HELP PLEASE! DURHAM PASSPORT OFFICE

[twinsplusE]

Long shot but does anyone have a direct contact number for Durham Passport Office or the Upgrade Team?

I applied for my twins' first passports almost 10 weeks ago and we're due to travel on Tuesday (5 days' time). I applied for an upgrade over 10 days ago but haven't heard back from the upgrade team. I've chased a few times but still nothing. I've tried to call the customer service number over 150 times in the past 2 days but it keeps saying "due to high call volume we're unable to take your call". I'm at my wits end! No one gets back to you!

Any help greatly appreciated!

@lookingtofly well done so pleased for you fantastic news!!!! Enjoy your holiday xxx @obsessedwithsleep email Durham I never got a response! If I was you turn up to the passport office 24-48 hours before you fly, I know it’s hard when it’s so close and it’s hard when the passport office have your documents but if Durham have them
go there, when I went to my local passport office Peterborough because my documents were in Durham and Durham weren’t answering the phones she said I had to go to Durham luckily they answered I was lucky I don’t think London are very helpful but that’s all I’ve seen

@Viviennedluca thank you so much :) xxxx

@lookingtofly the feeling was like winning the lottery just having that passport! Have the best time im really pleased for you, I felt lucky and fortunate I thought about you glad it’s all worked out! Xxx happy holidays!!!

@viviennedluca so you got hold of Durham on the phone in the end? What number did you call? I just don't think I can make it up to Durham from London with 2 kids under 2 in tow. I have the documents at home too so could produce the certified copies of those.

I've applied for an upgrade so I'm just hoping that someone eventually calls me.

@obsessedwithsleep no you can’t get hold of them, when I was in the passport office and talking to the lady helping me, she said “you won’t hear a phone ring here, as no one has put numbers” I emailed everyone 10 times aday requested an upgrade and no one ever called me back still to this day. The lady in Peterborough said the upgrades a request and not a guarantee the number you call are just call center workers who are gate keepers really they can only tell you the progress of your application they cannot do any more apart from request the upgrade, that’s all they can do. Good luck.

Hi did you get your passport in time?
Im in similar situation looking for some good news :/

@Florry35 I got my daughter’s child to adult renewal back in three weeks from Durham. Other daughter’s child renewal took a bit longer from Liverpool (nearer 5 weeks). All in all though, nothing like what some people are suffering…

Additional bit of info required for the upgrade emails: date of birth

I know this cos one of the two offices sending auto-replies (Newport and Glasgow) detailed the information you need to send - everything above, plus DOB.

It may be coincidence or maybe I just finally got to the top of the pile - but I emailed the upgrade teams late on Friday (my two weeks to travel date was Saturday) and my passport was approved at 12.30 today, 9 weeks and 5 days after applying.

It was a lost (and expired) passport so no documents to send off, but lost/stolen ones apparently take longer due to security checks.

Misplaced my passport at home my daughter is getting married in Cyprus had to make the difficult decision to stop searching as was aware of the delays and requested a replacement on 15th May it was well within date with another 6 years on it so didn’t need to send anything in. Due to fly in 11 days have emailed everyone but getting nowhere looks highly likely I am going to have to miss my daughters wedding 😭

@TedOnTheBed @afinethingindeed Thank you for the information you posted. I emailed and rang every day last week (never got a call back) and spoke to someone on Saturday using the number posted in this thread and passport was approved Monday and printed yesterday. They have had it since late March and we fly in 4 weeks. I sent 4 passports at the same time and 3 came back within 3 weeks, the one sent to Durham was the one I was chasing.

It has been very stressful.

@hazzlebean oh god how upsetting … below is the auto reply from the Glasgow upgrade team in response to my email sent according to the suggestion above. You are nearly at six weeks since application and already within two weeks of travel, so suggest emailing the moment you hit six weeks. Mine has been printed today 🤞🏻

—

We can only consider upgrading an application if both of the following criteria are met:

· you submitted your application at least 6 weeks ago; and
· you have evidence to show you need a passport in the next 2 weeks.

We’re working through upgrade requests by the date you need your passport. We will contact you before you need to use it.

We can only consider an upgrade when evidence shows a need for a passport in the next 2 weeks, and you submitted your application at least 6 weeks ago.

If you have not sent us all your evidence to show you need a passport in the next 2 weeks, you should send us this now.
You must include:

· applicant’s full name, date of birth and application reference number
· evidence that clearly shows the applicant’s name on all documents

If your evidence does not currently show you need a passport in the next 2 weeks and/or your application was not submitted at least 6 weeks ago, you can email us again when both criteria are met.

You cannot upgrade your application face-to-face at a passport office – please do not visit us.

Hi all,

I have been reading this thread as Saturday marked 2 weeks until our travel date, and since my daughter's renewal has been in the system almost 8 weeks I have now emailed all of the upgrade teams per the advice further up the thread. Does anyone recall whether they received an automated reply to acknowledge receipt of the message to them? So far I have had nothing...

@feefifofumy advice would be 48-24 hours before travel go to the passport office my application was in the system
13 weeks never got the call for an upgrade went down at 7am walked away with my passport at 2.30 x

@feefifofum when I was sending emails to the upgrade teams, only a number of times did I receive automatic replies. I believe your email has only been received once you get an automated response back, worth keep sending them until you get one. I used to send them at different times during the day, every other day up until my date of travel. I found i would always get automated responses when I sent them between 7-9 in the morning

Thanks @lookingtofly I will try that

@feefifofum I've just checked and I got an automated emailed within half an hour.

Thanks @Viviennedluca. Did you go to the same office where your passport was being processed?

Ok definitely need to try again! I sent them all Saturday morning which may not have been wise.

@feefifofum no I went to my local one which was Peterborough I went 48 hours before flying my documents were in Durham so if they couldn’t help me my plan then was Durham the next day x I think the only help your going to get is from the passport office. The upgrades are not a guarantee, I tried every day emailing it was the worst stress every I need to do my passport when I get back in September ik
going to try book online premium so I will go to the passport office and get my passport there and then £170 but I can’t go through that stress again x

Ok thank you very much for the detail. Will see how it goes.

Hi,
I am waiting for my child's passport and it is almost 9 weeks now since applied, I have requested for upgraded and no one contacted me yet, we booked the travel to fly in 11 days, any help please?

Hi,
I am waiting for my child's passport and it is almost 9 weeks now since applied, I have requested for upgraded and no one contacted me yet, we booked the travel to fly in 11 days, any help please?

@Gajan go to your local passport office 48 hours before travel they never called me 13 weeks in the system

@Viviennedluca
Thank you so much for your response. My child's passport online application went to Belfast and child's old passport also we sent to Belfast, we live in Hertfordshire- East of England, so it is not practically possible for me to go to Belfast? I understand your application went to Durham but you collected your new passport from Peterborough, am I correct? if so how did you get appointment to go to Peterborough office? what time you should be there to quque up?

@Gajan you cannot get an appointment I joined the Que with 150 other people who were waiting for passports they are extremely helpful the lady who helped me couldn’t stop apologising my application was in Durham my local office is Peterborough I have heard some offices are not so helpful London particularly Durham and Peterborough are the most helpful they put people in travel date order in the Que Liverpool it’s first come first serve. Go 48 hours before you just show them proof of travel as they will not help other wise they want to see proof of travel they will not help any one who’s flying in 48 hours and the application has only been in the system six weeks it’s got to be over 6 weeks i went at 7am some people I spoke to went at 4am they open at 8.30 they come out and move people in the Que in travel date order so the people who sued at 4am weren’t happy some were moved to the back as there helping in travel date order. Everyone got seen that day if they can help you they will. Not one person in the Que had an appointment as appointments get seen first but you can’t get one! They come down the line and ask if anyone has an appointment the passport office tells you not to go down, well if you stand to lose over £5k normal people don’t listen to them go to the office. They phone calls the emails waste of time.