3 week wait for passports at the moment according to DM???

[Ponders]

& no same day appts available for the next 2 weeks & then only at Durham.

never know how accurate their reports are but anyway, fwiw:

\link{http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2176748/Passport-waiting-times-Three-weeks-passport--Peak-season-chaos-clogs-up.html\article from website today}

'never know how accurate their reports are'

I have rarely spotted an inaccuracy!

I work near the passport office and had a lady yesterday saying she was told 3 weeks wait for an appointment but if she got there for 8am she would get one that day, she had a 4 hour wait.

Oh and that was Peterborough

Er, organise your passport in advance, not at the last minute?

There will always be people who didn't realise their passport was about to run out, or who need one in an emergency, and these people should take priority. But if folk are whinging about a 3 week delay because they booked their holidays in January and have only just realised they need a passport, well, meh, tbh.

I think 3 weeks is not that long to wait for something that's going to last you 10 years, particularly at this time of year.
Do people forget they're gong on holiday or something? Or live in hope that there'll be no emergency requiring travel?

I think it doesn't occur to a lot of people to check their passports until shortly before they go.

Hands up anybody who knows what date their passport expires, without looking?

I do actually know when mine expires - next April as may be going away for a few nights in the Autumn and wasn't sure whether you needed 6 months free at the end of it. Also remember as photo is awful as was when I had morning sickness with DS who'll be 10 next year. But I agree lots of people will suddenly realise.

Why doesn't it occur to people to check their passports when they book the holiday?

Mine got renewed shortly after we got married, so I'd imagine it expires aprox 10 years, 9 months after we got married.
So, thats me an DH needing passports in 5 years, DS1 in 2 years, and DS2 in 4 years. I'd better start saving!

I think three weeks is a reasonable time frame.

It would be a waste of resources to have the passport office overstaffed for most of the year just because it's busier in the summer

I've just had them arrive for DD1 (renewal) and DD2 (first passport) and it took about 2 1/2 weeks from applying using the post office check and send service.

Oh, and my passport expires Feb 2015.

I looked at mine a few weeks ago when I scanned most of ours into the PC (a stable-door-bolting thing, after DS1 had his stolen on holiday & we had no details of it) & already I've forgotten when it expires

(not this year though, I do know that)

Orange, that's true about wasting resources - but as there's been a pretty steady 2-week turn-round for years now, it's not surprising that people have been caught out by this now.

I just looked up the Directgov page & discovered 'You can carry up to nine months validity from your old passport on to your new one' - I bet a lot of people don't know that (I wasn't sure). Maybe if it was publicised more, people would check & reapply in plenty of time?

There was this thread last week where someone said they couldn't get an emergency appointment for 4 weeks dont know if they made it or not.

I just renewed ds's and mine and it took about 3 weeks. I sent them off on 26/6 and got them back last week.

Don't think we should all bear the cost of publicising renewal options to all for the few who haven't bothered to check until the last minute. The info is all very easily accessible on the internet.

Mine doesnt expire until 2015, but would still double check if I booked a holiday (don't need it for Scarbrough this year!).

I just received some back and it took just under 3 weeks from when I sent them, however one took longer cos the postman put it in with someone elses post! Think its wrong we have to pay extra for secure delivery, a document this important, it should be standard - they cost enough!

My DD got an appointment within a week, at Liverpool, which is where we live, her DP's passport had been damaged.

I don't think that three weeks is a long wait. There are emergancy situations, but if you are planning any holidays that year then common sense should tell you that you apply for a passport, just in case.

Three weeks is pretty good for something you're going to keep hold of for 10 years. Most people book holidays way in advance. Check passport at the same time as booking and reduce the last-minute panic.

I don't really think the 3 week wait is a big deal, though If it has changed and people might get caught out because they didn't realise then getting airlines etc. to highlight this would be a good idea. But the lack of emergency appointments is really bad. Holidays might be booked well in advance, but business meetings, funerals and serious illnesses are not.

It does get tricky when as a family they all expire at different times although these days with all the tech we have it is easy to put a reminder somewhere, I've set up a email reminders for all sorts including one 6 months before each of our passports expire.

Thanks OddBoots - have just set up an email reminder for our passports.

We just gotDd1's passport back - 4 weeks, it took.

I think, for holidays, a 3 or 4 week wait is fine. But some people (eg me) use their passports on an almost weekly basis, traveling for work. I think there should be a better system of getting it turned round in 1-3 days without having to live close enough to petty France, or I suppose Newport or Liverpool, to be there first thing in the morning.

Top tip: don't let your puppy anywhere near the accidentally left open by dh metal fire-proof box where you keep your important documents in case he digs out one of your brand new passports and chews it up, necessitating shelling out another 50 quid to replace it!