has announced that passport processing times have returned to pre-pandemic normality, between 6 to 8 weeks, when before they could reach up to 13 weeks due to COVID-19, according to a statement.
Specifically, since Sunday, requests return to a period of 6 to 8 weeks for the ordinary service and 2 to 3 weeks for the expedited service, which has an additional cost of $60.
Currently, there are more than 160 million valid US passports in circulation, which is almost double the number in 2007. In 1990, only 5% of Americans had a passport. Today, that figure is 48%.
Last year, the State Department experienced “unprecedented” demand for passports as it issued more than 24 million passport booklets and cards between October 2022 and September 2023, the highest number in the country’s history. .
“We have worked hard to modernize and improve the service we provide to the American people. We will continue to do so in 2024,” added the US Government.
In this regard, he has encouraged all US citizens traveling abroad to renew their passports in advance and also advises US travelers to enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so that they can receive important messages directly. about your destinations, including timely alerts and travel advisory updates.
