Washington, D.C. —Today, Congressman Robert Aderholt issued a reminder to make sure your passport is still valid before booking international travel.  Also, applying for a new passport or a passport renewal can take six weeks or more.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to an end and vaccinations increase, more international destinations are opening back up for American tourists.  News reports indicate people are booking trips at a record pace.  But my office is also seeing a lot of people who have booked a trip and realize at the last minute their passport has expired.  The passport offices are currently seeing an influx of emergency requests, which means not all emergency requests can be met before departure date.  I encourage anyone considering international travel to make sure they check their passport to make sure it is still valid.  And if you don’t currently have a passport and want to travel overseas, apply for your passport now!”

A few points to keep in mind about passports:

• The passport application for a new passport, or passport renewal, takes approximately six weeks, and in some cases longer.
• As a general rule, passports must be valid for six months beyond the date the traveler will exit the U.S.  So, make sure even if your passport is still valid today, that it will still be valid six months beyond your scheduled plans.
• If you request an emergency passport, because of the current influx of requests, there is no guarantee it can be processed in time.