How long does it take for a toddler passport to be processed?

[TheBirdintheCave]

Hi :) I applied for my toddler's first passport and sent off his birth certificate in the post on the 8th of March. Today I had another email asking me to send it to them which had me a little confused... I logged into the portal and there's no record of them receiving his certificate.

I'm a bit worried now. We're going to call them at the weekend but has this happened to anyone before? Does it just take a long time for them to process the documentation? I'm scared it might have got lost in the post.

Did you send it recorded delivery? If so, you can track it via Royal Mail.

If not, you might have to pay for a new birth certificate.

@Crimesean

Did you send it recorded delivery? If so, you can track it via Royal Mail.

If not, you might have to pay for a new birth certificate.

I agree if it wasn't sent by some kind of tracked method who knows when/if it will get there.

I do like the notion though that there is a special processing time for toddler passports, does it involve doing everything really slowly and the staff asking the same question over and over again

It took a while them to say it had "arrived" when I did DC2s in January even though I'd sent it recorded so I knew it was there already - I had an additional email to say to send it even though I'd sent it about a week before. Process took about 6 weeks from start to it arriving in the post but friends have said it's longer now because everyone is getting ready for summer.

Unfortunately I didn't send it recorded delivery :( I don't live near a post office and just wanted to get it sent ASAP as we're going on holiday in June.

And @marqueses yes haha :D I just thought maybe as it's his first passport it might be a longer process than a renewal :)

@Bornsloppy Thanks for the info! I'll keep checking the link to see if they've changed it.

@TheBirdintheCave I’m in the same position as you. My supporting documents arrived at their offices on 3 March (it was Tracked using Royal Mail).

I’ve had various emails telling me to send my docs. I’ve called multiple times and been told they are experiencing delays so it’s taking around 3 weeks to scan in supporting documents and for them to update the tracker.

Hopefully that’s saved you a phone call!

We've recently sent off for 2 children's passports - one renewal and one new. All docs were sent on the 2nd March; we got the texts yesterday stating they had arrived at the passport office (weirdly, the texts arrived within half an hour of each other despite the documents being sent to totally different addresses!). So I would say don't panic yet, this seems completely normal based on our timelines. FYI, the adult renewal we sent on the same day has already arrived.

I sent the documents on 24.02 with Tracked Delivery and it was delivered the next day and signed for but I got an email on 07.03 that it’s been received, so they probably only started to check them then. Still waiting.

It says online to allow up to ten weeks, but I would imagine it could be longer at the moment. We applied for my DS's passport in February, his documents were tracked as delivered the next day but nothing has moved on the online progress since then.

Oh wow, thanks for letting me know! Seems it really is a long wait :/ I hope it arrives in time :O Perhaps I was naive to think that three months would be enough time!

I applied for toddler passport too. I sent the birth certificate and about 10 days later got a reminder email. It said if sent in the last 2 weeks then ignore, so I did. I then got another email after the 2 weeks passed. So I was really annoyed thinking they'd obviously not received it. Stupidly hadn't sent it tracked. Luckily we have 2 copies of the birth certificate, so I sent it off again (tracked). I took it to the post office just after 5pm and was told I'd missed the post, so it would go next day. Fine. The next morning at 6:30am I got a text to say they'd received the birth certificate so this clearly wasn't the one posted the day before as I'd missed the post.

So the delay was about 3 weeks posting it to them receiving it.

And now they have both copies! I'm just hopeful they send both back!

II recently applied for my DS's passport. It says on the website that it's taking an average of five weeks to process a child's first passport. Also it says that it can take up to two weeks for the update that your documents have been received.

PS I sent our docs a bit earlier than you and got a message today to say the application had been approved so am hopeful it won't take as long as some PPs are suggesting- hope not anyway as we're off on holiday very soon!

Thank you SO MUCH for posting this as I’m in exactly the same situation.

Sent birth cert recorded about ten days ago. Rm tracking shows it was signed for.

Just got a worrying “you haven’t sent us your stuff” text. Seems from reading this I should be zen and give it more time.

@LividLaVidaLoca Yeah it’s reassuring to know it’s not just me 😂

I sent one off for DC recently, it only took around 3 / 4 weeks to get the passport back and a week or so after that I got the birth certificate back

I was in the same boat. Could see the birth certificate had arrived but got the 'send your documents' email.

The passport was 'approved' on Monday but I've not had an email saying it's been printed and dispatched.

Anyone any idea how long this takes once approved?

I applied for mine on 28/02, documents were received on 2/03, email received two weeks later asking me to send documents which I know they had already received. Today I got an email to say my passport has been approved.
I believe the children's passports are currently taking around a week longer to process than an adults passport.

Don't stress about it, they will contact you soon.

I really hope it comes through for you in time.

However, reading some on the threads on passports delays and nightmares, I think anyone would be crazy to book a holiday before the passport arrives. We just renew ours as they expire so I don't have to hack the stress!

I sent documents on 7 March and had an email today to say they had been received. So fingers crossed you might get your confirmation tomorrow!

I spoke to someone from the passport office earlier today about DS's, and she said that it's around 4-6 weeks but worst case 10 at the max.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat I just completely forgot he needed one 🤦🏻‍♀️ Babies don’t need tickets/ID for anything else and when I was a child I was just added to my mum and dad’s passports 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yep, we’ve had this too. I think there were nearly 3 weeks between Royal Mail saying that the documents had been delivered and the passport office updating their system to say they had received them. Then about another week until the application was approved, then another week until the passport was printed. We’re still waiting on delivery and the return of the birth certificate, but hoping it arrives soon.

I agree with BaconOmlette's timescales having received my toddlers passport last week ( and yes, the birth certificate was a few days after)

@ShirleyBadass, do you know what number you could call to speak to someone in passport office?? Thanks

@HDready
Did ur application get approved? 🙏