As more people travel and there’s more of a demand to travel abroad, U.S. passports could take up to four months longer to get. This time frame has the potential to get worse with delays heading into the summer season. Officials say passport delays have grown recently following the pandemic. Weekly applications are hitting sometimes 30 to 40% higher than this time last year.

If you plan on traveling abroad later this year or in 2024, act soon by taking the steps to either get or renew your passport. The U.S. Department of State passport service says, routine service will now take anywhere from 10 to 13 weeks. Expedited services can take anywhere from seven to nine weeks.

It’s important to note that service times do not include the estimated mailing times for the application to be received by a passport agency and then for the passport to be delivered to you. Travelers should plan up to an additional four weeks for regular and expedited service.

The U.S. Department of State is also restaffing positions that were either reassigned or eliminated at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Passports are good for 10 years for adults. Passports for children under the age of 16 are only valid for 5 years. If your passport is nearing the expiration date, remember some countries (even if your passport isn’t expired) may not allow you to travel. So, the earlier you renew your passport, the better.