Quick answer
Right now, routine passport processing takes about 4 to 6 weeks, and expedited processing about 2 to 3 weeks, plus mailing time in both directions. For travel within 14 days, a passport agency appointment can produce a passport within days. Through us, it's as quick as 4 business days from when your documents reach us.
Current processing times
| Way | How long | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
| Routine | About 4 to 6 weeks | When the State Department receives your application |
| Expedited (extra fee) | About 2 to 3 weeks | When the State Department receives your application |
| Passport agency appointment | Often the same day to a few days | Your appointment |
| Through us | As quick as 4 business days | When your documents reach us |
Official times change with demand. The State Department publishes the current figures: the State Department’s processing times. This page shows the latest figures we've checked, dated at the top.
Mailing time comes on top
Routine and expedited times don't include the days your application spends in the mail on the way in, or your passport on the way back. Paying for faster return delivery shortens the second part. Through us, your documents travel by FedEx both ways.
Our service levels
| Service level | How long | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Time Critical | 4 business days | $395 |
| Emergency | 6 business days | $295 |
| Priority | 8 business days | $245 |
| Standard (renewals) | 10 business days | $195 |
Times are counted in business days from when your documents reach us. Documents that reach us by 10 AM Pacific Time start processing that day.
What slows an application down
- Missing or wrong documents, such as a photocopy instead of a certified birth certificate, or a missing photocopy.
- Photo problems: glasses, shadows, wrong size or an old photo.
- Name mismatches between your ID, your birth certificate and your application, without a document explaining the change.
- Unsigned or wrongly signed forms, such as a DS-11 signed at home.
- Peak season, usually spring and early summer, when routine times stretch.
We review every document before your application is submitted, so problems are caught before they cost you time.
Which speed do you need?
Count back from your departure date, allowing a few days' cushion:
- More than 4 to 6 weeks plus mailing: routine service is usually enough.
- Between 2 to 3 weeks and 4 to 6 weeks: pay to expedite, or use us for certainty.
- Within a few weeks: use us, or book a passport agency appointment if you travel within 14 days.
Our travel-date checker does this for you.
Questions
No. The State Department's expedited time is an estimate, not a promise, and mailing time comes on top. If you have a fixed departure date, plan for a cushion or use a faster route.
For routine and expedited service, when the State Department receives your application, not when you mail it. For our service levels, when your documents reach us.
The State Department sometimes allows it through its customer service, for a fee. Check the official instructions: get your passport fast.
Use the State Department's online status tool once your application has been received. See Checking your passport status.