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

Have just got my passport back today. I don't know which office it was processed in but it was a straightforward renewal and took 2 weeks 4 days using check and send. So, seems renewals aren't too bad. I need to do a child's renewal after the summer and it will be interesting how long that takes.

Helen182.
I found this direct number for Belfast on a previous thread.
0845 601 9031. Worth a try. Good luck!

Helen I called Belfast direct on 028-90789464

Straightforwards you come across as a very selfish person who thinks they are perfect. Please all ignore this person!!!!!. Phone your MP this is part of what they do they sort your passport and are happy to do so. 0300 is a waste of time. Call your office direct. Durham are amazing. They will help as much as they can. I collected ours 3 days before travel. I know how u all feel its a nitemare. I didnt sleep nor eat for days. I applied in plenty of time using the guidelines so I didnt do anything wrong. I wasn't charged the upgrade as they said it wasn't my fault. The Mp does speed it up she told me they have a special number especially for this. Ignore bad comments and good luck to anyone still waiting. Do not give up!!!!!

Hello! I think they really are trying hard to clear the backlog, I received my passport yesterday (after Durham calling me on Thursday and Friday with updates to say it would be printed soon).

If you are concerned, call the 0300 and get them to organise a call back from the passport office for you. I received mine exactly 3 weeks from the date went to the examiner.

Good luck.

hboo.... I am not selfish - selfish is stamping your feet and crying to get yours processed before other peoples' actually. Nor am I terminally stupid like a minority of people on here.
Enjoy Ibiza!

Just found out that people in Tyneside have been going to Edinburgh for interviews! Shocking! More expense on train fares! Am so sick of this situation now. They should refund our money and stick the passport in a dark place! Got to be the worst government service ever! Wish I never had bothered! Great Britain........I don't think so! :(

hi guys, just wondering if anyone has the number for the peterbrough office. I have been told that local offices are ot taking calls however numerous people have mentioned on here that they have actually contacted local offices. I am fed up of being told many different things whilst on the phone to the 0300 number.
My husbands passport is a replacement, we moved and I thought I had lost it contacted them and they cancelled it immediately, I found the passport the day after. I spoke to them when I processed my daughters renewal and they have advised his needs doing too as hey are unable to reverse the cancellation even though it is still valid until 2016.
My daughters is a straight forward renewal.

I applied on line on 19 May 2014, declaration sent on 13 June, received 16th June however they took 4 days to put it on to the system. We travel early hours on 17 July so really need the passports by 16th at the latest. Had numerous emails/callbacks but have only recieved one call back. Getting far too stressed, dont even want to think about going on holiday without my husband and one of my kids doesnt bare thinking about.
URGH!!!!

Hi, to all in a panic about there passports I have some advice.

Before starting I am expat living in France, Paris.

Yesterday morning I called Durham and was told my 7 week old daughters passport application had not even got to the examination stage even though the application had been there for 6 weeks!!! I was then told it would be another 5 or 6 days before it would be checked.

I asked if I could pay to speed up the process? I was told no because I am living in France!! So the bottom line was an examiner would call me and tell me how long it would take.

Well I need my daughters passport so we can travel to the UK to see family, I contacted my local MP back in the UK at 10 am yesterday morning explaining the situation, at 4.30 pm I had a call from Durham Passport office explaining that my daughters passport had been authorised and would be printed and we should receive it by Friday this week earliest or next week latest.

So my advice if you are desperate and are getting no where contact you local MP e-mail or phone and explain your situation don't give up!!!

Your MP can get things done you can't and the more of us that complain and shout hopefully the more the Government will do to sort this mess out.

I hope for all of you that need your passports you get them soon, GOOD LUCK one and all.

I emailed my local MP last night and received a reply this morning saying they will contact passport office and chase them up. Lo and behold the passport office rang me at 3pm today to make interview date for the first passport and am hoping the renewal comes very soon! I am so glad that emailing my MP has worked! :)

OK so I'm still in the same position. I've made over 400 calls to a constantly engaged Belfast Post office direct number 028 9078 9464 and been on hold everyday for more than an hour to the Belfast 0845 number. I've been told that my applications have no yet even been looked at and they will only progress 7 days before I go. It's 14 days now and if there is a problem with any of the applications, I don't think 7 days is an adequate turnaround time. My MP phoned at the start of the week and didn't find out anything more than I already knew from my hundreds of calls a day. I honestly don't think we're getting away on our holidays this year. :(
Update - My MP has just got back in touch to say that they are at the examination stage (but couldn't tell me how long that takes) and I also got through to Befast who confirmed the same but said it takes 48hrs to print and 48hrs to post so that's 4 days gone already without counting how long examination will take and if there is any problems and I have to be sent the applications back to be redone then I'm goosed!!

Hey Everyone.

My passports are in the post!!! :) All my moaning, phone calls and getting my MP onto the case too has certainly helped. I should have two of them today and the other one tomorrow. What a weight off my mind, I can finally go and change my currency now.

Good luck to everyone else waiting.

x

Passports were waiting for me when I got home. Ahhhhh...and breathe...

@frilliygordon I was wondering how long you had been waiting for you passports. I am due to fly next week and my husband has recsided to the fact the he isnt going and will be staying at home with my other daughter. :((( have just emailed my local MP for advice. so frustrated.

Hi I know this is an old post but I'm at my wits end trying to get my daughters passport! The passport is in Durham but getting hold of them is a nightmare! I've tried various numbers and am expecting a call back but have been told this many times with no call. Does anyone have any other numbers for them?!

Hi I'm not sure if anybody would have any advice for me but I'm desperate! We were due to fly Sunday have rearranged to fly Friday and still no passports! It's a family wedding and the thought of missing it is unbearable. Im absolutely distraught they have had these passports since end of May! I have managed to get us on the upgrade list and have contacted my mp (no reply as of yet) we haven't had to pay anything yet, we are willing to travel to Durham (five hour journey) and pay anything to get these! I've read others posts and can sympathise I feel sick with stress and have been on tears at this whole situation. If anybody had any advice I would really appreciate it right now.

Thank you, Emily

dont rock up at the office tomorrow... theyre all on strike!

Hi All, I've had the exact same problem- I sent my passport of at the end of may and it has been a nightmare since! bearing in mind mine was a damaged passport so should have been a 3 week turnaround. I managed to get on the upgrade list on the 28th of June but I still haven't had any luck at all, my local MP has been involved but seems it's all empty words from the passport office. I'm expecting a call tomorrow to confirm my collection but im not hopeful. I'm supposed to be travelling early hours Monday with friends but I have come to the conclusions it's not going to happen and am extremely gutted,I have a voice mail on my phone from a lady in the Liverpool office confirming my upgrade was accepted on the 28th June and I would receive a call back within 2 days and it just didn't happen. I do not wish this upon anyone , the constant stress and worry- there whole system is a joke!

Racheal, my DD has had similar issues replacing a lost passport and has missed her holiday because of it. I think it is quite quick once the upgrade has been accepted so you may be in luck. The news said the rules had changed and you don't need to pay for emergency upgrades, but DD was charged for hers. Did you have to pay?

Well I will find out today whether they have stuck to there work but again i'm not hopeful:(. No, I haven't been charged as it's way out the timescale

In such a state with worry that my little ones first passport won't come on time. We're due to fly on the 4th and his application was sent on the 13th June received a text on the 18 th to say they'd received it and tracked it online yesterday and it's in examination but when I rang just to find out what office it's at they can't find the barcode number on their system, now I'm panicking! I need to speak to the office where it's at to find out if they have sent one of their random checks to the person who counter signed my sons passport as he's in the army not here to check post till the 2nd which would be to late to do anything. I've been told I'll get a call back within 48hrs but from reading some of these comments I'm not very hopefull.

Louise... what made you get a countersig who is uncontactable when it says on the form they may need to get in touch with them to confirm details?!

As a teacher, I have countersigned a lot of passports; I cannot remember anyone contacting me to check details.

The person that has countersigned the form is a member of the army and at the time had no reason to not be contactable but been sent away last minute and isn't due to return till the start of august which will be too late.

I'm only commenting on this thread as it returns in search results when people are looking for telephone numbers for the Liverpool Passport Office.

Briefly, we applied for our 12 year-old daughter's renewal on the 27th May and it was only looked at by an examiner at 6pm on 11th July - she travelled this morning. Fortunately we managed to collect the passport on Saturday 12th July, but only after spending about 10 hours on the phone last week and getting the MP involved on Friday (which worked instantly and is recommended).

Anyway, these numbers work, especially the 0151 numbers which go straight to examiners' desks. They were given to us to contact the night shift but they must work during the day too. They'll probably change them soon but good luck.

0845 6015 107 - Liverpool Office general number
0151 471 6559
0151 471 6422
0151 471 6359

Fax numbers: 0151 471 2925 and 0151 471 6422