by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:20 AM ET, Fri October 4, 2024
Just in time for the next big travel season, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs made an official statement saying that passport processing is now taking an average of 4-6 six weeks, well below the previous 6-8 week window they’ve been suggesting for several months.
The shorter processing window is available for applications submitted traditionally by mail or via the new online renewal service, which just launched in September. The processing window begins when the State Department receives a passport application and does not include mailing times.
However, this doesn’t mean that expedited service will be any shorter: “For Americans in need of expedited service for U.S. passports, our processing remains 2‑3 weeks,” the statement reads.
The new online passport renewal service went through a two month beta test in which around 200,000 Americans participated in testing the renewal service. Today, Americans can easily submit their renewal application online, provided they are currently in the United States.
Travelers with a passport that expired over five years ago are required to submit a renewal application the traditional way.
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