Passport Processing Time

[bex12345]

Anyone have any idea on processing time of First Passports at the moment? We sent our daughters application via check and send almost 2 weeks ago and no idea on when to expect it back. Hopefully someone can shed some light?!

Timescale update for you all.

I sent my son's passport for renewal. He was going from a child to a first adult one as he is now 19. We sent it via "check & send" on 14th May. Passport office received it 16th May. My son has just copied me a text from the Passport Office to say that his passport has now been sent for printing.

Just wanted to post that to give hope to all those waiting that they may well be catching up now.

Update.....both my husbands renewal and childs first passports have arrived!!! Thank God. Flights have now been booked!

For those waiting this was out timescale...

30th April applications sent through check and send
3rd May received at passport office
Started to complain on 22nd April after 3 weeks of nothing.
4th June finally got call back from Durham after escalating it several times on the 0300 number.
6th June had phone call saying they were printed on the 5th and were being posted.
9th June arrived at 1pm by courier.

Just keep at it ladies, dont stop pestering till you get those passports. Good luck to you all. x

sent passport 28th, durham received 1st may. Contacted local MP. Still not here. Just called durham and they have told me to call back on the 24th. Useless! I fly on 2nd July. My partner sent hers off at the same time and it was for a first adult. I was told on the phone we may have to cancel our holiday.

GREAT

kylecarey dont give up my dates are exactly the same as your and i got my txt to say mine are being printed and will be here in 4-5 working days by courier ring your local MP and ring the 0845 number direct for you office mine was liverpool

update!!!!

Called Durham this morning 8am to see if they had letter back from countersigner they said no. I told them I needed passport by Saturday. A note was made on my application. I was looking at train prices to durham and My phone was literally about to die and a private number called. It was Durham! !! They said letter had been received and was ready for issue and will most likely be sent out by Wednesday . IM SO RELIEVED!!!!

BRILLIANT indie123 xxxxxx

Just found this thread this morning after calling the 0300 number all last week with no joy ( due to travel on Thursday, dd's first passport application sent in over a month ago). Called Belfast on the number above - they have only just sent a letter to the counter signature so it looks like we won't make it. This is grim

thanks yummymummy looks like today has been a good day for us both. finally I can breathe! x

Does anyone know how I can find out which passport office is processing my applications? I've applied for DCs first passports and sent off the forms over 3 weeks ago.

I've not heard anything, no text or emails. They were posted to Newport.

Is it worth even calling the 0300 number??

We don't travel till August, but I'm still starting to worry I should have had something to say they had received the forms?

this is indie123 btw...for some reason I cant log into my indie username xx

I haven't been posting on this thread as DC's renewal wasn't up against a departure date deadline.

But I thought it might help/hearten posters with a little time still to go that this morning I received texts from both the Passport Office saying it had gone for printing and should be with us shortly and also from the courier company saying they'd tried to deliver (don't quite believe that, actually) with info to book redelivery. It's meant to arrive tomorrow.

So when it issues, it looks as if it can get to you very quickly.

(That said, the courier company only does whole day slots which is irritating, and which has left me wondering if there is any way they could do a hook up with Ocado instead so it was a one hour slot!)

Passthebiscuittin - don't give up hope just yet. Have you tried contacting your MP and telling him/her everything? Have you phoned the direct office? Not the 0300 number? My passport is in Belfast too and the direct number I used was 0845 601 9031. Be prepared to wait up to an hour for an answer! They are much more helpful than the 0300 number! Keep phoning them and remind them you're traveling on Thursday! Hopefully they can arrange some sort of plan to get it to you before then!
Good luck! Hope you get your passport on time.

Betold, although the 0300 number are pretty useless they will be able to tell you which office your passports have gone to so i would give them a ring. It seems Durham are the worst affected re time scales.

OMG-an acquaintance of mine sent off for a first passport for her DD last week. She is going away in 3 weeks. She seems to think if things are slow she can just fast-track and it'll be done. I have told her that the whole system is in turmoil and it isn't going to be that easy but she seems to think it'll be fine she's kidding herself right?!

Thanks Bex I'll try that then.

Just worried the applications will sit for weeks and we'll end up in a last min panic!

Freckletoes today I was told by Durham direct you can not fast track a first adult passport!!!!

Thanks for the Belfast number. I might try that.

My situation is: We travel 6th July.
Had to wait for my passport to come back (changed to married name) before I could apply for DS's first child passport. Luckily mine only took about 3 weeks which made me a bit complacent. I sent his off on 10th May. Didn't hear anything so rang on 5th June. Supposedly they didn't receive it until 27th May. More likely they are not date stamping correctly to improve their stats and cover up their delays. Actually- I sincerely believe that, but have no proof.

So I rang again the next day after looking on here and they guy I spoke to said he would get someone to ring me back on Tuesday about getting it fast tracked. He didn't give me any more information than that. I don't know at what stage my application is at.

If things were running on time and to schedule, my passport would still come back with time to spare without me needing to fast-track it, I don't know that.

I know I still have 3 weeks and 5 days, more than some people on here, but having seen how long some of you have waited I am very very worried.

To be fair, when I rang the 0300 number I didn't actually have to wait on hold that long, and that was teatime. Not sure whether to ring the Belfast office now and pester them or just wait for someone to ring me tomorrow.

It is a baby passport kylecarey -does that make a difference? She seems quite convinced that it'll arrive in time despite being told she needs to leave 6 weeks to apply for a child's first passport and she left only 4. I don't know her that well but have tried to hint that she probably has a cat in hells chance having read this and other related threads!

Freckletoes if it is a childs passport the usual turnaround is 3 weeks but it is around 6 weeks with current processing times. you can fast track a babies first passport for a cost of £87 which I highly recommend her doing ASAP.

if it is a first passport over the age of 16 you have to attend an interview and fast track is not an option as i was told today

well 1 passport has just turned up my middle daughters so i rang to find out where other 2 were i thought they would all come together my eldest daughters has not been printed yet but is in the printing office ( this was just a renewal) so would have thought that to be the first to be sent and my sons is with the courier to be delivered tomorrow at some point

to give people a timescale i sent them on the 19th april to be told they didnt get cashiered at liverpool until the 1st may started complaining on 14th may never received a call back once escalate the application and was told i couldn't upgrade until it was in the final stages and to wait for liverpool to get in contact as of wed last week it hadn't even been through examination.... rang my MP on thursday .....received text to say they were being printed at 8am and received the first of 3 this afternoon waiting on the other 2 we travel on friday

Fingers crossed Yummy

My child's first passport is due for delivery tomorrow. 3 weeks & 1 day since they received it. Your friend might be ok Freckletoes.

Even though I received my passport last week I finally received my upgrade call today. So maybe they wait until it's a week before you travel.

have a feeling my partners wont come in time as its a first adult so who wants to come to lanzarote 5* all inclusive!? haha

Am I missing something - I thought it was common sense to apply for a passport at least 12 weeks before you need it.