Passport Processing Times Speed Up: The Kiplinger Letter
The State Department credits shrinking passport processing times to an increase in staff and to new technology.

To help you understand recent efforts by the State Department to lower expected wait times to obtain or renew a passport and how airports are becoming more customer-focused, as well as what we expect to happen in the future, our highly experienced Kiplinger Letter team will keep you abreast of the latest developments and forecasts (Get a free issue of The Kiplinger Letter or subscribe). You'll get all the latest news first by subscribing, but we will publish many (but not all) of the forecasts a few days afterward online. Here’s the latest…
Passport processing
It’s getting easier to obtain or renew your passport, as delays ease. Processing times are now eight to eleven weeks for routine service and five to seven weeks for expedited (which costs an additional $60), a significant improvement. The State Department credits improved staffing levels (up 10 percent this year), as well as technological advancement, with bringing down processing times. With more hires expected in the near future, they should continue to decline.
But passport offices are still lagging behind their prepandemic performance when processing times typically ranged from six to eight weeks for routine service. The State Department issued more than 24 million passport books and cards from October 2022 through September 2023, the highest 12-month count in U.S. history. The upswing is the result of a post-pandemic surge in international travel, which prompted many Americans whose passports had expired to seek renewal.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Non-traveler access to airport terminals expands
More U.S. airports are permitting non-travelers to access terminals, where they can frequent shops and restaurants and indulge in the pre-9/11 ritual of bidding farewell to friends and family at the gate, right before they board their plane.
A half-dozen terminals now have “day pass” programs, with the list, so far, including Orlando, Seattle-Tacoma, New Orleans and Orange County, California. Most require a short application to be filled out online a day in advance, at least, though some offer same-day registration. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) quickly reviews and approves these applications on a first-come, first-served basis.
This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.
Related Content
- How Long it Takes to Renew Your Passport — And What to Do If You're Traveling Soon
- Tripadvisor Launches AI-Powered Travel Itinerary Generator
- Is TSA PreCheck Worth It? It Can Save You Time During a Busy Travel Season
- Domestic Airfare Is Still Cheaper Than Pre-Pandemic Prices
- Is Travel Finally Back? New Report Reveals Record Tourism Rebound
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Sean Lengell covers Congress and government policy for The Kiplinger Letter. Before joining Kiplinger in January 2017 he served as a congressional reporter for eight years with the Washington Examiner and the Washington Times. He previously covered local news for the Tampa (Fla.) Tribune. A native of northern Illinois who spent much of his youth in St. Petersburg, Fla., he holds a bachelor's degree in English from Marquette University.
-
Here's Why I'm Upgrading to the iPhone 17
The iPhone 17 is here. Learn what's new, where the best deals are and whether it's worth the switch.
-
September Fed Meeting: Live Updates and Commentary
The September Fed meeting is a key economic event, with Wall Street keyed into what Fed Chair Powell & Co. will do about interest rates.
-
Trump's Economic Intervention
The Kiplinger Letter What to Make of Washington's Increasingly Hands-On Approach to Big Business
-
AI Start-ups Are Rolling in Cash
The Kiplinger Letter Investors are plowing record sums of money into artificial intelligence start-ups. Even as sales grow swiftly, losses are piling up for AI firms.
-
What is AI Worth to the Economy?
The Letter Spending on AI is already boosting GDP, but will the massive outlays being poured into the technology deliver faster economic growth in the long run?
-
Kiplinger Special Report: Business Costs for 2026
Economic Forecasts Fresh forecasts for 2026, to help you plan ahead and prepare a budget on a range of business costs, from Kiplinger's Letters team.
-
Trump-Era Regulations Will Broaden Access to Crypto
The Kiplinger Letter The president wants to make the U.S. the leader in digital assets.
-
Big Changes Are Ahead for Higher Ed
The Kiplinger Letter A major reform of higher ed is underway. Colleges are bracing for abrupt change, financial headwinds and uncertainty.
-
Breaking China's Stranglehold on Rare Earth Elements
The Letter China is using its near-monopoly on critical minerals to win trade concessions. Can the U.S. find alternate supplies?
-
What New Tariffs Mean for Car Shoppers
The Kiplinger Letter Car deals are growing scarcer. Meanwhile, tax credits for EVs are on the way out, but tax breaks for car loans are coming.