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Original poster

Passport nightmare

37 replies

TheWayOfTheWorld · 17/03/2023 20:42

Argh! Submitted DC passport applications on Monday but friend hasn't verified the photos yet and now I'm panicking they're not going to be back by end of May for our holiday abroad Sad

From what I can tell on the passport website, we can't just "upgrade" to a fast track application (even though I still have the old passports) but we can make an application 2 weeks before travel if the passports are still not back.

Does anybody have any experience/advice on this?

OP posts:
Hotvimto3 · 17/03/2023 21:11

Why wouldnt they be back by end of may???

KEG05 · 17/03/2023 21:12

Hopefully because it’s in the system it will be ok op. Assume you’ve done it online? They don’t go on strike for a couple of weeks yet. Get your friend to do it asap or ask someone else.

Turmerictolly · 17/03/2023 21:13

Hasn't a passport strike been called? It's in the news today.

Laptopneeded · 17/03/2023 21:14

@Hotvimto3 passport strike for 5 long weeks!

Clioma · 17/03/2023 21:17

People love to give bad news on here. They're not striking until April. I sent my renewal application in last week and got it back yesterday. 10 days in total. If you've sent it already you should get it soon.

PutitinPastry · 17/03/2023 21:20

You''ve still got 2 weeks until they strike and my DC's took less than that recently. Ask your friend to do it ASAP or ask someone else to. It only takes 2 minutes but they won't start looking at the application until that's done.

Hotvimto3 · 17/03/2023 21:21

Laptopneeded · 17/03/2023 21:14

@Hotvimto3 passport strike for 5 long weeks!

Oh fuck. I need my kids renewed by may

Laptopneeded · 17/03/2023 21:22

Move now like the rest of us 😪

allthegoodusernameshavegone · 17/03/2023 21:23

My renewal took 7 days

ploopypleepy · 17/03/2023 21:23

I just applied for child's first passport and it took 28 days

ploopypleepy · 17/03/2023 21:23

18!!!! Not 28

DorisParchment · 17/03/2023 21:24

They’ve had my passport application for three weeks now. I’ll give them another week or so to tell me that they won’t be issuing me with a passport because I’ve already got one. Which I told them about. One’s for travel to Israel and the other for Arab countries.

Notanotherone5 · 17/03/2023 21:25

I reckon a lot of people applied today because of the strikes. Get someone to id it now (ring your friend), then send the documents first thing tomorrow with guaranteed next day delivery- the passport office do the queue by when the docs are received

Zanatdy · 17/03/2023 21:30

Even before these strikes they were expecting delays again this year. Why do people leave it until a couple of months prior? Just sent them off 6 months before unless you want a stressful wait

mac1974 · 17/03/2023 21:34

We are going away in august & I'm planning on doing ours tomorrow. We just need my daughters so hopefully will get it back in time.
I presume not all of the staff are striking all of the time. Who could afford to take 5 weeks unpaid??

Moveforward · 17/03/2023 21:35

Have you done it online? If uts in teh system you can watch it go through as you get texts each time it moves through the process.

We've done two family passports recently
One took 15 days and the other 14 days from online application to receipt of new passport. We sent our old ones off.first class on day after application and the photo we used their app and made sure it was high on their scale of quality - we took a few until we reached almost maximum quality.

Such an easy process. Hardest part was finding an envelope and stamp to send back the old one!

userxx · 17/03/2023 21:35

Oh fuck. I need my kids renewed by may

You better get cracking.

KEG05 · 17/03/2023 21:37

I don’t think they all have to strike for the full 5 weeks and I read something about a fund through the union for strike action. I might not be totally accurate on that because I can’t remember the actual details. We go away in sept and I sent our littliest DD’s away today. I was going to do it in the near future anyway.

mac1974 · 17/03/2023 21:39

Yea I was going to do it when we get paid at the end of March but I've got the fear now!

RedToothBrush · 17/03/2023 21:44

mac1974 · 17/03/2023 21:34

We are going away in august & I'm planning on doing ours tomorrow. We just need my daughters so hopefully will get it back in time.
I presume not all of the staff are striking all of the time. Who could afford to take 5 weeks unpaid??

The union is paying the staff full pay as it can afford to apparently.

Original poster
TheWayOfTheWorld · 18/03/2023 06:20

Thank you everyone - I'm just cursing timing as I didn't realise my friend is on holiday (in the UK, so she doesn't have her passport to hand to verify her identity) and I can't send the old ones in and progress the application until she's back.

Will try to stop panicking...

OP posts:
Original poster
TheWayOfTheWorld · 18/03/2023 06:21

Moveforward · 17/03/2023 21:35

Have you done it online? If uts in teh system you can watch it go through as you get texts each time it moves through the process.

We've done two family passports recently
One took 15 days and the other 14 days from online application to receipt of new passport. We sent our old ones off.first class on day after application and the photo we used their app and made sure it was high on their scale of quality - we took a few until we reached almost maximum quality.

Such an easy process. Hardest part was finding an envelope and stamp to send back the old one!

Yes all online. Chasing my friend today to do the id verification!

OP posts:
mac1974 · 27/03/2023 10:11

How's everyone got on with passports? I did my DDs last sat (18 March) & have just had confirmation it's approved so hopefully will be back soon.

SNWannabe · 27/03/2023 10:18

Zanatdy · 17/03/2023 21:30

Even before these strikes they were expecting delays again this year. Why do people leave it until a couple of months prior? Just sent them off 6 months before unless you want a stressful wait

@Zanatdy perhaps because not everyone has the money to spend on replacing passports "just in case" they go on holiday, they could end up with passports unused for ages that way...no everyone knows six months in advance of their holiday dates etc...

RosaBonheur · 27/03/2023 10:43

The problem isn't the passport office, it's your friend. Can you get someone else to verify?