Cannot get through to DVLA - they have my daughter's passport!

[Ceci03]

So I helped dd apply for a provisional licence back in June, but they asked me to send in her passport - the original. We couldn't then, as she was going away and needed it. So we sent it in October, with the original application number etc, as I did manage to speak to them in about August about it.
So now DD is booked to go away after xmas, but they still have her passport. I've emailed, and phoned, and tried to do webchat, but cannot get through to anyone. I don't even care about the licence at this stage, we just need the passport back :( Does anyone have any tips as to how you can speak to someone.

I paid for flights (different ones in August), and we couldnt go due to testing positive for covid. If I lose these flights at xmas as well because of that I'm going to lose my S.

Anyone know anyone who works there, or anyone managed to get through?
I looked up applying for a new passport, but the wait times are 8 weeks, so that's too late now as well.

The issue her I think is that the OP’s DD, is that she doesn’t have her drivers license OR a passport and therefore doesn’t have a valid form of ID for travel, which you do need in the CTA.

On a point of order - I don't think you need it for the CTA - but the modes of transport across the sea ask for it. CTA doesn't demand it and the one time out of my 60+ weekly trips I was asked for ID on arrival back in the UK at the airport I refused to present ID and was waved through anyway.

I do accept though that what the rules actually say and what the person at the desk may want are not always the same :)

[quote Thursdaymiami]@ElftonWednesday
I think as a grown adult with adulting skills I would manage to solve this little conundrum without the help of someone who, yes, in my opinion shouldn’t be helping you with your holiday plans gone wrong.

It’s quite obvious this isn’t that big a deal.[/quote]
Also it's not about "adulting", it's about a government body being utterly fucking shite.

[quote Thursdaymiami]@ElftonWednesday
I think as a grown adult with adulting skills I would manage to solve this little conundrum without the help of someone who, yes, in my opinion shouldn’t be helping you with your holiday plans gone wrong.

It’s quite obvious this isn’t that big a deal.[/quote]
Yeah if you're loaded with a lot of time on your hands.

I already bought flights in august that we had to cancel.

Does everyone think ah sure it's only more money - I'm on a feckin budget and it's xmas in 3 weeks time.

Ah forget it. Thanks for helpful comments but some people on here are just contrary determined to not 'get' my point.

I totally agree with you, OP. It's appalling that you should have to spend any more money just because someone put your document in a drawer somewhere.

@Doveyouknow

I don't think you need to cancel all the flights just your dd's. She will need to get the ferry and use one of the photo IDs they accept (obviously not a passport or driving licence!) It's a pain and it will cost more money but it seems worth it to save you trip.

Yeah thanks we're only going for 3 days though so you're looking at 2 full days of travelling if going by coach/ferry. Its possible I suppose.

I think the DVLA should stop accepting applications until the backlog is more manageable.

@ElftonWednesday
They haven’t lost her documents. They said it would be 8-12 weeks.
I mean yes that’s shit. And a generic email to ones MP about how bad the system has become is fine.
But hauling in an MP to solve this problem is odd to me.
They could easily get the passport back in time. She could easily get a different form of ID. Someone upthread mentioned the postpffice pass card, which on 5 second Googling takes 2 days to come through.

I mean come on. It’s fine to have a little rant about how shit things are at the moment, but this is really not a big deal.

Also the DD is 18!! Wtf is her mother doing solving this problem.
No wonder there are hundreds of threads about recent graduates not being able to cope in the workplace
At that age I might ask my mum for advice. But she certainly wouldn’t be doing it for me.

It all sounds a bit hysterical!

Hi op. My gs waited months for his provisional licence with important docs held at DVLA. He then got a job at a multi national company which also required the same documents for security pass. Same as you have found, they would not return them. I actually had to try to reconstruct them via emergency application for birth certificate - employer refused it they wanted the actual birth certificate and would not take a certified copy! And new National Insurance letter. I digress sorry.

They returned the application due to a minor error and we had to resubmit. This time strangely they returned the docs to us within ten days but not the provisional licence. DVLA have been told NOT to hang on to applicant's important documents so I cannot see what is going on. The situation has featured on Watchdog.

Any emailed requests simply receive a generic response ignoring individual issues. I realised that once this had happened a few times I could follow complaints procedure. I did so and got a response in ten days. They tell you not to chase them in the meantime. The response was that my gs's provisional licence had been dealt with that day and it arrived two days later.

You could give this a try op. I do hope all is not lost for you. We seem to be the victims of the industrial dispute between DVLA workers and the government. It is always the innocent party who suffers in such matters. I make no political comment on the situation however.

@Ceci03

gordongrumpy - thanks for they sympathy lol! As someone who has grown up with an Irish father and an English mother I think I'm well versed in the rules of travel between UK and Rep of Ireland!

It's correct that you do not "need" a passport to travel between the countries as it's part of the common travel area. However, have you ever tried to travel on an airline or a ferry without a passport? You will be turned away.

She has just turned 18 which complicates things more. If I try and get her a renewal Irish passport - does it count as a renewal I wonder or as a 1st passport. I'm going to trawl through their website now.

I have traveled to Belfast on the ferry three times in the past year and never needed an actual passport. They do ask for ID but that can be any number of things that you can procure in the next few weeks.

OP I am almost certain you can make this happen but you will have to change your approach. Stop making assumptions from your past experience. Instead of giving up at the first roadblock you need to find ways around it. That means follow up every suggestion on this thread even if you believe it to be untrue or not possible. They don’t advertise exceptions to the rules but that doesn’t mean there are none. You will have to call and call and call, email, go in person, whatever it takes. Be polite but firm and persistent.

I am not naturally good at this kind of thing either. I hate asking for special treatment. I get overwhelmed by making lots of calls and discouraged when someone is dismissive or unhelpful. But for something important for your family you have to just do it. Even if it doesn’t work out you will feel better knowing you did absolutely everything you could.

You have my sympathy OP. The DVLA are appallingly slow. DD made her provisional licence application on line in early July. In early Augst they sent a form for her to fill in which she returned the next day. YESTERDAY her driving licence appeared.

Thankfully she didn't have to send her passport as they were able to access the details through the passport agency.

My friend until recently worked administering theory tests. She told me that she kept getting people coming in in tears because their passports were with the DVLA. If what she says is right (and not reason to believe otherwise) people are being denied jobs and bank accounts because they couldn't prove their identity. It's utterly appalling.

Apparently in July they had 800,000 unopened items of mail with more arriving every day.

None of that helps you I'm afraid but you are certainly not alone - what a mess :(

An 18 year old has nothing with her photo on? No student card? And she can't possibly apply for one?

What bollocks.

@Ceci03

can you postpone your tripuntil the passport is back? I had to re-arrange a trip for my parents a few days back via Aer lingus and it cost them nothing to change as the fee has been waivered. You may have to pay the difference in the flight differances ( if any...) but if you are lucky, just pick new flights that cost the same.

Otherwise,If you are desperate to get back to Ireland, its either the ferry or going without your daughter. hopefully you get sorted.

Yeah, and what do you think the chances are now of being able to get any of those form of ID in a timely manner, even if she should be eligible? I know, let's throw money good money after bad at various other agencies who will also give the BECAUSE COVID excuse for providing a poor service.

No wonder there are hundreds of threads about recent graduates not being able to cope in the workplace

Parents may well still be paying for stuff like passports and licences for other young people who are in the same household, particularly when they are still in full-time education and going on the same trip with them, so may well be doing the application. Also OP "helped her" do the application, it doesn't say that she did it for her.

If you want start a separate thread to have an old fart* Daily Mail style tantrum about how incapable young people are today and how their parents are facilitating it then go ahead, but the OP is asking for advice here and your posts are not helpful.

*And before anyone accuses me of ageism, I mean old fart in attitude, which people of any age can be.

Sympathies OP. The DVLA are an absolute bloody shambles at the moment. There's no excuse they need to get their shit together and go on a big recruitment drive.

My driving license expired in November. Because I don't have a current passport (expired during lockdown) I couldn't renew online and had to go through the rigmarole of filling in a form, getting new photos done, doing the post office check and paying for a postal order to apply for my new one. Sent it in good time, with my current license, a few days after I received the notice.

They're currently processing paper documents sent from mid-September! I received a 'red' YOUR LICENSE HAS EXPIRED!! notice today telling me that I'm risking fines, not being allowed to drive, prosecution by police etc.

Erm no, it is not my fault that DVLA probably haven't even opened my application yet! I mean I can't be fined or prosecuted for that, right? I can prove I've sent it, and they've received it!

I'm just impressed that you managed to speak to someone! All I get is 'everyone is busy, try again later, click'. No point in ringing anyway I suppose.

What did the embassy say OP?

@thepastisanothercountry

You have my sympathy OP. The DVLA are appallingly slow. DD made her provisional licence application on line in early July. In early Augst they sent a form for her to fill in which she returned the next day. YESTERDAY her driving licence appeared.

Thankfully she didn't have to send her passport as they were able to access the details through the passport agency.

My friend until recently worked administering theory tests. She told me that she kept getting people coming in in tears because their passports were with the DVLA. If what she says is right (and not reason to believe otherwise) people are being denied jobs and bank accounts because they couldn't prove their identity. It's utterly appalling.

Apparently in July they had 800,000 unopened items of mail with more arriving every day.

None of that helps you I'm afraid but you are certainly not alone - what a mess :(

THIS EXACTLY.

Yet what people seem to think is more important is that the OP's DD should have been doing this or that, where clearly a government agency is abjectly failing and actually negligent.

No wonder this government gets away with so much. People do not want any agency held to account, it's all about individual responsibility.

@Thursdaymiami

Why would people waste MP time over a missing passport that means you can’t go on holiday to visit relatives. Boggles my mind!!

The OP has a perfectly valid complaint here. A passport is a very important document, and it's really bad form that the DVLA have lost it. I think MPs should be intervening in the shocking and atrocious 'customer' service the DVLA are NOT giving. If it was a private company, everyone would have been sacked by now, and the bloody place would have been shut down!

This is not just about someone 'missing a holiday to visit relatives..... '

www.postoffice.co.uk/identity/pass-card

2 working days. £30.

OP needs to cop on, and stop all the 'yes, but'.

Just an option in case it hasn't been mentioned: Get your DD to travel on foot on the ferry and pick her up the other side (either Belfast or Dublin) or get her to bus/train to where you are. Get her to borrow a friend's id/driving licence if needed, but I don't believe they ever check id when boarding a ferry. They certainly don't when you are in a car. I feel for you OP, that is a horrendous waiting time for a driving licence. Good luck, I hope something works out for you.

Hahaha @ 2 working days.

Like the DVLA saying the provisional licence would be returned in 3 weeks.

DD1 got hers in two months and that was extremely lucky- practically warp speed for the DVLA at the moment.

Yeah I helped her with the form - it was confusing - so what, she's 18, if I had someone to help me I'd take the help lol! Just to clarify she started the application in JUNE. She managed to get through to someone at the time, and luckily that person said not to send in her passport if she needed it before 10 weeks. Which is why she held off sending it until October.

And yeah I'm making some phone calls for her and helping her figure out what to do as she is in College and studying for xmas exams I'd do the same for any 'adult' in my family, it takes a lot of time to research and email and go on hold for all this stuff. Some smug people dont understand this at all. If you've never had to deal with government you wouldn't understand.

It took me 2 years to get my car registered here for instance. And hours and hours on the phone and email and online. Just one more example. I have spent a huge amount of time doing this kind of stuff since moving here. Yes she's 18, she has never needed any ID except a passport or birth cert.

And remember BREXIT rules have come in too.

When I came here on the ferry they checked our passports.

You don’t need a passport to go from uk to Ireland I just went with my baby and husband and we had no passports (we were applying for babies passport at the time and both our passports were stuck with hers in passport office

I used my license and husband used an ID card - we took babies birth certificate - they didn’t actually ask to see any

It’s still the common travel area.

Also you can fly Ba or aer lingus without passports

It’s just Ryanair that require it as it’s their policy

can’t you just get her a young persons rail card? It’s £30 for one year and has your photo on it. And is on the list of approved forms of ID from reading an earlier post… maybe something to keep in mind if you have to resort to the ferry. Hope you find a solution and all get to go.

Haven't read the full thread sorry. It's true you don't need a passport for travel in the Common Travel Area but some carrier (Ryanair) are allowed to insist as part of their T&Cs. Bitter experience talking . . . .