As COVID-19 restrictions are reduced and the summer travel season is upon us, Congressman Steve Womack (AR-3) is reminding Arkansans with international travel plans to check their passport expiration date before booking. Right now, both heightened demand and a rise in emergency requests have greatly impacted the wait time to receive a new, renewed, or expedited passport.
Congressman Womack said, “As we turn the corner on the pandemic, I’m heartened to see Americans booking trips and ready to explore new destinations abroad. My office wants to keep Arkansans on the move by reminding everyone to check their passports when planning an international trip. We’ve recently seen an uptick in situations where people have realized their passport has expired at the last minute. High demand has limited the turnaround on both emergency and routine requests. If you are planning a trip, please check your passport or apply for a new one today. We are here to assist on these issues if you run into complications.”
General passport information:
- Mail delays are impacting when the U.S. State Department is receiving passport applications for processing. Processing times begin the day they receive your application, not the day you mail it.
- All centers are experiencing longer than usual processing times. Expedited service is up to 12 weeks, and routine service is up to 18 weeks – nearly twice as long as pre-pandemic service.
- Passports typically must be valid for six months beyond the date the traveler will exit the U.S. So, even if your passport is still valid today, please ensure it will still be valid six months beyond your scheduled plans.
- Please plan ahead. If you request an emergency passport, because of the current influx of requests, there is no guarantee it can be processed in time.
- We hope that by alerting the public to these longer processing times, Arkansans will request their passports sooner, alleviating the stress of wondering if they will receive their passport in time or potentially missing their trip.
Original source can be found here.
