Passport Processing Times

[croyde]

May I ask what number you rang.

I got through to the do you need your passport in two weeks line. Still automated, which asked me to input the reference number to which it replied, yes we have your documents, goodbye.....click!!

[22]

croyde said:

May I ask what number you rang.

I got through to the do you need your passport in two weeks line. Still automated, which asked me to input the reference number to which it replied, yes we have your documents, goodbye.....click!!

0300 330 0000

Don't remember what options I pressed (if any?) but I've always had a human on the other end when I've called it. Last one was genuinely 2 hours in the queue before a 5 minute phone call. There is clearly some human intervention available - although she had to disappear and request elsewhere.

[croyde]

Cheers, ta.

[PurpleTurtle]

Renewal of our son's was sent off on 30th April, arrived with us 30th May.

So exactly a month at the moment on a bog standard child's renewal with no complications.

[Arranguez]

My wife’s arrived today. 4 weeks on a standard application.

[ukbabz]

I applied for my daughters first passport on 25th April and it came in the post at the end of May so ~ 5 weeks. Still awaiting return of her birth certificate.

[croyde]

Got through to passport office straightaway this morning.

Was waiting 45mins before I gave up yesterday.

The girl said that I have to wait another week until they can try and 'upgrade' the application.

[Mark V GTD]

Update. Mine arrive today. Original application was made on line on Friday evening 20th May. Very happy with the service.

Would anyone recommend a way of preserving the nice golden lettering and crest on a new dark blue passport. On my old one it all rubbed off after a few trips.

Edited by Mark V GTD on Saturday 11th June 18:08

[Bannock]

Yes, a nice burgundy "European Union" cover should do the trick, working a treat on mine.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Passport-Holder-European-...

[CoolHands]

26/05/22 I applied online. Once done they requested sending of old passport back via signed-for delivery
30/05/22 my old one was signed for by them (so actually received)
07/06/22 email received stating old passport received by them (ie a delay between them actually receiving it as above and recording/notifying it as received).
13/06/22 email received; ‘Passport application approved’
15/06/22 email received; ‘Your new passport has been printed”
16/06/22 passport delivered

TRACKING:
when you get a sms from TNT to track delivery, you need to enter your postcode and only EITHER the number TNT give you OR the PEX Application reference number for it to work. If you leave both the pre-filled tnt number there and add the PEX application number from passport email, the website does nothing and you don't know why.

https://delivery.tnt.com/tracking

So for me it has taken 22 days inc jubilee days and weekends; or 14 working days. Which makes it sound quick!

Edited by CoolHands on Thursday 16th June 18:01

[Mr Roper]

I'm renewing mine..All done online including photo.

25 May - Sent off my documents which were delivered the next day and signed for.
1st June - Application changed to 'Documents received'.
9th June - Application approved.

The site says my new passport is being printed, so it shouldn't be long now.

This has gone through waaay quicker than I anticipated.

[m1keg]

Applied online 21/5
Old passport delivered as per Royal Mail 24/5
Receipt acknowledged by Passport Office 30/5
Approved 6/6
Printed 8/6
Delivered to me 9/6

Pretty impressed actually

[croyde]

All you lot getting passports within three weeks is making me think that they've lost my son's application.

Sent off in April, marked as being processed May 13th, nothing since.

The witness did her bit the day after I applied and I got a text to say that it had happened.

Got to stop looking at this thread. I want problems not happy customers

[geeman237]

Passport renewal
Applied online including photo accepted first week of May.
Posted old passport via registered post, received May 23rd per tracking but the Passport office hasn’t changed to acknowledge receipt.

[IJWS15]

Application submitted 25/5 online (renewal)

Blue passport delivered today 16 days elapsed.

The 10 weeks they state must be worst case new applications.

[IJWS15]

croyde said:

All you lot getting passports within three weeks is making me think that they've lost my son's application.

Sent off in April, marked as being processed May 13th, nothing since.

The witness did her bit the day after I applied and I got a text to say that it had happened.

Got to stop looking at this thread. I want problems not happy customers

First issue will take longer, probably up to 10 weeks. The shorter timescales, like mine, are for renewals where they don't necessarily recheck we are who we say we are.

[Little Pete]

We applied for our renewals on May 22nd and received them in the post today.

[LuS1fer]

What seems clear is that there is no point sending the old passport special delivery at nearly £7 for the privilege.

Son's renewal, albeit first adult passport. Applied 5th June, digital photo upload from a booth (£8!), sent old passport back on 6th June - "No worries, it will be there by 1pm tomorrow, Sir".

Tracking on 11th June still says "Send your old passport".

Normal post next time. It obviously gets chucked into a tray.

Meanwhile my other son's renewal took 3 weeks.

Edited by LuS1fer on Saturday 11th June 15:40

[Radec]

I did my dad's a couple of weeks ago online.

Returned the old passport the day after applying.
New passport came in about a week and a half.
Old passport turned up about a week later.
The passport photo was rated orange but fitted their criteria perfectly to me, we didn't need to retake it.

I'll be renewing mine online next week so I'll see how long it takes for me.

[paulrockliffe]

croyde said:

All you lot getting passports within three weeks is making me think that they've lost my son's application.

Sent off in April, marked as being processed May 13th, nothing since.

The witness did her bit the day after I applied and I got a text to say that it had happened.

Got to stop looking at this thread. I want problems not happy customers

My wife deals with this stuff fairly extensively through work and has a whole load of anecdotal evidence that if you apply now you'll be fine, if you applied in March and April there are big delays.

Presumably they decided to limit the amount of grief they get by pulling the back-log into a separate queue to get new applications processed and reduce the number of unhappy customers. Essentially you're being queue-jumped.

I understand that if you have a suitable sob-story you can get pulled out of the back-log and put to the front of the queue, currently they are sorting anyone with a flight within a few days immediately, if you have proof. I've seen people are booking £2 one-way flights to Norway and using that as evidence to jump the queue again. So you're actaully being double queue jumped.