The State Department is offering a new way to apply for passports.
Amid a surge of new passport applications, the United States Department of State is taking a summer road trip of sorts across America to help travelers complete their application process.
“Special Passport Acceptance Fairs” will be held at public libraries, recreation centers, and local city administrative offices. A majority of the events are in California and New Jersey, but several others will be held in Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin. New events are being added weekly; the full schedule is available on the U.S. Department of State’s website.
The special events are only for new passport applications. Travelers who are looking to renew an existing passport are still being encouraged to do so by mail.
If none of the fairs are near you, the Department also maintains a list of Post Offices and other locations that can assist in the processing of passport applications; the list is searchable by zip code.
The current processing time for passports is ten to 13 weeks for routine service and seven to nine weeks with expedited service. If a traveler has international travel within 14 calendar days, he can request an appointment to have the passport expedited at an agency.
Earlier this year, the State Department shared the agency has been receiving as many as 500,000 applications per week, the highest number on record.
“We are on track to set the record for the highest demand year ever, far surpassing volumes seen during previous surges in demand in 2007 and 2017” stated a release from the department in March.
United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken revealed at a hearing in March there is an “intense effort” to resolve the bottleneck issues of processing passports. These efforts included opening satellite offices, hiring additional staff, and increasing phone lines.
Twist’s Take: Applying for your first passport? A State Department Fair may be the swiftest route.
