Help - Does anyone work at the Passport Office at Durham

[janeb204]

Im at my wits end...I need to speak to Durham Passport office, I am going on holiday Saturday and my daughters passport renewal is stuck in a backlog at Durham. I will pay for accelerated service but can't get through to ask for it. The general phone number takes hours to be answered, the call back service doesn't work, the 48hr email reply service doesn't reply. Can I drive to Durham and sit and wait. I'm frantic to resolve this...but what can I do? Has anyone got any suggestions of what I can do....apart from cry? Does anyone work there and can tell me something I can DO

fingers crossed. I should point out ( Im sure it will be fine) but we have very specific procedures we have to follow. We always contact the countersig first and await their reply before contacting the applicant. This is in case there is a problem with the countersig and need to request a new one. Its to avoid having to write out to the customer multiple times

Lottie1x1x, do you have any idea when your passport is coming? Or have you heard anything about it? Keep us updated! Which office has it gone to? I hope it comes on time! I have also contacted my MP and she has asked for details but I am waiting for her to reply! I really hope she replies soon - the wait is excruciatingly painful!

Well hopefully it will be all fine. I dare not book holiday until this is sorted I'm terrified we will lose money but I really do need to go 24th...29th the very latest..i need to book asap so just hoping I at least can info this time next week that will let me know whether or not travelling plans are down the drain. If there's any further issues I'm not bothering anymore. It was stressful enough trying to rack my brain to figure out who to use as a countersignatory in the first place who met requirements and has a valid British passport especially as i dont know many people and now there's all this delay and we still can't see light at the end of the tunnel arrgghh my fingers are crossed!!

Hi straightforwarda - my sons renewal has also gone to Durham. I didn't get a text receipt but know via post office special delivery that it was received. They have taken payment but I've heard nothing at all. Just wondered do they automatically take payment as soon as received or only once checked and they on their way through to be printed?

The countersig is a pharmacist. Works in pharmacy opposite my house. I've known her 2 years..Her husband has known my daughters father for about 10 years. If they're not satisfied with her then I'm stuffed as I have no one else to do it. Doctor doesn't do it anymore, only known health visitor 18 months, I have an old school friend that's a recently qualified nurse but he moved really far and is incredibly busy. So I'm really hoping everything is ok

Mikey .... payment is always taken as soon s it arrives in Durham for security reasons

Straightforwarda - do you know how long kids renewals are taking on average? Is anyone getting them within the 3 weeks from Durham?

Yes, if they are straight forward and dont need to go through additional checks

Great I'll keep fingers crossed then. Do they get chosen for additional checks at random? If my counter signatory was the same as for previous passport, and was verified last time is it likely they will asked to verify again?

I cant really go into it too much, but they are not random checks

Ok, I appreciated your help/comments. Won't ask too many questions. I'm sure everyone appreciates that you guys are snowed under, working round the clock to keep people happy and you probably under staffed. Thanks for your help! Goodnight

Can I ask, do child's first passports all go through detailed checks?...it says 3 weeks online but my friends kids took 2 months in January so presume it went through checks whereas another friends only took a month?

Are counter signatures checked on all first child's passport? We have friends waiting on 2 first kids passports and it's been 3 weeks now so wander whether it's the case that randomly some go through checks and others don't and it's pure luck of the draw?
Thanks

Do you get your passport upgraded for free after 3 weeks?

Straightforwarda I am interested that choosing to contact the counter signatory may not be random as my children's passport renewals have always had the counter signatories contacted now I think of it and those of my friends don't seem to.

My DC are not standard cases in that I am naturalised British, DP is British but as we're not married the DC get citizenship through me. Also my DC are mixed race so if they compare my file passport photo with their photos they may not think they are mine? I always get asked my relationship to them at immigration even though they have my surname. Obviously I expected more scrutiny for the first passports but seems to be for the renewals too. Thank God they are getting older so next time won't need countersigs!

Anyhow good luck to everyone waiting, that was me last year, when I finally got to speak to the office rather than the helpline they were incredibly helpful despite the pressure they must have been under

I'm also interested in the fact the countersig checks aren't random. This is my daughters second passport. Her first passport came back in 7 days and countersig wasn't contacted. This time it's a renewal so I'm a bit confused. If passport was lost or stolen I would understand. The countersig I have used time time has also done applications numerous times before and has never been contacted. Oh well

Lottie I just continue to ring everyday asking for progress reports I asked if there was anything else I could do, anyone else I could speak to and I asked about specific so if they said someone will contact you i asked when, what time etc and just kept enforcing that I needed it by Friday!! good luck all xxx

Hairbrush I never paid! I think if u say you want the upgrade and will pay (if after three weeks) it's unnecessary to pay as it should have been done xx

Ha anyone encountered this re: countersigning for kids passport renewals?

My DTS last passport photos were taken when they were 7. They are now 12 and I have just sent off the applications for renewals WITHOUT a countersignatory (as I could not get hold of anyone 'professional' quick enough as I rushed to send them due to needing them in late July). It states that a countersignatory is only necessary if they cannot be recognised in their new photos from their old photos. IMO they can can definitely be recognised. I am a bit worried now that they may be sent back due to not being countersigned. Anyone else done this?

Projuly, it's going to be 3 weeks tomorrow... Should I phone up tomorrow?

Ugh just phoned and they said they can't do anything until the 3 weeks turnaround time! So I'm gonna phone tomorrow and see what happens!

ALL POSTERS has every one who got put in the upgrades que got their passports in time. im due to fly in 8 days and im so worried iv rang n rang n rang MP is involved im just so anxious im waiting on two first child passports and told ill get a call prob thursday the 12th. im to worried to be excited for the holiday and each day that goes by the dread of telling my babies theres no holiday is killing me I cant sleep at night

I don't know if the helps but our landline provider charges a small furtune for 0845 numbers then found out my mobile provider (Vodafone) can add 300 mins to 0845 0300 for a exta £2.50 a month to my contract saving loads :)

We're in the same position Lottie need a child's first for 7 days time and are in upgrade queue.

They said they are looking at them 1/2 days before. The passport office didn't give me much reassurance but my mp's office did. The lady there is chasing up quite a few and said that she got one on sat who was travelling tues and one on mon who was travelling wed so they are cutting it fine but not literally the day you travel.

Update: we called Durham again today and they asked us to phone back on a diff number. DHs passport will be ready tomorrow. They can either send it or we can pick it up. DH driving some tomorrow to get it. We fly on Tuesday. They're not even charging us any extra as its been 3 weeks since application so is a 'standard' turnaround time. Won't believe it till we physically have it but I hope this gives some of you some hope

sleepyfergus when do you fly?