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Late planners in the United States hoping to travel abroad have a little more breathing room than they once did.The State Department announced Thursday that the typical processing time for U.S. passports is now down to four to six weeks. The previous processing time was six to eight weeks.Related video above: Beware of scam websites when applying for or renewing passportThe speedier timeframe is another bit of relief following a massive backlog during the pandemic that resulted in wait times of up to 18 weeks during the summer of 2021.That updated four-to-six-week processing time applies to applications submitted by paper or online, the State Department said in its notice.And what if you’ve really pushed the time limit on getting a passport to the figurative last-minute? For people in need of expedited service, the processing remains two to three weeks.And none of this accounts for the time that the precious gateway document is in the mail. “These processing times begin when an application is received by the State Department and do not include mailing times,” the State Department said in its notice.In mid-September, the State Department launched a service to allow Americans to renew their passports online. That service is open to adults who are renewing a regular 10-year passport that has expired within the past five years or expires in the coming year.Ready to go?Find out more about applying for or renewing a U.S. passport by clicking on the US State Department site here.A U.S. passport can open a lot of travel doors.The Henley Passport Index, created by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley & Partners, issues yearly rankings for the world’s most powerful passports.A Singapore passport is the most powerful for 2024, and the United States lands in the Top 10.CNN’s Forrest Brown contributed to this article.