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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be panicking about DD's passport?

26 replies

INeedABiggerBoat · 25/05/2018 20:43

Applied for our 8 week old DD's first passport using the one week fast track system a little over a week ago. We are due to go abroad next weekend.

The 7 days comes and goes with no sign of DD's passport. DH and I call the passport office who say they're still conducting checks. Apparently they want to contact our countersignature, but when he called them they've said that they need him to reply to their email... which it turns out they haven't yet sent. They're now saying they'll send him the email on Tuesday.

Now DH and I are panicking that with the bank holiday etc we won't get the passport by the time we're due to travel.

And yes, fully deserve the flaming I will get for not applying sooner. We have been in the fug of having our first newborn - late nights, no sleep, wondering what the hell we've done, wondering at how gorgeous she is etc etc. But still, we are kicking ourselves, it just never occurred to us that the one week service wouldn't actually be guaranteed to be one week.

Does anyone have any words of reassurance that we might get it in time?

OP posts:
yoyoyou · 25/05/2018 20:52

I would be worried too.

Isn't there a way to get a passport quicker? By going somewhere and getting it in person?

TheFallenMadonna · 25/05/2018 20:57

Once it is processed they are usually pretty good at getting it to you quickly. I think that as long as they speak to the countersignatory on Tuesday you'll be OK. We've had passports arriving by courier more than once.

Original poster
INeedABiggerBoat · 25/05/2018 21:20

@yoyoyou We had paid for it be delivered but asked on the phone whether we could change to picking it up from the passport office - apparently we can't change our delivery option now, so we're stuck hoping the courier is speedy if all goes through on Tuesday.

Have to say, for a helpline they're spectacularly unhelpful.

@TheFallenMadonna - thanks, that gives me hope. It's just it seems to depend on them contacting him on time, and given they've failed to do so thus far I'm worried they'll forget again.

OP posts:
GrumpyBagFace · 25/05/2018 21:23

DD got her 1st passport back exactly 2 weeks after we sent the application.

It was "processing" until the day it was delivered. The courier company was very efficient.

It'll be ok.

BoxsetsAndPopcorn · 25/05/2018 21:26

Ours was checked recently re counter signature, took nine days after the check to arrive.

butterfly990 · 25/05/2018 21:35

where are you travelling to? I have used my DD's birth cert from Dublin to UK when they were very young. Admittedly a few years ago but might be worth checking with the airline.

Original poster
INeedABiggerBoat · 25/05/2018 21:42

Oh dear, the balance seems to be erring on the side of no hope. @BoxsetsAndPopcorn was that on the fast track service or normal one, do you mind me asking?

@Butterfly990 we're going to France via Eurostar. Their website says she'll definitely need a passport unfortunately.

OP posts:
Isleepinahedgefund · 25/05/2018 21:49

Eek, I’d be worried, especially as it’s the summer and demand for passports increases. It’s also half term next week so that will have increased volume of applications. If they need to send the email, presumably that has to be done by a person and then checked by a person, which means time time time and you probably won’t get it in time.

I’d be finding out if you can do a same day application just to be sure, although presumably they still would want to check up on your countersignatory.

I countersign passports all the time as I’m a civil servant (I must be the only person in my circle with an appropriate occupation ha!) and I’ve never been contacted.

Re the courier time, I applied for my dd’s renewal in September (off peak bear in mind, and for next time, always do it off peak!) using check & send at the PO and I had the new passport within 72 hours (amazed beyond amazed!) - text saying it was en route came in the morning and it was delivered by courier in the afternoon.

AllMYSmellySocks · 25/05/2018 22:05

I agree the delivery is super quick so as long as they speak to him Tuesday you should be fine. Still annoying and stressful for you while you wait!

butterfly990 · 25/05/2018 22:50

I know also in the past it can also depend on what airline you travel (I know you are going by ferry). Aer Lingus take a birth cert, Ryanair insisted on a passport.

Look into others options is all I am trying to say,

good luck

Amanduh · 25/05/2018 22:54

Who knows, but try not to panic (not easy I know!) Their delivery is really quick.
As for those saying do a same day appointment - you can’t do them for children. And yes a passport is needed to go to France, there is no other option.

BlackBeltInChildWrangling · 25/05/2018 22:59

From my recent experience, you need the Fast Track courier service too OP, otherwise the ordinary courier service takes a few days.

Agustarella · 25/05/2018 23:19

YANBU, congratulations on the baby, and stay in regular contact with the Passport Office and don't take any of their "It's all someone else's fault" crapola.

I had a lengthy delay with DS' passport due to a mistake by the Passport Office. Basically they accused me of not paying the fee, and when I told them I would happily send a copy of the Post Office receipt, the helpline person implied that the Post Office must have misappropriated the money. (What they actually said was "We're not responsible if you apply through a third party company"- it's the Post Office FFS, not some random scammer off the internet!) Several days of visits to the Post Office (who initially didn't want to get involved) and then phone calls from the Post Office branch to the Passport Office led to the case being escalated to a more senior Passport Office person than the helpline lady; this person said that they had indeed received the payment and that the letter accusing me of non-payment had been sent in error, but that since it had been sent I would have to send a copy of the receipt with a covering letter full of reference numbers which he gave me,and that no compensation would be paid for any of this. So I went and xeroxed the receipt, typed out the letter and sent it all off recorded next day delivery. It was all a bloody palaver and the moral of the story is that if a passport is late or unjustly refused, you have to chase them constantly and be prepared to spend time and money running after the stupid lazy incompetent bastards and doing their jobs for them. (They actually used to provide a really good quick service but I guess it's like everything else in the UK, all gone to hell in the last handful of years.)

After all that we got the passport and had a great time in France, as I hope you will do soon!

UserV · 25/05/2018 23:21

The golden rule....

NEVER even book a holiday before you have all your passports!

A lesson learned........

Original poster
INeedABiggerBoat · 26/05/2018 01:03

Thanks all, we literally got the fastest option we could for a new passport which was one week, and they didn't give us an option on delivery speed as far as I can remember. I'd really hope that having paid the extra for a fast service it won't be held up too much by any backlog/ peak times - otherwise why on earth do they let you pay for the quick service?!

Just got to hope that, like some of you say, they speak to him on Tuesday and have a fairly quick turnaround. It's not impossible for either DH or I to get a later Eurostar on the Friday if needs be, although it will be an extra expense that we shouldn't need given this should all have been sorted by now!

And @UserV, yes, ideally we'd have got the passport first but for various reasons that I won't go into we had to book this trip months ago, well before DD was born.

OP posts:
Original poster
INeedABiggerBoat · 26/05/2018 01:06

@Isleepinahedgefund that's interesting that you've never been contacted when you've been a countersignatory. I have to admit that a tiny, cynical part of me wondered briefly whether they're checking ours because he has a foreign sounding name...

OP posts:
Jenny70 · 26/05/2018 04:57

Is your countersigner available Tuesday to respond to call/email? Might be worth checking in with them so they are expecting it... if they can respond before the end of the business day, then that might minimise delays.

DianaT1969 · 26/05/2018 05:24

Your countersign person should check his junk mail folder regularly too.

Dashie · 26/05/2018 05:27

Don't worry, I doubt it's to do with the name. I've countersigned a few children's passports where I've then been asked by the passport office to confirm details. None had 'foreign' sounding names.
Once I replied the turnaround was very quick.

It might be worth mentioning to whoever it was who countersigned for you so that they respond quickly.

RicStar · 26/05/2018 05:36

I have been a counter signatory a lot of times and have been contacted maybe one in 4 times - I think that is probably just random. Courier was really quick only a day or so after I got text passports were on their way . I think there is still hope op but unfortunately nothing you can do to speed the process so you will just have to wait and see.

Booie09 · 26/05/2018 05:44

We must of been lucky mine and my daughter's (1st passport) came within 7 days and it was just sent by 1st class post.

3333hh44 · 26/05/2018 05:51

I've been contacted as a counter signatory a couple of times for young babies. I think they check more at that age as the photos could be any baby iyswim.

cathcath2 · 26/05/2018 12:48

All is not lost. I had to have a passport interview last year - interview on the Wednesday morning, courier returned identity documents that afternoon, tried to deliver my passport on the Friday (I wasn't in). That was in May

BlueJava · 26/05/2018 12:51

I think you have a good chance of getting it. I applied for 2 passports for my 2 sons on the normal service and they took exactly 7 days to arrive. I was pretty surprised when they came yesterday as I'd allowed 7 weeks, so hopefully there is no backlog! Good luck and enjoy your travels.

Original poster
INeedABiggerBoat · 30/05/2018 13:33

Just to update - our lovely countersignature called them on Saturday to see if he could do anything to speed up the process and they emailed him an hour later. Got a message on Sunday saying they'd completed checks and passport arrived just now! Hurrah! So relieved.

OP posts: