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?!

Very interesting passportadviceline14 , I think that you're going to be extremely busy!
As a renewal applicant living in France I am obliged to apply online for my renewal-I haven't insulted anybody,I havn't telephoned ,I've just waited patiently queing up like a good english person!
My payment (at the old higher rate)was taken on the 31st march and today I've just had a mail telling me to re-apply!It's only taken 7.5 weeks so far! Undoubtebly it will take at least as long again when I re-apply, but as I am obliged to come to the UK in 7 weeks to collect my 13 year old daughter I am already at a loss as to what to do,I do regret that I haven't taken French nationality for paperwork it is rapid and cheap,maybe thanks to their non-privatised civil-service,identity cards go through the police.
Would you happen to know if I could demand the delivery of my passport to my sisters home in UK,if not I won't be allowed to come back to France
Also without my expired passport I am illegal in France!!
Thanks and bon courage on the forum!

royapp I am not an expert, but I may have to travel before receiving DS's passport so asked the Durham passport office if I could change the delivery address if it became clear that the passport wouldn't arrive in time, and was told that I could by writing them a letter and enclosing proof of the new address. HTH.

passportadviceline14 thanks for letting us hear the other side of the story. I do sympathise with you and appreciate that your job must be a very thankless task and that you should not be insulted and threatened by people in the course of your work.

My problem is not with you or indeed any other employee of teleperformance or the passport office. I do take issue with the quality of service currently provided however. Like royapp I am based abroad and so must apply online. I only followed up my son's application after eight weeks of waiting, and did so the first two times through the email contact form provided. After waiting over a week each time and providing numerous pieces of additional information, I was each time given a stock answer which bore no relation to my question and was a line taken from the website, stating that applications take at least six weeks. No information about my specific application was provided during either of these attempts. You can see therefore that people contacting the passport offices directly is a result of a failure of the UKPA to communicate effectively with applicants. The online tracking system is a joke and the status bears little relation to what is actually happening.

I have not personally used the 0300 helpline but many who have complain of callbacks not being received and inaccurate information being provided, when people are able to reach an operator at all. It is good to hear that you are direct with applicants who call you, we need more people like you!

None of this is any one individual's fault, it is a collective failure of the UKPA's systems and a lack of investment. It is causing people real difficulties though, and not all of us are in this position because we booked a holiday without thinking. I had hoped that my 4 month old DS would be able to meet his great grandmother, but this is now unlikely to happen.

Thanks again for the advice alteredimages , but I've had two answers to my complaining mail basically telling me to countersign my photos!This being a renewal of my red passport the advice is no counter signature needed (wrong!!)I don't know if they'll get it together to issue mine in time but I'm going anyway!!Also they said 'we will keep your (online)application docs and FEE and consider them when we recieve your reply'
I am wondering when would they have contacted me about my application if I hadn't sent the complaint!!
I wish you the best of luck for the baby's papers (my girls are french so never had a problem there)

Hi Passportadvice, I have a question please that I'm hoping you will be able to answer. I applied for my son's renewal on 30.4.2014. He still had five months left on his existing one - I was stupidly trying to be on the safe side. We are travelling on 26.5.2014. Can't get an accurate answer from 0300 - is there any chance of me getting his existing passport back as we are only travelling in Europe and it's my best chance? Also, do deliveries still continue throughout the weekend/bank holiday? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

Hi kitkat, did you get your OH passport sorted? As far as I could see you didn't get any replies to your remarks!
I'm curious as I'm in the same boat, my 17 yr old son needs his first passport within just under 6 weeks and I'm stressing as it's our first family holiday. I started sorting it around 3 weeks ago, but due to photos, counter signature and birth certs I'm still not there.
I'm now going out of my mind thinking we may need to cancel a trip to Florida, losing a lot of money we,ve been saving for a long time.
I'm picking new birth cert up in the morning and hopefully getting the passport sent off too (fingers crossed there's no more problems).

If anyone else can help id be so so so greatful. Xx

first child ones can take longer because almost all the time a letter is sent to the countersignatures work address for more information and this holds up the application. People who book for 5-6 weeks away when their child has never had a passport it is pure silliness

I wish I had this advice before sending off my DD's first passport application- however I was largely guided by the Passport office website which advises just 3 week wait for childs first passport.

No one should get abuse for simply doing their job. Thats not right.

They really should change info on website and automatic phone message. At Durham the quickest turnaround currently is 4-5 weeks and that's for renewals...first passports are upto a further 2-3 weeks on top of this. They received my daughters renewal on 5th May and was told that it will probably be looked at in about 2 weeks (early june)

Very interesting post from Passportadviceline - agreed nobody should face abuse in their job.

Like many things, the issues in play will not be the responsibility of Passportadviceline and others like him or her that work on the phone line taking all the flak. The main gripes I had were the repeated broken promises for callbacks. When you set these up, do you actually believe that they will be honoured? Many people on this forum and on others I have seen cite repeated requests for callbacks that fail to materialise.

Similarly, if they are busy at HMPO they should admit this so people know to allow more time. Recorded phone information and information on the HMPO website still seem to suggest it is possible to get a First Child Passport in 3 weeks. If this is not the case they should come clean and stop pretending all is well.

I recommend using fast track for any renewals. You can just tell operator you're traveling sooner if needs be. We are not traveling for five weeks and I still didn't risk it. I booked a one day renewal 2 weeks ago and it took 3 days for appointment and I had it in 2 hours. That was liverpool.

Yeah jamtoast12 better safe than sorry and all that but it only bungs the other non-fastrack applicants lower down the list,it shouldn't be necessary to fast track it is throwing money into a broken system and in a way the 60 quid justifies the long waiting times.You can be sure that they're not spending that extra money on creating posts,to give everyone 'except emergencies'a cheaper better service!!

I resigned to not getting ours back in time for our holiday on the 31st.

I have requested an upgrade but as DD's is her first passport I cant see them doing all the checks etc in time. So thats a 2k holiday up the swanny.

I actually want to cry.

They can do kids first passport in a guaranteed one week fast track so don't lost hope yet :)

Please can you help me. Is there any other way to find out which office my passport is at?

I have emailed both theresa may and my local mp but no word back.

I have been promised numerous 48 call backs from the 0300 helpline which haven't materialised.

I am in the process of faxing the Durham office on your number above but am not even sure it's at that office!

I have been on hold to the durham 0845 number for over an hour already this morning - again to no avail.

I am due to be travelling on Monday and starting to really panic.

Can I turn up at an office? My local one must surely be London (I live in Petersfield) but is there a number for that one?

Thank you to anyone who can give me any help.

As an update finally got hold of durham who said that because my passport hadn't been with them for 3 weeks (even though it's three weeks since I sent it) that they won't consider an upgrade.

Even on their own website it says all renewels are eligible for an upgrade so I'm really confused.

Is it worth me driving to durham on the off chance?

tiredemma don't lose hope. We are travelling on June 1st and applied for DS's first passport at the end of feb. Took until the end of april for them to look at application. Requested additional docs on may 2nd, arrived at their office last weds or thurs, passport approved and sent for printing friday, arrived here in france yesterday having been dispatched tues afternoon. Once application was with an examiner turn around was really fast. Also, when i asked on Friday how long it would take I was told ten working days, was here in three.

goldenhalk I know this clogs up phone lines but in your case I wpuld just call back and ask again. Add tuat you are willing to pick it up from the office and.make sure your travel date is on your application.

passportadvice14

Do you have any way of getting feedback to a relevant (probably senior) manager about what the Passport Office tells the public about timelines?

The gov.uk website says it is 3 weeks to issue a child first passport. It is not surprising people rely on that. If the realistic time is 4-6 weeks, that is what the official, authoritative website needs to say.

Hi.

This is my first post. I sent my daughters first passport application off 5 weeks ago & I received a text from HM passport to say they received it on the 25th April. After numerous phone calls and only getting through a handful of times, I have now been told only today it is in the Durham office waiting examination! I was told it would take no longer then 3 weeks and we fly out on holiday on Sunday 1st June. I am so worried it won't come in time. Awaiting a callback to see if it can be upgraded to fast track even though he said if it is, it will take 7 working days which will still be after our holiday :( So upset over this!! Feels like I am getting no where!!

Marie- you sent yours off the exact time as me. My initial problem was after I posted the application, I realised I didnt put DD's Birth Cert in so had spent about a week (after getting 'the text') waiting for them to contact me. I phoned the 0300 number numerous times and got no where.
I decided to try the 0845 number and spoke to someone who knew what they were talking about straight away.
We fly a day before you but at 7am. I have been put for upgrade and should expect a call "around tuesday" and then it will take 24 hours for the passport to get to me (assuming it gets through all checks).

I dont know where the 7 days thing come from????

Tiredemma - Apparently as it is a first time passport & not a renewal we can not to the premium 1 day service it can only be done by fast track which takes 7 working days.

What 0845 number did you ring? Is this for the Durham office?

I am hoping I can get throughoto someone today who can actually helpeme as it feels I am no further along then i was when I originally started trying on Monday!!

Have they guaranteed your passport will be with you in time?

yes- BUT only if it goes through all relevant checks and passes.

my childrens renewals are stuck at Peterborough and noone seems to want to put me through to someone who can let me fasttrack. We were all supposed to be travelling tomorrow but not now :(

I posted my baby's first application on 22 april, it was signed for at the newport office on 23 april and I received it back on 20 may so exactly 4 weeks.

It arrived by courier, although I've not yet had her birth certificate back.

I had tried to phone the 0300 number but could never get through. I also emailed and they eventually responded but wouldn't help me because I didn't have the application number, which was stupid of me really.

We aren't going abroad this year but wanted to get it sorted anyway.

I guess exceptional things can happen, but I agree that if you think you can get a brand new first passport in a couple of weeks and book a holiday on this basis then you are a bit silly.

but I agree that if you think you can get a brand new first passport in a couple of weeks and book a holiday on this basis then you are a bit silly

perhaps the Passport Office should remove this information from their site then
"It takes 3 weeks to get your child’s first passport - use a different service if you need the passport more urgently"

I would have applied for the Fast Track service immediately had this information not been on the site.