Fast track – how many days in reality?

[cjay]

My passport has been showing as “awaiting processing” since 1/3/22. With all the comments online I lost confidence that I would receive it on time for my trip and so booked a fast track appointment for yesterday (Saturday) and took a withdrawal letter with me.

My question to those who have had recent fast track appointments, is how long did it take after your fast track appointment for you to receive your passport in your hand?

I know they say within 7 days, but as I had a Saturday appointment I believe I have to wait 8 days? My flight is in 6 days and so anxiety levels are sky high! Also worried my original application is still active online. I hope this doesn’t confuse things!

[sk91]

I’m in exactly the same boat. My fast track appointment is tomorrow (28/03) and will taking a letter of withdrawal with me for my current application. I am supposed to be flying next Sunday 03/04. Please let me know how it goes for you.. I have everything cross for your holiday!

[cjay]

I will definitely come back on here and comment when/if received. The person at the passport office yesterday didnt even ask for a withdrawal letter until I prompted him – he seemed so laid back and confident I would get it on time but from the service to date, all the responses here – and the queues of stressed people behind me yesterday- I am not so sure. lets be honest – they can say whatever they like knowing full well the chances of you meeting again are so incredibly slim. Plus this time last week I was told on the phone that my original application had been printed and everyone I have spoken to since has said its still with an examiner.
This has become all consuming for me – I know its ‘just a holiday’, but this is the first time the whole family were going to go away in over 20 years – and I will be the only one not there. I have to keep thinking bigger picture – got my health etc, but I have completely lost confidence in government agencies as a result of this. I have another year on my driving licence but tempted to start that 6 months beforehand now so I am not in the same situation with that!

[worriedgroom22]

Hi all,

Please do let me know how you guys get on.

I have a damaged passport replacement that’s been sitting in ‘processing/waiting for examiner’ since the 11 May at Durham (after sending to Peterborough on the 17th Feb).

Our honeymoon is not till 16th May but still really worried.

What did you have to do to go fast track? We got told on the phone we would have to register the passport as lost to get a ‘L number’, write in to cancel our application and then book a fast track appointment.

Please do let me know how you get on and if this is an option for us!

Thanks!

[hairandbeauty]

sk91 – can I ask if you needed to go to the same passport office with your withdrawal letter as the one that your other passport is/was being processed in?

[cjay]

I don’t think you do @hairandbeauty

[hairandbeauty]

Thanks 🙂

[sk91]

Hey,

So quick update..
My partner went to Liverpool passport office on Monday morning for 9.00am appointment.
For reference I have no idea which office our existing applications are but I live in London so assume London and my partner lives in Leeds so assume his would be different. Also worth noting that we had lost our old passports and so didn’t have to request them back from passport office first which I think is taking 2 weeks.

Anyway the guy checked over our applications, pictures and withdrawal letters, said they were all fine.. didn’t ask too may questions. He also said we’d be really unlucky not to get it in time (famous last words) I’ve not yet heard anything and our existing applications are still showing as ‘processing’ online, however with how long they are taking to update things online I’m trying not to let this bother me too much.

I’ve also read that you can go and pick up a fast track passport in person once it’s been printed so I’m going to call today to check on progress and if we can we’ll go pick it up this week to avoid TNT problems.

[hairandbeauty]

Thanks for the update. We also had a reported lost passport and the new one has been sitting in processing for weeeeeeeeks, tried to phone to get it pushed quicker but they were having none of it. Worth noting that she told me lost passports may take longer to process due to extra checks. We have now got a 1 week fast track app for Saturday and will take a letter with us for Ref number of the lost passport & withdrawal letter for the passport processing. Should of just done it this way at the beginning!!!

[sk91]

I agree.. I’m a bit annoyed at myself that we didn’t just do Fast Track but at nearly double the price of a normal application it wasn’t really something we could do back in Feb when we first applied.
I’m actually having dreams that I’ve put the wrong information on forms I submitted on Monday haha .. losing the plot now.
I phoned today to request to pickup the passport instead of wait on delivery.. they told me they don’t usually it but if I had a special circumstance, I could put in a request to management. They then tried to put me through to the customer service management team and I was on hold for over an hour before I had to give up and go into work. I tried to get through later today but no joy!

[jadelem]

I went to my fast track last Thursday. Delivered passport today. With the birth certificate included. 6 days

[beckyelizabeth24]

Jadelem, did you have an existing application in place before you did the fast track or was it just a fast track application from the start?

[ritabix]

@Cjay did you receive your passport in time? I’ve just cancelled my application today and gone for fast track

[Natashaleigh]

hi could anyone please update their situation with their fast track passport applications please, I’m in same boat as people who have previously written the posts id love to see updates on these situations, hopefully you’ve all managed to go on your holidays!!!

[Author]

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