Planning a Trip Abroad? Passports are Taking at least 3 Months if you Need a Renewal

PLANO (WBAP/KLIF)- If you’re planning an international trip soon, you may want to double check to see if your passport is valid.

Over 3 months is what the State Department is saying it will take to get a U.S. passport due to extreme backlogs and increased desire to travel in the wake of the pandemic.

Kathy Banks is the owner of Plano-based Legacy Travel. She said even ordering an expedited passport, it’s still taking months to get one.

“We had less people request them last year because no one was traveling and there was less ability to produce them because several building were closed and people weren’t working but this year…no one could have possibly anticipated the degree and the speed of travel coming back,” said Banks. “Every one wants to take a trip right now,” she said.

Banks said if you don’t have a valid passport in your hand right now , you may need to rearrange your travel plans to visit a place where a passport isn’t needed and just reschedule your abroad trip next traveling season.

“We’ve seen so many people with expired passports and they are encountering this massive backlog, It’s crazy,” she said.

Banks said it’s also important to note that some destinations require passports to be valid 6 months past your dates of travel.

“If you are going to travel this year just make sure to pack your patience and give yourself plenty of time,” she said. “There are more flight delays, cancellations and every one is understaffed.”

Meanwhile, Congressman Lance Gooden (R-Texas) introduced the Taxpayers Require Immediate Passports (TRIP) Act to send a message to the State Department that it’s time to fully reopen passport offices and address out-of-control processing times. He is joined by original co-sponsors Reps. Brian Babin (R-Texas), Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.), Ken Calvert (R-Texas) and Randy Weber (R-Texas).
“Americans are having to cancel travel plans and miss family gatherings as if we’re still in the middle of the pandemic,” said Congressman Gooden. “Essential workers across America have returned to work. So should State Department employees. Taxpayers deserve better from their government.”

The TRIP Act would incentivize the State Department and Secretary of State to improve passport services by prohibiting taxpayer funded international travel for the Secretary of State until:

all passport agencies are fully reopened,
routine passports take less than 8 weeks and expedited services take less than 6 weeks, and
the secretary submits a report to Congress outlining improvements to passport services and State Department work from home policies.