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Original poster

Passport Processing Time

999 replies

bex12345 · 02/04/2014 13:04

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?!

OP posts:
Tiredemma · 26/05/2014 10:35

Great news Marie. Did you give Sunday as your date of Tavel or a few days before as I suggested? We need our passports for Friday but still no call.

dazcheff · 26/05/2014 11:58

Travel Wednesday just got a call from Durham saying my passport is in for print. Getting ready to drive up there to collect tomorrow.
Happy Days!

Tiredemma · 26/05/2014 12:25

Great news Dazcheff. fingers cross for me please.

I look like shit through no sleep

dazcheff · 26/05/2014 13:03

Fingers are crossed for you Tiredemma.
I'm sure all will be OK they just cut it very close

Marie2312 · 27/05/2014 18:17

Hi Tiredemma - Have you heard from the passport office yet?

Tiredemma · 27/05/2014 18:57

Had a call at 12 noon
LOVELY lady (probably my most favourite female in the world right now) phoned- said she had approved the applications for both DD and DP. Probably missed todays run for printing/sending out.
I could go to Durham to collect from tomorrow or have it sent by DX Delivery. It wont go to DX until tomorrow so should be here Thursday or Friday am at the latest- she also gave me DX number to contact to liaise with them

I could have had it sent next day delivery but wouldnt be in to sign for it and didnt want the added stress of having to go to the Royal Mail depot.

Im in my office at work and I actually cried with relief. I didnt sleep at all last night- I really felt that DD's birth certificate had been lost in the post and we wouldnt be able to travel.

I cannot fault Durham at all to be honest- It sounds like they are working under intense pressure and really up agaisnt the wall.
Way back at the beginning of the month (7th May) when I first got through to them on the 0845 number the fisrt man I spoke to said I 'probably wouldnt' get any upgrade call until 'around the 27th, so I have to say that they have been true to their word.

Very valuable lesson learnt here about being timely. I have been so stressed, snappy etc- all my own fault.

Thank you everyone on here who has offered advice and support. I hope those of you still waiting also get a call.

JackT93 · 27/05/2014 20:50

Applied for my passport via Post Office Check and Send on the 30th April. They received it on the 4th May. See now, at this point I am hesitant because I'm meant to be travelling on the 30th May and my application is a Lost & Stolen.
I left it 2 weeks (knowing that it may take longer than usual because of the type of application) until I rung them. They said it hadn't been examined yet. I thought "okay, they must be busy with all the bank holidays around, people might want their weekend/bank holiday break abroad like I am myself".
So, I continued to ring them, everyday for a week and finally, the 22nd May and my passport has been printed, I got notified via email and text message.
So now, I realise it's a bank holiday Monday soon and I'm meant to be travelling on the Friday after and it's my first day at a new job on Tuesday so I won't have time to call them.
So, I call them and explain my situation on the day my passport was printed. They assured me that when I finish my first day of my new job, I will come home to a passport.
And behold, they spoke the truth.
I was very satisfied with the service I was given throughout the process and didn't encounter any problems at all (besides the Post Office giving me the wrong application at first).
HAPPPYYY!!! :D

jamtoast12 · 27/05/2014 21:22

Finally someone who is in the 98% apparently getting theirs within the 3 week period! Excellent and reassuring that hopefully we are only hearing stories from the late ones.

madlene · 27/05/2014 22:44

Hello can someone assist with a number I can call for overseas application 0300 is has only one response, I need to know what is happen to my application for over 12 weeks

maggiethemagpie · 28/05/2014 21:13

Horrendous service via the passport advice line. Phoned to check on status of dd's first passport sent four weeks ago. The first person I spoke to couldn't find it on the system first, then her computer crashed, then she said she'd have to put me through to another team, then she couldn't get through and could I call back another time. No I couldn't I told her, so she tried again and after being on hold another 10 mins I got through to someone.
Asked for an upgrade and was told I'd have to phone back and ask again in a week as it wasn't his decision. I asked whose decision it was then, and could he/I speak to them? He reluctantly said he'd email the passport office to ask if I could have an upgrade if I wanted - I said, of course, this is why I've phoned up. Apparantly if they will upgrade they will phone back in 48 hours. I'm going to just keep phoning and nagging every few days now until I get my upgrade!
Anyway at least I have an email asking them to consider me for an upgrade, which is some progress at least but boy did I have to work for that.

hate all these government departments. No way would a commercial organisation be run like that.

Straightforwarda · 28/05/2014 21:34

have any of you people considered the fact that

a/ you voted for public spending cuts

b/ your application is no more important than anyone elses'

c/ your MPs have more important issues to be dealing with than chasing your passport application so you can go on the holiday HMPO advised you NOT to book without a passport

d/ that by clogging up the phonelines because YOU have foolishly not got yourselves organised in time, that YOU are actually contributing to delays and taking staff away from issuing passports

Straightforwarda · 28/05/2014 21:34

have any of you people considered the fact that

a/ you voted for public spending cuts

b/ your application is no more important than anyone elses'

c/ your MPs have more important issues to be dealing with than chasing your passport application so you can go on the holiday HMPO advised you NOT to book without a passport

d/ that by clogging up the phonelines because YOU have foolishly not got yourselves organised in time, that YOU are actually contributing to delays and taking staff away from issuing passports

Straightforwarda · 28/05/2014 21:34

have any of you people considered the fact that

a/ you voted for public spending cuts

b/ your application is no more important than anyone elses'

c/ your MPs have more important issues to be dealing with than chasing your passport application so you can go on the holiday HMPO advised you NOT to book without a passport

d/ that by clogging up the phonelines because YOU have foolishly not got yourselves organised in time, that YOU are actually contributing to delays and taking staff away from issuing passports

OwlCapone · 28/05/2014 21:47

Have you considered that

A/ you don't have to read the thread
B/ your opinion is no more important than anyone else's
C/ by posting three times you are clogging up the thread.

Straightforwarda · 28/05/2014 21:51

Owl ...

a/ I am simply offering another opinion. This isnt meant to be a verbal wank-fest offering only one opinion
b/ I never suggested it was
c/ oops... my PC malfunctioned

OwlCapone · 28/05/2014 21:53

Why have you joined MN specifically to offer your words of wisdom on threads which are, in one case, four years old?

Did you search specifically for passport threads to post your smug, unhelpful comments on? If so, why??

Straightforwarda · 28/05/2014 21:54

but its ok because I have a passport and had an absolutely lovely time on my holiday!

OwlCapone · 28/05/2014 21:58

And yet you came back with such a miserable attitude.

Straightforwarda · 28/05/2014 21:58

no... I can be smug on many topics!

OwlCapone · 28/05/2014 21:59

No, apparently just passport ones. Including zombie threads. Well done.

Straightforwarda · 28/05/2014 22:01

do you assume everyone whose opinion does not match yours, is miserable?! I came back happy and relaxed and had no stress or sleepless nights because I applied for MY passport in plenty of time. It just annoys me when other mums try to make themselves out to be victims. Its tiresome.

Straightforwarda · 28/05/2014 22:02

stop online stalking ..... get your passport application in LOL

OwlCapone · 28/05/2014 22:06

No, but people who behave like smug twats on threads where people are worries are miserable, IMO.

I'm not stalking but I read your post and thought "I wonder if that's a goady fucker...?"

Why would I want to get my passport application in?

OwlCapone · 28/05/2014 22:09

So, why did you come back from your holiday, join MN (or name change) and search for passport threads to post self righteous comments on?

jdg123 · 28/05/2014 23:24

Had it ever occurred to you that there are lots of circumstances where people legitimately need upgrades
a/ passport application is sent and then family emergency occurs abroad
b/ family member unexpectedly books surprise holiday
c/ couldn't afford to renew passports earlier
d/ damage to passport through no fault of their own
e/ overseas passport application where processing time has trebled without any explanation or publicity and need passport for visa
f/ passport office error, lost letter from co-signatory/forms/certificates
g/ genuine human error, you know that probably has occurred to you at some point in your existence and you needed some help. oh wait you are perfect, right? an your life is perfect, hence why you are trolling passport threads in your spare time!