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Original poster

Passport waiting time

94 replies

jellibum · 29/03/2022 18:59

Hi,
Could anyone give me an idea of timescale of child's first passport delivery - applied on the 7th March - docs sent off signed for on 8th only acknowledged receipt on Wednesday- starting to stress - 1st holiday in 6 years ..... going very end of May hoping will be enough time?? 😵‍💫 x

OP posts:
CatLikeEyes · 29/03/2022 19:05

Sent mine same date (renewal) and have mine today, old pp was received two days ago. Tracking link should tell you which stage it is, mine was a week from received to printed and sent.

CatLikeEyes · 29/03/2022 19:06

Sorry just seen it's a child's first... Add at least an extra week on their current t/s.

Original poster
jellibum · 29/03/2022 19:08

Thank you - I'll stop checking the tracker every 5 mins and leave it until the end of the week x

OP posts:
Justwingingit2005 · 30/03/2022 22:43

Child's first passport docs sent off 5 weeks ago. Only just had the text today saying we have your docs.

ramonaquimby · 30/03/2022 22:52

child’s renewal here, had message last week saying they had documents 5 weeks after they were sent. just pleased they weren’t lost as had to send dual citizen passport as well which is still valid

armybomb · 31/03/2022 00:51

@jellibum

Hi, Could anyone give me an idea of timescale of child's first passport delivery - applied on the 7th March - docs sent off signed for on 8th only acknowledged receipt on Wednesday- starting to stress - 1st holiday in 6 years ..... going very end of May hoping will be enough time?? 😵‍💫 x
I applied on 19th Feb for child passport renewal. They are still processing. It takes longer than I expected :( I had chat with HM passport office, they said "it's waiting to be checked" Hmm I had to cancel my holiday in April..
Original poster
jellibum · 31/03/2022 08:19

😳 did you apply online armybomb or did you send via po? X

OP posts:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 31/03/2022 08:21

@jellibum

Hi, Could anyone give me an idea of timescale of child's first passport delivery - applied on the 7th March - docs sent off signed for on 8th only acknowledged receipt on Wednesday- starting to stress - 1st holiday in 6 years ..... going very end of May hoping will be enough time?? 😵‍💫 x
You have two months still, don't stress yet!
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 31/03/2022 08:23

Useful website... currently showing an average of 28.4 days for First Child passports.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 31/03/2022 08:24

www.passportwaitingtime.co.uk/

Helps if I include the link...

Scottishskifun · 31/03/2022 08:24

So we found out that their timelines start once they have bothered to scan documents in......which for us took 3 weeks we are away beginning of June I'm already looking at getting another birth certificate incase I have to cancel and get a emergency appointment

Flockameanie · 31/03/2022 10:12

Over 4 weeks and still waiting here. Following the advice of the people when we phoned we went to withdraw the application and do a fast track one instead, because we’re supposed to be going away on 9th. But when DH went to the appointment yesterday they said he couldn’t do that - totally contradicting what the people on the phone told us. So utterly infuriating.

The only update on the tracking is that they’ve received the documents we sent in with the original application. That was about 3 weeks after we sent them, about 10 days ago now. No updates since then. So we’re not very hopeful we’ll get it back in time and will most likely have to cancel our holiday. Not looking forward to telling the kids. Sad

Bells3032 · 31/03/2022 10:17

Child's first. Applied the 25th Feb. Docs received according to royal mail on the 28th Feb but not acknowledged til the 14th march. Approved 13 days ago. Printed 5 days ago (on day weirdly) and arrived on Tues this week

Bells3032 · 31/03/2022 10:18

Sat not day

armybomb · 31/03/2022 10:22

@jellibum

😳 did you apply online armybomb or did you send via po? X
I applied online! It should not take this long 😭
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 31/03/2022 10:27

@Flockameanie

Over 4 weeks and still waiting here. Following the advice of the people when we phoned we went to withdraw the application and do a fast track one instead, because we’re supposed to be going away on 9th. But when DH went to the appointment yesterday they said he couldn’t do that - totally contradicting what the people on the phone told us. So utterly infuriating.

The only update on the tracking is that they’ve received the documents we sent in with the original application. That was about 3 weeks after we sent them, about 10 days ago now. No updates since then. So we’re not very hopeful we’ll get it back in time and will most likely have to cancel our holiday. Not looking forward to telling the kids. Sad

I find this infuriating... you should be able to pay to upgrade your application once you've made it. Especially since the timescales can seemingly change overnight after you apply!
Flockameanie · 31/03/2022 10:37

@Aroundtheworldin80moves it is beyond infuriating. I'm so fucked off. The people on the phone advised DH to withdraw the original application and to make a fast track appointment. Then when we get to the appointment they said the original application was 'too far along' to withdraw, but couldn't actually say how far along it was or give any indication of when we might get the passport.

I genuinely don't understand why a) one department is saying one thing that another then completely contradicts and b) why we can't just cancel or withdraw an application, no matter what stage it is at.

Original poster
jellibum · 31/03/2022 10:39

... just had a message to have my dd identity confirmed again! Used same person who approved my other child's renewal with no issue! I've sent it to someone else to do - how annoying! 🤨

OP posts:
Frazzled2207 · 31/03/2022 14:50

the delays seem to be waiting for them to officially receive them and then sending it back. Waiting nearly a month here (child renewal so slightly different) but it took 10 days for them to confirm receipt and then I had to resubmit the photos, twice (a thread on here about that - right 'mare). Third photo got approved and then four days later we got to 'passport printed'. However that was a week ago and still no indication of when it will actually be dispatched.

lillyrabbit · 31/03/2022 15:05

We applied for one renewal and one new child's passport last month. Rough timeline so far:
Online application done: 28th Feb
Identity confirmed: 28th Feb
Documents sent: 1st March
Documents acknowledged by passport office: 22nd March
Passports approved: 25th March (renewal), 30th March (new)
Passport printed: 30th March (renewal only so far)
Old documents received: 31st March (renewal only so far)

So assuming they both arrive within the next week or so, the whole process will have taken 5-6 weeks. Adult renewal done on the same day arrived within 3 weeks.

Frazzled2207 · 01/04/2022 17:59

Ours got back today (child renewal) was submitted on 4th so four weeks exactly however that included a delay in the middle as once it had arrived the photo was rejected, twice. Not bad overall.

Incidentally the tracker showed it as printed on monday, and I had no further updates until it turned up today.

I know different people are asked to send theirs to different places but the inconsistency of timings and the fact that some unfortunately get stuck in the system somewhere, is baffling.

Scottishskifun · 01/04/2022 18:51

@Frazzled2207 can I ask which office you were asked to send docs to? We were Liverpool which I find strange given I live in Scotland and there is a office in Glasgow!

Frazzled2207 · 01/04/2022 19:05

[quote Scottishskifun]@Frazzled2207 can I ask which office you were asked to send docs to? We were Liverpool which I find strange given I live in Scotland and there is a office in Glasgow![/quote]
Peterborough I think.
And my closest is liverpool! No rhyme or reason it would appear.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 01/04/2022 19:06

I did two renewals at the same time, one was Liverpool the other Peterborough. Its random.

Amei · 01/04/2022 19:13

Hi I applied for 3, one new baby one and 2 adult renewals on the 28th Feb and the last one has arrived today xx