WWYD? A passport one!

[guineafowl]

I'm flying to the UK on 10th July. I want to get a first child passport for DD. I can't get a fast track appointment. I fly to Europe on the 5th August for a few days, back to the UK, then back to the country where we currently live on the 19th August.

I am considering the online application once we arrive in the UK (photos from this country are unacceptable and the online code thing doesn't exist here), but I'm worried that the original documents (including DD's passport from the country we live in) won't come back in time for our trip to Europe, let alone trip home.

What would you do? I don't mind how long her British passport takes to come through but I really need her other passport back within 3-4 weeks so she can travel. Do I scrap the passport idea until we are back in the UK again?

Does the country where you live have ID cards?

My child’s renewal just took 16 days from start to finish. We don’t have the old passport back but don’t need it to travel. That was normal service and i was pulling my hair out as I was hearing horror stories.

id pay for fast track online once you are here, i think it was £140 ish.

Don’t risk it, my standard renewal took 11 weeks before I had to drive to the passport office and beg them to issue it.

So many delays. You may be lucky but it’s a total roulette.

I’ve currently been waiting for 9 weeks…

babyjellyfish It does have ID cards but only for adults. DD is 2.

SisterAgatha I had a look at fast track online but it doesn't seem to apply to first passports?

DottyLittleRainbow Thanks. I don't think I can risk it!

Appointments available now!!!

We've just had notification of my son's documents (old UK passport + current overseas passport) being returned tomorrow; two weeks after his renewed UK passport arrived. I'd be nervous about your timescales even without the side-trip, sorry.

Applied online to renew on 22nd June. Had email today to say it has been approved and printed and will be dispatched soon and they will notify me when on its way for me to track.

I got a fast track appointment - they seem to be released sometime between 3-4.15 daily. There's a great twitter feed that auto tweets when the appointments come online - can't remember the exact name but you can search 'twitter passport appointments'. It then came back in less than a week