New Passport Upgrade Service!

[passportplease22]

@nonum

I guess not, it’s so frustrating and stressful! I have been totally consumed by this for 3 weeks now! Not to mention how anxious my child is about potentially missing his school trip! I’m taking him with me Friday, I’m leaving nothing to chance and taking as much evidence as possible! I pray he gets his passport and doesnt have to miss out, he’s already missed out on so much!

Most people today were there as full families, not entirely sure though, so wouldn’t like to mis-advise.

[kjr194]

Well I’m off to try and get mine today as I travel tonight! Let everyone know how it goes, can’t get any more last minute than this surely they must help me

[dibdob59]

Hi wb1979, I understand you were collecting your son’s passport so did you go alone or have to take him with you? We may well have to travel to Peterborough to do the same thing if the child’s passport we are waiting for does not arrive. Thanks

[vsn22]

You can go alone as long as you are the parent/carer named on the application.

When you collect your passport, they will check your photo identity and ask some security questions before handing over the new passport to you. You will need to carry your identity proof.

[kjr194]

I got no luck whatsoever!! Meant to be flying today but turned away as my travel was booked after my passport application, my travel was booked as an emergency for a funeral but because I didn’t have a letter from coroners office I couldn’t go in. Absolute joke.

[nonum]

So do they check if travel was booked prior to applying? I have t heard of that check before?? How do you prove that? Do they want to see confirmation emails?

[dibdob59]

@kjr194
What passport office was this please where they turned you away due to when the holiday was booked?
I wasn’t aware we had to take all travel documents with us when we went. What evidence did they ask for? This is a new question as far as I’m aware.
Thanks

[ns1972]

I believe it was Liverpool.

If you apply for an upgrade you have to prove that you are travelling within two weeks so evidence of flight, accommodation is expected. I think if you are travelling to an office it would make sense to take any proof you think might be useful.

[ktd22]

Long time lurker here and thought would post my experience in case of any benefit to others. Lost application passport for my son, only realised after booking holiday it was lost but thought we would be ok with standard application as we had 12 weeks before holiday.

Online application made on 24th April. Contacted office once to provide lost passport reference number (came a few days after the application). Contacted by phone again to enquire about progress after 9 weeks but were told to sit tight and we could expedite after 10weeks/2weeks prior to travel.

We phoned bang on 8am on 4th july for an upgrade (both 2 weeks before travel and 10weeks since application). I used the number 0300 1050850 which I believe is for their customer services management team, was on hold for all of 3minutes! To their credit within an hour of sending our upgrade email, as advised to Liverpool office, they phoned to enquire if we wanted passport posted or to collect from our local Belfast office. We could choose date and time of collection which we did for 9am 6th July. Passport collection very straightforward from the office (which compared to other offices seemed quiet, maybe only 5 or 6 people in to make enquiries other than people with appointments).

I appreciate from reading a lot of other stories ours has been pretty straightforward. The main stress the whole way along has been the unknown, lack of information regarding tracking and inconsistencies when compared to other peoples applications!

[dibdob59]

@ns1972

I was referring to the comment made by kjr194
“Meant to be flying today but turned away as my travel was booked after my passport application”

My question was related to the fact that they were turned away from getting a passport due to when the holiday booking was made not that they needed proof of the booking. I did not know there were strict dates when you were allowed to have booked your holiday – does anyone else understand this please? Thanks

[wanting3]

I’ve read of people who have booked cheap tickets just so they can speed their application up. Unless they have now changed the rules to stop people trying to get ahead of the queue it seems a little strange. Maybe they didn’t meet the other requirement of having the application in at least 6 weeks. I would have thought there would have been many people who book holidays after applying for their passport so definitely worth checking if you must have booked travel before applying.

[Kerend25]

Just wondered if anyone has a number I can phone to actually speak to someone? I tried 0300 1050850 but it says that the number is out of service.
I’ve emailed the Belfast upgrade team and heard nothing back. Applied for my son’s passport over 9 weeks ago and we fly on Monday. My plan is to go to our nearest office on Saturday and hope for the best, but would be much less stressful if I could just pay for the upgrade and then go and collect his passport at an allotted time. Thanks in advance. This forum has been a life saver so far!

[wanting3]

Try calling 0300 330 0901. I rang as soon as they opened and got through very quickly. It can be hit and miss how much help you get depending on who you talk to though. Second time I rang they put in for the progress team to call me and they did 24 hours later.

[kjr194]

Hi all regarding being turned away yesterday. I originally applied for my passport in may as mine expired in June, so last week I was asked to attention and funeral overseas, obviously this was last minute so I booked a flight and stuff got a letter from my MP indicating I needed my passport on the day. When I arrived they asked straight away was anyone flying today, I was so I told them I was. Then they checked my documents and because my flights were booked AFTER my passport application they said they was unable to do it, I explained that I applied in may as my passport was expiring in June and this had been an emergency booking last minute. They told me to get a letter from the coroners office and funeral director in Spain to confirm the funeral time date and place. They said too many people were booking flights to try and get passport quicker and because my flight was booked after my passport was ordered they would not be able to do it. Absolute joke. Missed the funeral now I had to fly yesterday. This was the Liverpool Office

[dibdob59]

@kjr194

So they would not accept the letter that the MP gave you stating that you needed the passport on the day? What on earth is going on

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