Passport Question?

[LittleLentils]

Hi everyone, not sure of the best place to post this but...

I've just applied for a new passport and sent away my old one, along with a marriage certificate. Paid for signed delivery and posted it yesterday.

I fly in 15 weeks or so (hoping plenty of time 🤞). Worried about strikes!

Anyway, I noticed they asked me to send my passport to a PO Box in Bootle. My nearest passport office is Glasgow. Does anyone know if this is standard?

Yep same happened to us our passport office is Durham but we had to send old passports to Bootle. They will more than likely have a centralised system so someone in Bootle just scans in the docs and hits a button to say they have had them and someone in another area completely can do the other bits.

It's not necessarily processed by your nearest office - just wherever it gets allocated. Send it to where it's asked for it to go.

Best of luck getting it back in time - 15 weeks feels like it should work out! 🤞

There are different PO boxes all over the place. I renewed both DCs passports at the same time. The old ones were sent to different addresses!

They distribute work to the offices with capacity to do it.

Yeah they no longer get sent to the nearest office they spread out the capacity

i think you’ll be fine. The one I renewed a few months ago was dealt with in about 9 days

When I did 3 renewals I had to send the old passports to 3 different addresses

Excellent, thanks for your replies! I feel reassured. Yep, hoping 15 weeks gives them plenty of time.

I appreciate there a strikes looming but our renewal, a month or so ago, took a week so fingers crossed OP

I renewed two passports a few months ago and they had to be sent to different addresses.

The new ones arrived within a few days of each other.

Hi OP. I sent my old passport on Monday and I’ve just had a text to say that my application has been approved! I’m so glad I sent it before the strikes started.

Oh that's good @chocolateisavegetable!

I signed up for text and email alerts, so hoping I get an update in the next couple of weeks.

I have my new passport!

They are super quick at the moment!

Excellent @chocolateisavegetable !

I got a text today that said they had received my documents. Feeling optimistic.

Fingers crossed for you @LittleLentils

I did ds2s application last Wednesday and sent his old passport on Saturday to a different address to the one I was expecting. Fingers crossed..

My husband got his renewal back yesterday. Took 10 days and we were worrying because we go on holiday in July and there was hysteria on here about upcoming strikes.

Renewed 2 weeks ago and received it today.

Good luck.

We are Peterborough area and had to send the old one to Bootle. I posted it Monday last week and my new passport came on Friday morning. 5:day turnaround.

Just renewed my dc’s passports online on Sunday 19th. Posted the old ones to a random PO Box on Monday 20th and got the new passports on Tuesday 28th. Really pleased. They still haven’t posted back the old passports though, although I’m not really bothered about that.

This is all very reassuring! Thanks everyone.