Washington, DC – Congressman Vic Snyder today encouraged travelers to apply for passports at least 10 weeks in advance of planned travel dates.  Due to significantly increased demand as a result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the average processing time for passport applications is now 10 weeks.  Expedited applications are available, but take approximately four weeks and cost an additional $60 plus shipping.

“I encourage anyone who is considering traveling abroad to apply for a passport as early as possible,” said Congressman Vic Snyder.  “My office can help locate and learn the status of applications, but the State Department’s regional passport agencies are overextended and these lengthy processing times are standard.”

The U.S. State Department and the Department of Homeland Security began implementing the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative in January, which requires that all persons traveling by air between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda are required to have a valid passport. This requirement also applies to children of all ages. Beginning January 1, 2008, travel by land and sea to the aforementioned countries will also require a valid passport.

The new passport requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory including Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

For more information on how to apply for a passport, U.S. citizens can visit the State Department’s travel web site at http://travel.state.gov or call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 (TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793). To obtain the status of a passport application, visit https://passportstatus.state.gov/opss/OPSS_Status_i.asp