Application being processed

[warren1129]

Sent 2 child passports on 12th January. Both sitting at being processed stage, 1 since 7th February and the other since 11th, is this normal to be waiting so long? Over 6 weeks now…

[trent]

While many applications are getting approved within 2 to 4 weeks, it seems there’s a good number of applications that are going into manual processing (‘application being processed’), and have now crossed the six-week mark

[jespop30]

Have you rang them? I rang this morning spoke to a lovely lady that told me my son’s first passport is just waiting to be signed off

[conz1234]

Hi Trent,

Do you know how long the passports normally stay in the ‘passport processing’ stage for adult renewal?

Thanks

[trent]

Hi @conz1234,
unfortunately I do not know, but I can tell you that I had child renewal application back in September which stayed in the processing stage for more than 6 weeks.

If it’s urgent, perhaps give them a call. There were direct numbers listed in one of the threads here. I didn’t call for my child renewal application as it was not urgent.

I know of a relative who has a first adult application and theirs has been in the processing stage for 4 weeks now. I know you said yours was an adult-renewal, so not exactly the same situation. My guess is that it depends on the case as well as the caseworker’s load.

Good luck with your application

[jespop30]

Did you get it sorted?

[VZZZ]

Hi all

I’ve applied for a first adult passport after naturalisation at the Liverpool Office. I’m getting quite nervous (like others here) as I have travel booked at the end of March. It’s unreasonable to expect someone to hand in their current foreign passport as a supporting document for months! It’s also unreasonable to expect people to not book travel for months given that flights become more expensive the closer you get to the anticipated travel date.

Current status:

Application being processed – 23 February 2022
Documents received – 13 February 2022
Application received – 31 January 2022

Note that the documents were registered as received on 13 February despite Royal Mail delivering them on 4 February. Also note that it took 10 days from documents received to application being processed.

Does anyone know what “Application being processed” even means in this context?

[trent]

Hi VZZZ,

I agree with you and feel your frustration. The process does not need to be this complicated or this long, but I’m not in their shoes to judge. If you were staying for an extended amount of time in the country you’re travelling to, an option would have been to apply for your passport from abroad, but I wouldn’t recommend that route as other things could go wrong with the application and it’s probably relatively a lot easier to rectify issues while in the UK.

I think it’s even worse for British citizens living overseas who have to wait without a passport in a foreign country for several weeks not knowing when will your renewed passport be returned. Sure, you can apply for an emergency travel document at the nearest embassy, but my feeling is in the case of a real emergency, those documents won’t come fast enough. Surely a better process should be put in place (perhaps something like: apply, keep old passport until the application is processed, have option of either send old passport at the final stage or have it processed at a local consulate/embassy).

Hopefully your application will be done in time, but judging from the timelines we’re seeing, I’d say definitely have a backup plan

[VZZZ]

Hi trent

I’m totally with you regarding the difficulty caused by the process to British citizens overseas.

I’m a dual British and Norwegian citizen in the UK so have been living “overseas” for a long time as far as Norwegian authorities are concerned. The process to renew a Norwegian passport in the UK is very simple. You apply online and then attend a short meeting in the London embassy or or one of the regional consulates, where your details and scans of the old passport are taken. You then get to keep the old passport and only have to hand it in when you collect the new one (which takes no more than two weeks by the way).

No hassle at all apart from the initial meeting, which admittedly is an issue if you don’t live in London or near one of the regional consulates. I’d still take that over not having a passport for 5-10 weeks!

Not sure why a similar system can’t be adopted by the UK…but what do I know…must be some very good reason for it…

[joehopwood]

Hi guys , how did you get on did you passport make it through processing yet ? Mine has been on processing since Feb 16th. Submitted my application originally on Jan 29th so all in all I’m on week 6 now and feeling very nervous as my travel date is fast approaching.

[VZZZ]

Latest update today (Application Approved) on my application for a first adult passport following naturalisation. I submitted my naturalisation certificate and current foreign passport.

Application approved – 11 March 2022
Application being processed – 23 February 2022
Documents received – 13 February 2022 (note that Royal Mail delivered the documents on 4 February)
Application received – 31 January 2022
Identity details received – 31 January 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity – 31 January 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity – 31 January 2022
Application submitted – 31 January 2022

[trent]

Congratulations VZZZ and thanks for the update. Hopefully you’ll have all your documents soon

[amirun87]

I’ve applied for a new passport for my 2nd child and renewal for my 1st child. I’ve done this online. I provided the details of both to be counter signing to two different people and they keep coming up as “looks like somethings gone wrong”. I’ve logged back into my account for both applications and tired to resend or print hard copy and I also get the same msg.
I contacted the passport office everyday that week and eventually been received a call back 10days later. They told me to send docs in and a covering letter. I then called back few days later and they said to send in a post office form only complete section 10 and counter sign two photos which i did. Now the application status is gone to “your application is currently being processed”. I’m now worried I will not receive the passports before we travel 06/05/22.
FYI when I started the application it was around 10weeks prior to travel.

Application being processed 17 March 2022
Documents received 15 March 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 1 March 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 1 March 2022

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