The U.S. State Department advises Americans to submit passport applications at least six months before their scheduled departure dates with processing times of 10 to 13 weeks for routine processing and seven to nine weeks for expedited processing. The agency faces a surge in passport demand, receiving approximately 400,000 applications weekly, but aims to return to pre-pandemic processing times by the end of the year. This increase in travel, known as "revenge travel," is driven by pent-up demand from the pandemic and previous travel restrictions. The State Department advises people to refrain from calling for urgent travel appointments more than 14 days before their travel dates, except those needing foreign visas, who should call within 28 days.