Current passport waiting time

[cheeseybeans19]

Hi just applied for my passport to be renewed and for my sons first passport, I used check and send through the post office. Does anyone know how long they are taking at the moment? Thank you!

@bellsbuss
Yeah I think the system is very slow ...
I sent my documents 6 weeks ago to Peterborough. I am hoping to get the application approved this week. But I think that is not going to happen...

Thought I'd just put a timeline for my youngest DS passport renewal:

17th Jan - Applied online
10th Feb- They requested my marriage cert for proof of parental responsibility (I was in the middle of renewing mine also, and updating to married name)
25th Feb - sent marriage cert. Couldn't send sooner as they actually had it for mine, but couldn't speak to anyone sensible and no cross reference from different offices.
2nd March - text to acknowledge they received cert.
27th of April - finally received his passport

DS 1 renewal was applied for at the same time and came back after about 5 weeks! They asked for his full birth certificate. Same Dad's, same surname etc.

I think my experience has been pretty good!

I renewed my son's passport and uploaded the application just before Easter on 14/4. I sent the old passport on same day and they acknowledged receipt on the Wed after Easter. They asked for someone to verify my son's details and, all that uploaded and approved, I received the passport today.

I did it all online (including taking a photo with my phone) and it was all pretty pain free.

I posted birth certificate on 6th April, it updated to received documents on 19th April and hasn’t updated any further since. Not even to processing. Anyone else had something similar?

We’re due to go on holiday in 8 weeks but not feeling hopeful… hoping the media is scaremongering and we’ll have a sudden quick turnaround 😬

@Orangepen13
Sometimes they don't update to processing just straight to approval so don't worry about that.
And your holiday is 8 weeks ago so that is plenty of time hopefully.
What office did you send it to?

Keep chasing them with letters, phone calls online enquiry form etc.

Tell them your date of travel.

At least they've received your docs which is something.

We are travelling in 6 weeks and son's application is still telling us to send our docs...

@Sunshinexx95 sent to Bootle. I’m annoyed at myself for not doing it sooner, but we thought we had loads of time 🤦‍♀️

@UsernameIsAlreadyTaken oh noo, fingers crossed for you. Have you had any luck chasing?

We only had luck chasing my daughter's renewal that was issued with a spelling error.

I've had to contact my MP about my son's application and I've written two letters of complaint to try and escalate it.

Im really hoping we can get it progressed.

In 2 weeks time we need to make a decision whether we cancel our holiday for a fee or whether we hedge our bets and hope they process it and potentially lose a £2.8k holiday if they can't do it in time.

I really wish you luck. It's been such an incredibly stressful time and the hours I've spent on the phone is ridiculous!

Hi all, just an update, I got mine back on Tuesday 26 April and my sons on the Thursday so approximately 8 weeks, I suspect I would have had them back sooner but our photos were sent back to us to find a new countersignature as the person that did mine didn’t realise that her passport had expired. Hope everyone gets theirs back in time too.

A positive tale here - applied online for renewals for my two daughters and me on 12th April and got them all back yesterday - 17 days in total. Can't quite believe it!

I'm an idiot I've sent my old passport 10 days ago on Easter Monday 18th . I forgot to do track and trace just sent 1st class. I'm wondering if it's been lost , holiday is 4th August I'm wondering when to cut my losses and say the passport is lost and do a fast track application.

online application 17/4
posted old passport on 18/4 to Bootle
passport printed 27/4
due this Monday so two weeks

My son's renewal was through Bootle and very similar timings. It took 16 days from uploading the application to landing on the mat. And Easter was in the middle of that too.

ds(18) did an online application 19/4, he put old passport in a post box late evening of 20/4, just with a 2nd class stamp, he got an email this morning to say passport received.

His previous passport was a children's passport and photo from when he was 9 years old. He took a passport photo at a photo booth and entered the photo booth code on his application. It didn't ask for any countersignatures on the photo during the application process. Are they likely to send back and ask for this? Thought they would have blocked his online application if this was needed.

He doesn't need it until July so no rush.

I wasn't asked for any countersignatures for my DS's renewal, although I did have to provide an email address for someone that could confirm his identity. I uploaded the application and took / uploaded a photo using my phone. The ID verification was also done online and was turned around in a couple of days.

So I'll add ours so far, all done with post office digital check and send.

2 adult renewals 30/04
1 adult renewal with a change of name 30/04
1 child renewal 30/04

1/05 received e-mails to say all adults applications received.

01/05 received e-mail for childs renewal to be verified, named person verified on 01/05.

Post office sent all old passports back and change of name documents on 30/05 along with the application.

Fingers crossed takes no longer than about 6-8 weeks. We aren't due to go away till mid August.

@WeAllHaveWings Similar situation here. My DS 18 did his online 20th April, his old child passport was 5 years out of date so he looks very different now. He received an email with a link for him to send to someone (eg a teacher) to confirm identity, again all online. I would think your son will need identity confirming too as he probably looks v different now from old passport.

We haven’t got our new passports yet but I do recommend the online application process if you can, so much easier than a few years ago filling in green forms!

I heard an article on Radio 4 earlier today and it does sound as though large parts of the Passport Service is in meltdown. It seems very hit or miss what service you get.

I am relieved that we got DD3's renewal back within 3 weeks as she has to spend a year abroad for her university course starting in late July. It was the Peterborough office.

Mine expires in April 2023, which is also the tenth anniversary of it's issue. I'll be sending it for renewal immediately after our return from holiday in early July. Obviously if my DD is abroad I would want to be able to a) visit her occasionally or b) get to her if a problem occurred.

thanks @Felicity55 Felicity, hopefully they will send soon as he'll be finished school in the next couple of week (on study leave for exams already in Scotland) and he soon won't have any teachers to ask and will need to find someone else to do it!

Hi - just to update on my earlier post I received the new passport on Friday 29th April. So that's less than three weeks since filling in the application online, AND included 2 bank Holidays. Quite chuffed.

Does anyone know whether you can use the same countersignatory for more than one passport renewal please?

Hi, yes you can - my friend signed for both of my children.

Hi, yes you can - my friend signed for both of my children.

Thank you @JessieEssex

Sent off ds' old passport (but to get his first adult passport) on 19 April and his new passport arrived yesterday . His on-line renewal generated the Bootle passport office to send it to.

Sent off dh's passport yesterday for his renewal. It generated Belfast as the address to send it to - it will be interesting to see how long it takes.