The best way to get a same day passport for a child...

[SalfordSky]

Be a very wealthy Tory donor.

I have it on VERY reliable information that a VERY wealthy businessman got his little darlings same day passports although it seems this is not a service afforded to us mere mortals.

Its not what you know or who you know, its how much you grease the wheels...

It is available through an agency who have a quota of appointments at Victoria Passport Office, London. No doubt at a very high price. Most sensible mere mortals plan ahead. Are you jealous of this idiot?

Sadly, I am a mere mortal, an idiot and jealous as hell. We travel on Friday and have an appointment today. Argh!!!!

A quota? How do you know and how do I get on the quota (I don't have &100k to donate)

I don't think it's just for rich businessmen. We had to get an emergency appointment at Newport and they were really helpful, I took all the documents except one that we had forgot to get signed. They then let my husband fax through a copy of the form with the required signature as there was no way he could get to Newport before midday, and we had our replacement passports 2 hours later. I could not fault the staff or the service provided, though it did cost a couple of hundred quid.

I'm guessing that at this time of year it is a lot easier than peak holiday hours - my daughter's passport form was sent on a Monday and I had the new passport back on the Friday.

Surely anybody can get them same day by going to the passport office?

Just been to our appointment. Told there is NO QUOTA and no same day service for anyone. Bloody liars

It's on the passport website:

Premium 1-day service
The service is available for appointments before 11am on Saturdays, and on weekdays before:

4pm in London
1:30pm in Liverpool
1pm in Peterborough
12:30pm in Glasgow and Newport
midday in Belfast and Durham
You must arrive no more than 10 minutes before your appointment.

It was the agency web site that said there was a quota. I assume this is because appointments get fully booked! There just may not be enought staff to everyone that rocks up!

Iirc you can't get first passports same day but can get renewals. I could be wrong though.

As you say little darlings plural, then it sounds like a renewal, and yes these are available to any mere mortal who is willing to pay.

www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently

As you can see - it states that a child's one day passport is NOT available.....

It says that on the site, but there are a couple of agencies which also say differently:

here and here

Both of those sites mention Premium Service Childrens' Renewal options.

Of course, gettting an urgent passport also relies on being able to drop everything to get to a passport office and having someone readily available to countersign forms, both of which are easier if you're rich.

Maybe the rules have changed. A few years back a friend of mine definitely renewed a child passport using a same day service

That's worrying if this service is used...they cannot even speak English! 'It's meant to be haggle free'.

www.britishpassportsuk.co.uk/blog/how-to-apply-for-same-day-uk-passport-renewal

The man at the desk said there was absolutely no same day service unless an emergency.

I've previously organised a same day passport appointment for my boss in the Victoria office. No emergency just a higher fee.

I got a same day one by turning up at Liverpool and queuing a few years ago.
We went for lunch and came back later and it was ready - cost extra though

Until a year ago you could do same day child renewals, but they were stopped in April 2014.