Durham

[chezearth]

Taking a while to get my two Child Passports from Durham. Here’s the timeline:

Application submitted 7:35am on 25 September 2020
Ask someone to confirm your identity 7:35am on 25 September 2020
Identity details received 5:26pm on 4 October 2020
Application received 5:27pm on 4 October 2020
Documents received 1:36pm on 14 October 2020
Application being processed 4:07pm on 15 October 2020

Still waiting on 19 November 2020 (5 weeks from documents arriving and processing starting) …

Travelling 3 weeks from now so getting a little nervous.

[abc123]

Application history Status.

Here’s my timeline…

Passport printed and sent 9:44am on 11 June 2021
Application approved 12:15pm on 10 June 2021
Application being processed 7:12pm on 24 May 2021
Documents received 2:46pm on 24 May 2021
Application received 9:11am on 18 May 2021
Identity details received 9:01am on 18 May 2021
Email sent to person confirming your identity 5:25am on 18 May 2021
Ask someone to confirm your identity 5:17am on 18 May 2021
Application submitted 5:17am on 18 May 2021

[pdloverseas]

This was to replace a lost child passport (so no docs to send)

Application history

6th July 2021: Received passport
5th July 2021: Passport printed and sent
2nd July 2021: Application Approved
23rd June 2021: Application being processed
18th June 2021: Identity Details received
18th June 2021: Email sent to person confirming your identity
18th June 2021: Ask someone to confirm your identity
18th June 2021: Application submitted

[suzimac]

Hi. Does anyone have any up to date timelines experienced for Durham for Adult passport renewal sent on line please? Thanks

[suzimac]

Hi,
We are travelling on Saturday 28th August early am. Realised with the three month rule my husbands passport would not qualify for Spain.
I thought you may like to know what can be achieved if you beg, phone and email. Durham office are brilliant and have pulled out all the stops to do this:
Passport application received 10:40 Wednesday 18th August
Royal Mail delivered old passport 08:00 19th August did not go into system until:
Old passport ‘received’ Tuesday 24th August
Passport approved Tuesday 24th August
Passport printed and despatched Tuesday 24th August
Passport received via TNT 09:30 Wednesday 25th August so less than 7 days start to finish!!
I did phone, wait time about an hour to speak to someone, a couple of times and emailed with information.They can only mark on the application the date of travel and when it gets into the processing stage they can see the note on file and try to help.Which they clearly did here. This was a straight forward renewal with a digital upload photo.
So delighted, brilliant Durham !

[KJFTO]

Hi

Ive read your message with interest and also envy with the fast processing time you received!

I submitted my adult renewal application on 10th Aug 21 and my old passport was received on 16th Aug 21. Since then the status has not changed and its 21 days from submitting my application. I followed your advice and rang the passport call centre on 2 occasions only to be told they couldn’t do anything to expedite my application other than specify my travel date, which is this Sunday,5th Sept!
I’m getting really worried now as I need my new passport to order covid test kits in time as well as hopefully go on holiday!

I’m not sure how the Durham office prioritise applications but whilst its been great for you its very frustrating for me especially when I submitted my application several days before yours?

So just wondering from your experience if there’s anything else I could do?

Thanks

[amarula14]

Hi

I understand your concern and we also found the process very frustrating.

Just to correct you, it didn’t work out for us, as we missed our holiday due to my daughter’s passport not arriving in time.

I would say, based on our experience, if you haven’t received an “approved” message by 2nd Sept, then it’s unlikely you’ll make it. It then takes 2-3 days for the passport to be printed and couriered – TNT are the couriers and I’ve read different reports about them from being fast to being slow.

I did a lot of Tweeting and rang at least 10 times- just be a nuisance.

Also I was told by the PO that chid renewals (our case) don’t take as long as adult renewals, so perhaps that’s it?

Good luck.

[KJFTO]

Hi

Thanks for your message and sorry to read that you missed your holiday. I think you’re correct regarding me needing approval by tomorrow, I was probably thinking the same.
I did register with Twitter yesterday and then sent the PO some messages, I received a reply today and basically and maybe not surprisingly, nothing they can do to help…same as the call centre!

[skinfairy]

Kjfto did you get the passport in the end ?

[KJFTO]

Hi
I did at the 11th hour!
Passport approved Thursday afternoon
Email Friday morning from PO stating passport on its way
Unfortunately TNT then had it delivery Monday and I needed it Saturday!
Spent probably 6 hours trying to contact TNT help centre, eventually got through this morning only to be told nothing could be done as PO had requested 48 hour delivery. Anyway pleaded with TNT advisor who went the extra mile and phoned me back 4 hours later to inform me that I could collect passport from a depot near Durham and stressed this is an exception due to my situation. Totally appreciate what this guy did otherwise would have lost my holiday!

[skinfairy]

That’s amazing! How long was it from start to finish ?

Thanks

[KJFTO]

Applied online 10th August
Obtained Passport 4th Sept.

[Stevep27]

I applied for my passport renewal on Sept 4th after realising it was to run out prior to my mid October holiday. I sent my old passport by recorded next day delivery on the 6th. It was signed for at 8am on the 7th. It’s now over 48 hours an still my status hasn’t been updated. This is a concern to me because this could mean the whole process is long winded and random. I really hope this isn’t an indication of this, as my wife who is a nurse and worked solidly throughout the pandemic, will not be very happy with me if we are forced to cancel her first foreign holiday in 2 years!
I have my fingers crossed I am stressing for nothing but the lack of updates is very concerning at the moment.

[suzimac]

Hi Stevep27, It is so stressful, I feel for you. It took 5 days for my passport to ‘get in the sytsem’ from the date Royal mail tracking had delivered it. In the meantime I phoned and emailed ( phoning you have to hang on a while) think speaking is all important though. When you get through explain you are really desperate as you are travelling on xxxx ( maybe give a couple of days leeway as TNT aren’t brilliant) and ask for this to be noted on your application. Give them the royal mail tracking number, when they received it, and application number. They then put a note on file. When your application gets in the system the operator opening it sees your date of travel and if they can, responds accordingly. As I mentioned mine was ‘received’, processed, approved, printed and despatched on the same day as I had 5 days left before travel date. Good Luck!!

[Stevep27]

Thank you so much for your response suzimac I have now sent an email enquiry but have not called as yet. I’m really not sure if I should call but seeing as it worked for you I may well follow your advice. My issue is my wife’s holidays are booked and fixed but we have held off booking the actual holiday due to the uncertainty of the traffic light system. I planned on booking this week but that’s when I found my passport was going to be out of date. So if I call I cannot hand on heart say I have a travel date and it would be wrong for me to book now due to the uncertainty of passport issue/receipt. Therefore I am really hoping things go through quickly but if they haven’t even registered old passport acceptance by tomorrow then I may well bite the bullet and give them a call.

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