passport backlogs continue - 12 to 18 weeks!

We’ve cautioned our clients about this before, but the delays continue. Currently, the time it takes to get a passport is longer than it’s ever been. And while travel is starting to resume, passport waiting times, which are stretching into 18 weeks now, are becoming more and more of a concern.

We, ourselves, have clients who are scheduled to travel shortly, who still have not received their passports, with no guarantee when they will arrive. That means that there’s a very real possibility that clients might have to cancel/postpone trips due to the passport not coming in time for their departure.

The State Department is adding staff to help with the delays according to reports we’ve read. 150 staff will return to work at 21 agencies across the country, which could help increase capacity, and hopefully will also help applications move along. But the resumption of processing passports won’t be back up to speed overnight. We’re hearing that people should expect 12 to 18 weeks before their passport applications will be processed.

Bottom line — if you are unable to get an in-person appointment for a last-minute passport interview, you might want to make alternate plans. Even paying for “expedited” service only means that the timeframe goes from 12 to 18 weeks to 12 weeks — up to 6 weeks for processing and another 6 weeks for mailing.

Working through an expediting service — a private third party — might not make a difference, because they’re subject to the same delays.

Our advice?

If your passport is expiring within the next year, submit it for renewal right now. Some countries require validity on your passport of up to 6 months, so there’s no point in waiting to renew if you’re within 1 year of expiration, considering these delays.

Check your passport expiration before booking an international trip. Once you have money down on a trip, you may not be able to change arrangements, if you have to cancel or reschedule.

Consider a domestic vacation if you think you won’t be able to get your renewal in time. If your European river cruise isn’t a possibility, we have suppliers who can provide a domestic river cruise on one of our iconic American waterways. If you were hoping to hike the Inca Trail, we can arrange for a hiking trip through one of the US’s incredible National Parks. Your Caribbean beach vacation might require a passport, but destinations like Hawai’i, Southern California, Puerto Rico and Florida are open to you without a passport.

If you’re looking to sort through the options, don’t hesitate to give us a call.