Fast track passport?

[Ellewoods20]

I had a child passport and it expired five years ago. I now need an adult passport with a new surname. Is it possible to fast track this? I’ve looked online and you can fast track a renewal or a change in surname but not sure if this will count as it’s been so long since it expired.

You need a first adult passport, what does it say for that?

Hi, I did see that it said a first adult cannot be fast track but when I looked on a q&a site, it said that a child to adult passport can be fast tracked. I thought this was odd as it went against what I had read, hence me asking here. As you may be able to tell, I don’t often go on holiday so I’m not up to speed with the rules.

You don't have a child passport though. You need a first adult passport.

You can do a 1st adult passport as a renewal from a child passport. I've just done that for ds and it was returned in just 2 weeks!

So from that perspective, I'd say you can book a Fast Track as it's not a First passport. I agree though - the wording is ambiguous and I had half thought that ds' renewal might take longer if it needed more info/a interview

You've got two potential complicating factors:

1. is that you've got a change of name. Iirc, there's a facility to address that during the renewal/online process and/or you'll need to send the supporting documentation (marriage/adoption/deed poll certificate - whatever it was that resulted in your name changing) along with your old (expired) passport.

2. if your old child passport expired that long ago, you might not look sufficiently like your old photo, so might need a counter signatory. Can't remember if that came up on the on-line form (ds looked sufficiently like his old picture that it wasn't required).

If you're able to get one, I'd try and book a fast track appointment - although they're like gold dust - as they involve a paper application and would allow you to take along your supporting information. In your case, it's not a first passport as you've already got a passport, albeit an expired one.

When do you need it for?

The child passport expired 5 years ago. OP does not have a child passport.

But she does have a passport - it just happens to be expired. The passport number is still in the UK passport system.

Looking at the definition of "First Adult Passport", she doesn't fulfil the criteria as she has had a UK passport before.

FWIW, ds' child passport had expired in February 2021 and as I've already mentioned, his adult passport came back in 2 weeks, without problem . (Dh's straightforward renewal - his passport also expired in Feb 2021 - is stuck in "processing". Nearly 7 weeks now - but still within the 10 weeks that they warn).

Thank you. That’s so helpful to know. 😊 As it stands I decided to leave the trip because I didn’t think it’ll be worth the stress of a passport possibly not arriving on time.

@Ellewoods20 - you should still go through the process of renewing now

Do it on-line (it's cheapest that way anyway) and send your old passport in with your change of name documentation. Have someone suitable (teacher, friend who is a suitable upstanding member of society can't remember the requirements as it wasn't asked for for ds ) ready in case they ask for a counter-signatory. You'll need their email address.

Do it now before you need to. That way you won't need to forego your next spontaneous trip abroad!