How Long Does It Take to Get Your Passport Right Now?
After months of inactivity, travelers are finally starting to navigate the globe again – or at least starting to think about it. And as government agencies begin to ramp up operations again, passport services are gradually reopening. If you’re planning a trip abroad ahead of time, here’s what you need to know.
A few months ago, we discussed how to get a passport if you need it during a pandemic . Now everything is changing. We have not yet returned to normal, but we are no longer going to be in the phase of complete shutdown.
According to the Department of State’s website , passport transactions will open in three steps, but keep in mind that unless your travel situation presents a life-or-death emergency, there will be no option for expedited service and processing times will be – still be longer than the standard 6-8 weeks.
Phase 1
Some staff will return to passport agencies and centers to process applications already received. These requests will be processed based on the date they were first submitted (first in, first served). Emergency requests will be processed by appointment only – no entrances.
From today on stage 1 12 passport agencies and centers will be opened. A list of open agencies can be found here . Details on the expected processing time can be found here , but in general, a longer wait should be expected.
Phase 2
At this stage, centers that are already open will begin to accept more non-life-or-death treatments. However, customers are still advised to wait for any non-material new or renewed applications at this stage due to expected ongoing delays.
Phase 3
It is assumed that at this stage there will be a return to the normal mode of work with applications for the issuance of passports. At this point, regular and expedited services will resume, although making an appointment is still a good idea if you are applying in person. Applications will continue to be processed on a first-in-first-out basis.