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?!

Hi everyone

I sent my daughters application (first pp) on 20th May via PO check and send. I have been calling to chase it up for the last week. It apparently was sent to Durham first (24thmay) but then to Belfast (28th) because of the backlog at Durham (I live in Cheshire!??) We fly on 28th June. I have managed to get through to the Belfast office this morning who said it is still awaiting examination and they are only doing upgrades for people travelling in the next 7 days. They told me they are working on applications received on 24th may (if mine had gone there in the first place it prob would be done now!) they said I've got to wait until next Monday (23rd June) to upgrade and provide proof of my travel dates. (And that's providing there's no problems with the application).
Getting really stressed now. I had an email back from my MP saying unfortunately he can't help!!

Rima94, ring your MP or tweet him/her if they hasn't got in touch.

HoleySocksBatman - give up on that number, when are you travelling? I JUST received a call back from a really nice lady that said they'd send it and i'd get it latest by Wednesday, don't lose hope!

Roxy Belfast told me today they are working on applications dated 28th - fingers crossed that they were correct

Sunshine - I hope so! 28th is much better than 24th! Fingers crossed

Roxy she also said they get printed on the Mainland somewhere so you shouldn't be disadvantaged with Belfast handling your application.

Rima94, was the callback from the 0300 number?

I have just received my ds's first passport this morning and I sent it off on the 4th May, our nearest passport office is Durham.

If anyone is wondering about their old passport - mine just arrived today by 2nd Class Standard Delivery (unless you paid £3 for secure delivery) and I received my new passport on Friday by courier

The callback was from a number that withheld their ID so i don't know who it was but it was the Liverpool office, and she was really nice, told me that there had only been one callback requested on Friday when I've been calling countless times over the week!

I think to anyone having problems with callbacks that you have to get quite annoyed and pushy with the 0300 number until they log a complaint or request an urgent callback from the correct office where your passport is. Ask to be transferred to the progress team as they can tell you where your passport is.

SoftKittyWarmKitty I sent my son's renewal via check and send with the post office on 2 June (so a few days after you) and never got a text confirming receipt either. If you call the helpline 0300 222 0222 they can look at the screen and tell you which passport office your son's renewal went to and when it was received. I now know that my son's renewal was sent to Belfast and received by them on 5 June, which is helpful if I need to start chasing the office direct.

Managed to get through to the Glasgow office it will be touch and go whether we get my daughters passport :(.

We fly on the 29th of June and it is due to be processed any time between the 25th and the 1st July!!!!

I've still no luck with getting through to durham office and still none the wiser what's going on with mine and my husbands applications been 3 weeks now!! Does anyone know if I can still send my childrens passport forms off without putting our passport numbers on the forms??? We go 2nd week of September so need to get them sent off asap

Thanks sunshine that's good to know, I'm going to keep calling daily for an update.

I phoned the 0300 number this morning with no luck then found a number for the Glasgow office, got through to someone after 8 mins.

HoleySocksBatman, if you manage to get ahold of them just lie and say you are travelling urgently, they didn't ask for any proof from me even though they said they would. At the end of the day they won't suspect a thing if you tell them you're travelling next week or something.

I've now scared myself silly reading this thread - we fly on 18 July and submitted 2 child renewals on 12 June via PO check and send. How do I find out if the application has been received? The 0300 number message says it needs to have been over 3 weeks after the application has been submitted to talk to an operator - do I just ignore this? Currently making myself sick with worry. Yes it's of my own making and I've totally screwed up by not sorting things earlier but it will be my kids that pay and it's just horrible.

By the way they won't fast track a first time passport :(

can anyone give me timescales of a first time adult passport as my partners is at liverpool but we are told we need to wait on interview letter. we travel on 2nd july so becoming very worried as called all the different numbers and no luck or call backs. my MP is now involved and said she is waiting on call back from customer service manager at liverpool so i'm hoping this actually moves things forward and i just wish i could fast track but can't as its a first time passport :(

KutieKathryn my partner is also waiting for her first adult she sent off for it 6 weeks ago on Friday. We travel on 2nd July also. We have got MP's involved etc but doesn't seem to be making a difference. They said we can't fast track it and we still haven't got a letter about an interview yet!

on hold to Durham now waiting to see if they can do anything.

Caz why don't you just book fast track one week for the kids passports, save all the worry? Even first time kids can be done on a week and it's not massively more? That way you can relax a bit more. It does take a couple of weeks to get an appointment so book one and rearrange if necessary.

kylecarey - what a nightmare it is. have you been ringing any other numbers? it's a horrible feeling i cant concentrate on anything else at the moment! Did your MP reply to you at all? I think it's one of the worst for us first timers because we have no choice to fast track. I think i am going to turn up to Liverpool on thursday when I'm off work even though it might be pointless, it would be quicker getting to speak to someone directly than waiting on hold for 2 hours!