Though the lifting of many COVID travel guidelines has led to increased trips in recent months, it has also led to some challenges for would-be travelers.
The U.S. Department of State, which issues passports, reports that it’s seeing “unprecedented” delays in processing these documents. After receiving the application, it can take more than three months to issue a passport, and mailing times can add another month to that estimate.
Before COVID, the processing time took about four to six weeks.
"There have been backlogs in the past, but this really is an unprecedented level of backlog within the State Department in terms of their ability to handle the influx of requests and applications for new passports," said Shawn Steward, a spokesman for the American Automobile Association South Dakota. AAA also helps book trips for its members.
These delays come with the increase in international travel, which according to AAA has gone up more than 200% since 2022. The State Department issued around 22 million passports last year.
"During COVID, I think a lot of people delayed their trips, especially internationally, where a lot of countries were closed down for travel, and so I think a lot of people’s passports expired," Steward said.
For those planning trips this year, Steward said to begin preparing as soon as possible to avoid any delays.
"We're urging people to plan well in advance," he said. "Three to four months out is minimum right now in terms of getting your passport processed and back to you."
Some countries also have "6-month passport rules," where they will not accept travelers whose passports will expire less than six months after the trip.
Instructions for how to begin the application or renewal process can be found on the U.S. Department of State's website.
