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?!

i'll admit that I could have got my application in sooner - I thought 8 weeks would be sufficient based on previous experience. BUT considering I paid £55 for the service, is it too much to expect that I can phone a customer service line and be given information without being put on hold for 20 minutes at a time, being told the computer's crashed, being told to just phone back in a week's time and being told that they can't even ask if I can get an upgrade because it's not up to them. (fair enough if they're not the decision makers but if they can't even put the question to the decision makers what the f are they there for?)

I now face paying another £50 odd for an upgrade, so that is my 'punishment' for leaving it too late. But why do I have to fight to be even afforded the privilege of asking for the upgrade? why do they have to make it so damn difficult?

Has anyone got a direct number for Durham passport office? Can you just turn up and speak to someone? I have called the 0300 number several times and been promised a callback for a week now but not heard anything. Getting very frustrated and worried now.

Durham 08456015175 be prepared to wait a while make sure your phone battery is charged lol xx

Hi can someone please help,, Iv been trying to get my passport back by 5th June when I go on holiday. I have requested 3 call backs since last Wednesday and NOT 1 has called me back. They have been sent a letter by my local MP and also a letter has been sent to management, still no call back all I want to do is upgrade so I get my passport back I time.

My little boy deserves this holiday so much. Iv tried 0191 3707141 number but line is always busy. Feels like I'm getting no where.

Why can someone call me back! Durham are just saying nothing they can do but request a call. Why have a call back service when it clearly does not work. So angry.. I'm willing to do anything and pay any amount of money! No one is interested ;( Any ideas guys?

MAGITHEMAGPIE......HAVE YOU PAID FOR THE UPGRADE??

To all those complaining that the passport office is to blame. I refer you to the following:

1. The website states directly underneath the estimated time scale - "Don't book travel until you have a valid passport - doing so is at your own risk" therefore regardless of how long they say the estimate is they've already told you NOT TO BOOK TRAVEL!!!!
2. The guidance booklet again states - "Do not book travel until you have a valid passport"
3. Where you sign the application form the statement at point 9 states - "I have read the guidance booklet and fully understand the consequences of applying for a passport"
4. The website also states if you are travelling urgently - BOOK AN APPOINTMENT!!!!

For the love of god stop blaming other people for your mistakes. Passports can be renewed up to 9 months before the expiry date. Any time up to 9 months will be carried over. The UK is the only country that does this!!!! Oh, and stop saying "the last time I applied I got it really quick." If you go off happened previously without checking you deserve everything you get!!! For god sake, what would you prefer, the Government molly-coddle you and do everything for you!?

And I refer you to the gov.uk website which states the a child first issue passport takes 3 weeks.

Presumably that should carry the same weigh as other official statements?

No it doesn't. It states (and I quote) "It should take 3 weeks to get the passport - use a different service if you need it urgently." The operative word there being SHOULD! People need to accept responsibility for their own actions and accept blame where it clearly it is warranted!

The "should" is a recent addition within the next 24 hours.

Do you work for the Passport Office John Smith ?!

Sorry - LAST 24 hours ...

We just got my dd's through (a renewal) after 3 1/2 weeks. Got a text to say they had received it, and one to say it was being printed a couple of days before we received it by registered post.

My situation is very different from most posters, but FYI my situation is this:

Family relocating to UK from Vietnam in early July
Applying for a renewal for one child and a first passport for the other
Liverpool have confirmed receipt of my documents on 3 March
For the first passport they asked for more information which they didn't receive from me until 29 April-difficult to get suitable information as my children were born in Vietnam. Documents need officially translating, etc.

I have phoned them (not exactly who "them" is, but it is the number on the website)
First couple of times they sounded reassuring that the information had arrived and passports wouldn't take long.

9th May phone call, was told they would email Liverpool and someone would get back to me within 72 hours (still waiting)

19th May phone call, was told there was a problem with my application, but they are not sure what it was and they would email Liverpool and someone would get back to me within 3 full working days (still waiting)

26th May phone call, I was told again that there was a problem with my application and someone would get back to me probably on the 27th. I was also informed that the week before they changed the waiting time for a first passport from Vietnam from 6 weeks to 16 weeks. No mention of how long a renewal takes. - still waiting

I still have a month to go, but this uncertainty is making things a nightmare.

I would really advise against lying about your travel dates!

Anyone been able to get through to Durham office recently, I have had no luck this morning. Daughter's application arrived there over 4 weeks ago now.

I just wish i could get some information! Supposed to be travelling in 2 weeks but I could at least try to rearrange if only I knew what was going on!

just wondering if you can help at all

My sons passport has been sent off to change his last name, they said they've referred it to a different section of the passport office and they're sending me a letter about it. She wouldn't say what it was just that I had to reply to the letter and send it by first class post and I'd have my sons passport back in time for the 10th June, She told me not to send the letter back next day signed for as this would delay the process?

with his application I sent his BC and I'm the only one on the birth certificate and the deedpoll and his name change was in April 2013 and she said it's to comply with the child's name change legislation any insight on what the letter will be like? They've had the passport 3 weeks and she said the letter hasn't been sent yet

Woodfried - Took my 12 minutes half hour ago to get through on the 0845 number

Thong - were they helpful once you got through?

Yes, they looked up mine and my DS's passport explained i didn't have the barcode so just gave them information. Told me where our passports is in the queue and roughly how long it would take she said she'd ask for someone else to call me from the child name change department

I sent my passport off on the 19th the money was taken on the 21st and it's in the queue to be looked at. I sent my son's off on the 05th may and the money was taken on the 07th

Update - got the joyous text this morning to say it is being sent for printing. No idea if this is because I spoke to them on Wednesday evening, or just coincidence as on Weds they said it had only just been sent for examination. Does anyone know how long it takes after you get that text to actually receive it?
So no Nikiwalker not paid for upgrade.
Anyone worried about not getting theirs back in time for travels ask for an upgrade ASAP. The call centre will try and fob you off and say to phone back in a week, but insist they email the passport people, that's what I did.

I would have lied about my travel dates if asked, as they seem to prioritise based on that. Not like they have any proof of when you're travelling anyway - you 'could' be travelling any day you tell them, people can book last minute flights/turn up at airport on standby etc. So don't know how they could prove otherwise. I've read too many horror stories of people only getting the passport a couple of days before they are actually travelling - too much margin for error/stress there.

Right I've learned my lesson, in future I will get passport sorted well in advance, not worth the stress of leaving it later

Maggie my sil got a text saying it was going to print and would be with her in a few days....she got it the next day.

Sorry to hear so many people having a problem with the passport office. I received my daughter's after 7 weeks (overseas application). I think that was a miracle after receiving the most incorrect advice ever. I was actually told by a customer service agent that in fact my 3 year old was the applicant and that I needed to send in proof of i.d. and photo i.d. of her. When I told him that she doesn't have such i.d. he told me to take a photo of her with my husband and me next to her to act as photo i.d. After checking this advice and finding it was completley wrong I did send in a complaint which in turn was ignored.

Anyway I need to renew my other children's passports and I was wondering if anybody knows here, if when applying for multiple passports, can you combine the postage? I can't find this on the website and thought I'd ask here first before wasting my money on their, sometimes, not so helpful helpline.

Phew, got through and apparently it has gone to printing this morning.

Everyone I have spoken to one the phones has been pleasant but there must be a better way where people can actually get information and don't have to trawl through forums to find the real phone number

I agree woodfried it's a joke took me like 4 days to find a number 0300 number couldn't help due to me not having a barcode it was my silly fault but if I never got that 0845 number I would never ever of known what the progress was on my daughters application

Oh hell I hate myself! Did not retain the barcodes (why????) so 0300 number cannot trace our applications easily. I am so stupid. I did get through pretty quickly though and he was very helpful said that he's sure it will be fine and that they will try and track manually and get back to me.

We do have 8 weeks until we travel though and not first time applications just renewals. I thought 10 weeks would be enough and hopefully it will be but I'm like the poster who said that they are terrified of passports!

I totally appreciate that I should have applied earlier in the year and cannot believe how stupid I have been in not writing down the bar codes but was trying to spread the cost (stupidly). I so hope I don't live to regret leaving it until the middle of May.

Glad this thread is here. Tiredemma I really hope yours arrived, don't you travel tomorrow?

Do not lie about your travel date magpie... a friend of mine had to send the passport office proof of travel before they would let her UPGRADE. She ended up looking like right lying tit, and it made them reluctant to help her