Before making any international travel plans for the year, be sure that your passport will be valid for at least 6 months past your return date. If you need to renew your passport, plan accordingly as the Department of State has announced that passport processing times have increased for 2023.

More Americans are traveling internationally again and the demand is likely to hit the highest ever in 2023, with the DOS seeing more than 500,000 applications in just a few weeks this winter – far exceeding projections.

The DOS reports that they are hiring diligently across passport agencies to help tackle this influx of applications and reduce backlogs and wait times as summer approaches. It is highly encouraged that you apply for your passport well in advance of any planned international travel.

New Passport Processing Times 2023

Standard passport processing: 8 to 11 weeks

Expedited passport processing: 5 to 7 weeks with an additional $60 fee per application

Note

These new processing times are for applications submitted after February 6, 2023. If you applied on or before February 6, then the processing time for your passport will be 6 to 9 weeks for routine and 3 to 5 weeks for expedited.

Previously, routine passport processing was roughly 6 to 9 weeks, which is now closer to the processing time for expedited applications.

With an increase of routine processing to at least 8 weeks, be sure you are planning any international travel months in advance to ensure that your passport is valid at the time of your travel. Processing times begin when your application is received by the passport agency/center – it does not include mailing times which may add several weeks on to the door-to-door time it takes to receive your passport.

The Department of State expects that this summer will be the busiest travel season on record, and that there will be more passport applications, new and renewals, this year than ever before. While 8 to 11 weeks is the new routine processing time, you should keep in mind that timeframes may fluctuate and the DOS does expect that they will continue to increase further as summer approaches.

Special Passport Fairs 2023

The DOS is holding special passport fairs with multiple dates and locations available for first time passport applicants and children. Click here to see available dates and times near you.

For more information regarding current passport processing times, visit the travel.state.gov website.