U.S. passport wait times increase as State Department struggles with backlog

Americans seeking to apply for a passport or renew their existing one have long wait times as the U.S. State Department struggles with backlogs. 

The estimated wait time for would-be travelers to have their passports processed and receive them is about 13 weeks, according to the State Department website. Those traveling in less than 11 weeks can pay $60 more for expedited services and have their passport processed in seven to nine weeks. 

However, the estimated issue date does not include the time it takes to deliver the passport, which can take up to two more weeks, according to the website. 

“It may take up to 2 weeks for applications to arrive by mail at a passport agency or center, and up to 2 weeks for you to receive a completed passport in the mail after we print it,” the website reads. 

The wait time for passports increased as the State Department struggles with backlogs of passport renewals amid a surge of travel demand following the COVID-19 pandemic and staffing shortages at the agency. 

“With COVID, the bottom basically dropped out of the system,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a House subcommittee back in March. While no one was traveling during the pandemic, the government canceled agreements with contractors and shifted staff to other priorities at the time, leaving the passport renewal section practically empty.

However, now the State Department is receiving around 500,000 passport applications every week—a record-breaking number. The number of Americans applying for passports also increased by 40% compared to 2022. 

As a result, the agency is struggling to hire replacements for the passport handling division but it is still not enough to handle the incoming applications. 

Despite trying to expedite the process, many passengers have been affected by the long wait times, causing them to cancel their planned trips and lose thousands of dollars. 

"I cry, you know. I started crying and crying because I said, you know, it's very hard to lose all that money," Rosalba Malagon, who has a trip to Italy planned, told NBC 6 South Florida.

“To get a passport appointment these days is like winning the lottery lol,” wrote one hopeful traveler on Twitter.