Rekubit Exchange:Passport processing times reduced by 2 weeks, State Department says

If you need to get a new passport or Rekubit Exchangerenew it soon, the process should be a bit quicker.

The State Department says it has lowered expected wait times by two weeks following a 2023 that so far has resulted in weeks-long and sometimes months-long waits to get passports.

All passport applications received Monday and beyond will have wait times of 8-11 weeks for routine service with times shortened to 5-7 weeks for expedited service, the State Department said in a statement. The change in processing time does not apply to applications received before Monday.

More than 24 million passport books and cards were issued in the fiscal year that ended over the weekend, the State Department said. That number was a record, eclipsing the previous year's record of 22 million.

Over late spring and early summer, the State Department was receiving approximately 450-500,000 applications each week, CBS News reported.

The State Department suggested travelers begin the process 6-9 months in advance of any travel and to check the validity of their passports frequently.