The Department of State announced it will open six new passport agencies across the U.S. to meet growing demand.

Key Points:

• The six new passport agencies equipped to provide services for urgent travel needs will be established in Salt Lake City, Utah; Kansas City, Missouri; Orlando, Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina; San Antonio, Texas; and Cincinnati, Ohio.
• The new facilities will expand the total number of passport agencies and centers to 35. The number of public passport acceptance facilities nationwide for non-urgent services is more than 7,400.
• The Department of State encourages U.S. citizens to apply for or renew their passports before booking travel and can visit here for the latest passport and travel guidance.

Additional Information: Today, 48% of Americans have a passport and more than 99% live within 25 miles of an acceptance facility. Although the Department of State is issuing a record number of passports, passport processing times are at pre-pandemic levels.

BAL Analysis: When traveling abroad, we encourage foreign nationals to frequently check the validity/expiration date of their passport. Read more travel tips here.