To ask when premium passport appointments are available?

[TheBeesKnee]

I'm in a panic.

My passport expired 6 days ago. Flight is in 10 days. DP booked everything as a surprise for my birthday, didn't think to check passport. Hotel is refundable, flights are not.

Premium online and one week appointments not available due to high demand. Website says to check back as appointments are made available daily.

Does anyone know what time they come up? Or have any suggestions as to what I could do?

We got an appointment at the first time of trying after checking between 5 and 5.30 pm.

I don't know but I am sure I saw people on here mention that more appointments come available after midnight, so worth trying in about 10 minutes!

I checked in the middle of the day then refreshed 10 minutes later and lots came up. It seemed to me it happens at random times.

I picked a time after 12 noon then realised that added an extra day on to receiving my passport back so went back a screen and several times had already disappeared so you need to be quick when you do get the option to book one.

Ukpassportcheck on twitter is excellent he saved my holiday. Uses an algorithm and it alerts you to when slots go live

There's someone on twitter that sends a notification every time an appointment comes up. We got one and our passports arrived 3 days later. Good luck

@TheBeesKnee
Follow Passport Alerts on twitter ...updated several times per day - see screenshot

Thank you SO MUCH. I've followed both of those accounts now. Fingers crossed for a miracle.

I managed to get in a queue, first appointment is in Belfast. I'm in London. I don't have a driving license so I can't even fly there to pick it up. Nothing is available in England until after we are due to return.

I'm devastated.

My friend suggested that I just turn up at the London passport office and hope for a slot?! Has anyone done this? It sounds insane to me.

Is there anyone who could get to belfast place for you and courier it?

Keep checking as well in case someone cancels

@TheBeesKnee

Found this

hawkcouriers.com/same-day-passport-office-collection-and-delivery-service

The queues at London are horrendous, and badly managed - crowds outside, then another queue inside. Process is quick once through though. That's the fast track not the one day (not sure if the is a difference in queueing).

I booked the first available appointment I could that worked with my dates, even though not very convenient location. Then I kept checking until more were released in London - it is quicker to change an appointment than start from scratch. There are no refunds though, should you not get one suitable. I found they released about two lots a day. Often around 7am and 4pm, but it was variable. After the appointment it took exactly a week to arrive.

Jesus an appointment came up for TODAY and in the in time it took me to click on it, it vanished 😰

You can fly to Belfast on an expired pp, as id.

My friend suggested that I just turn up at the London passport office and hope for a slot?! Has anyone done this? It sounds insane to me

I have a BF who did exactly that last month, but she’s the ultimate blagger and has supreme confidence that everything will work out. She told whoever was manning the door that she’d spoken to someone on the phone who had told her to get there asap and go straight to desk 8. Once she was in the building she was half way there. There is NO way I would risk this though or recommend it, but I don’t have her confidence.

I'm seriously considering this now. I can do a day trip for £124.

... And whilst I was asking my manager if I could take emergency annual leave, the appointments vanished.

I think I'm doomed.

No you're not doomed.

Get your manager to agree emergency AL for any day this week.

Keep checking twitter, check with the airline you can deffo fly with expired passport and the minute you see it book the appt ASAP.

The passport twitter feeds shows appts appear before 7am so you need to just keep trying

Cmon you can do this!!
Could your dp fly to Belfast to pick it up for you if you can't?

If it's any help I posted my old passport last Tuesday and the new passport was printed and sent out by Saturday. I know you've no guarantee that will happen with yours but if there's no appointments it's worth considering

The same day ones seem to come up at 07:50 every morning. You can only book 2 days in advance. When I did it there was a choice of a few UK based ones though not London. Log in tomorrow - hopefully you’ll be lucky.

Obviously UK based, I’m very tired, but mainland, not NI. 😴

I've booked an appointment in Belfast. Flight out after work, stay in hotel, early morning appointment, fly back in the afternoon, then our flight out is in 2.5 hours.

Cutting it very fine. Expensive trip.

I'm exhausted and spent a lot of time crying this morning.

Thank you very much for your help, everyone.

Keep us updated OP!

Same here . Am absolutely amazed at how quick I hot my passport through the post.

Glad you have an appt OP, must be a big relief

Sent you a pm there @TheBeesKnee

Well, I made it!

Did you know that there are two Law Societies in Belfast and that I went to the wrong one? I had to run across town to the correct place like a lunatic and was 6 minutes late but I have my passport! Thank goodness Belfast is small.

I have a few hours to kill before my flight back to London, does anyone have any recommendations for what to do, where to eat, where to try a good pint of Guinness?