Is anyone else playing passport roulette?

[mayaknew]

Couldn't get a fast track appointment so took a gamble and applied normally.

We leave 8 weeks tomorrow for a wedding in Spain 😷😷😷😷😷

Is anyone else at risk of not getting their holiday? Or are the stories in the papers the exception and most people are getting them within a few weeks 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea]

It definitely is a game of roulette. Applied 10th of April. 2 passports are here, the other isn't even registering as having received the old passport.

[ShivRoy]

I’m on week 6 and still not processing yet for two renewals. I’m not booking anything til they’re with me. I wish you the best of luck! Some people are getting theirs back within a month so you stand a good chance

[hellcatspanglelalala]

Total roulette. I know people who've had them in three weeks, others three months (neither of whom did fast track). Seems to be dependent which office/processing centre they've gone to.

[hanahsaunt]

6 April - applied for renewal
7 April - old passport received by and signed for by passport office
23 April - old passport receipt acknowledged!!!

Now processing ....

[TokyoSushi]

I only applied on 27th April and it's approved and ready for dispatch, definitely roulette!

[GRW]

My friend who hasn't got much money saved for a first passport and a school trip for her 12 year old twins. She applied 7 weeks ago but hasn't got the passports yet so it's likely they will miss the trip as it's on Saturday. Her kids are very upset. There are others from the school in the same situation.

[VintageGibbon]

@TokyoSushi

I only applied on 27th April and it's approved and ready for dispatch, definitely roulette!

Wow. Which office processed your application?

[CanIbeRio]

Renewed mine and my daughter's. Both applued for online and both received back two weeks and a day from applying. I feel very relieved....and extremely lucky!

[prettybird]

Can you remember which passport office you had to send your old passport off to?

Ds' renewal (but 1st adult passport) was done in Bootle: old passport was posted on 17 April and his new passport arrived on 3 May.

Dh's old passport was posted on 3 May for his renewal - but the online system generated Belfast as the office to send the old passport to. It will be interesting to see the difference, if any, in processing times

[mayaknew]

@TokyoSushi

I only applied on 27th April and it's approved and ready for dispatch, definitely roulette!

What offices ?

Ours were split between Peterborough and Liverpool.

Mine and DHs are renewals and went to Liverpool. Dcs are first passports and went to Peterborough.

[PinkWisteria]

Applied for renewals at the beginning of March for holiday mid-September and no update apart from acknowledgment of receipt. Suspect we are being pushed back due to the increasing number of fast track appointments and will be on tenter hooks until they arrive despite applying in good time.

[clarasara]

Look at the Facebook group passport chaos 2022. I go mid June and very unlikely it will be back from what I have read.

[Crunchycrouton]

I don’t know which office it was, but my DDs child to adult renewal took two weeks and came back last week.

[SookieHouseboat]

Just renewed mine, it’s taken three weeks, delivered today.

[prettybird]

Actually, I've checked back and ds' old passport was only posted off on 19 April (arrived/signed for on 21st, even though 1st class ), so 2 weeks exactly from posting of old to receipt of new!

[TaffyandTeenyTaffy]

I applied online for my son"s child renewal on 18th April...it came back today. Hemel office.

[DreamingofThailand]

Applied for my 4 month olds passport on 17th February, 11 weeks on and still not received it. Our holiday is in 3 weeks time, not holding out much hope now. Whenever I call (on hold for 2 hours before someone answers) I just get told it's processing. It's absolutely ridiculous that new applications are being turned around so quickly, they need to put all their efforts into clearing the backlog from February first.

[AliceS1994]

Sent mine for first passport for baby on 30th April... Hoping I get lucky

[Flakjacketon]

Both of us applied on line on 8th April. Our applications were allocated to two different offices - Peterborough and Bootle. Peterborough returned DH new passport on 28th April. I am still waiting for Bootle to acknowledge receipt of my old passport.

[LisaSimpson73]

I've just got my passport, 14 days after I applied. I was shocked at how quick and easy it was.
Why is it such a lottery??

[SuperFlyWoman]

I was just about to book a holiday for June 6th but had a nagging thing in my head saying check passports. I knew adult ones were OK as applied a few years back for adult passports for teen DSs and renewed mine at same time. DH got a new blue one last year. Turns out 11 year old’s runs out in August! I thought it was the following year as got his first one at age 2.

Applied online on 23/4, old passport received in Peterborough on 27/4 but still saying ‘send your old passport’ .

I think we’re buggered!

Still trying to decide whether to book holiday now anyway as price has increased by £500 but alternatively could lose £3.5k on it if passport not received. Can’t get insured for it obviously.

Its the only time we can go as well, as DH can’t get holiday in school hols, older DC (disabled) will be away at residential provision in September, the other one at Uni and working so it was a last family holiday type thing😢

Hadn’t read the news about passport backlog until I had to apply for one!

[Chocoqueen]

@DreamingofThailand

Applied for my 4 month olds passport on 17th February, 11 weeks on and still not received it. Our holiday is in 3 weeks time, not holding out much hope now. Whenever I call (on hold for 2 hours before someone answers) I just get told it's processing. It's absolutely ridiculous that new applications are being turned around so quickly, they need to put all their efforts into clearing the backlog from February first.

Once you're two weeks away from travel you can ask them to expedite it (assuming you haven't delayed it by not sending the documents in quickly etc). But you would need to get through on the phone to ask them!

[Loudhousefun]

Still waiting for a simple adult renewal, sitting at Durham. Travel booked for 3 weeks time. Durham seem to have the biggest delays and no examiners from the looks of things! 😡

[Chocoqueen]

@Chocoqueen

Once you're two weeks away from travel you can ask them to expedite it (assuming you haven't delayed it by not sending the documents in quickly etc). But you would need to get through on the phone to ask them!

That was for DreamingofThailand

[OchreDandelion]

@Loudhousefun

Still waiting for a simple adult renewal, sitting at Durham. Travel booked for 3 weeks time. Durham seem to have the biggest delays and no examiners from the looks of things! 😡

One us sent theirs to Durham 12 days ago and it has been printed. One sent theirs 8 days ago and it has been approved (also Durham).