Home › Forums › General Passport Application Discussion › New Passport Upgrade Service!
Tagged: Upgrade process
- This topic has 1,652 replies, 347 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 3 months ago by utterlyfedup.
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June 12, 2022 at 8:12 pm #17306Andyirv40Participant
What phone number have people been phoning to check the status of an application? Also what you x the e-Mail address for the Upgrades Team?
June 13, 2022 at 1:00 pm #17327lindsay11ukParticipantHi
I got an email from the upgrade team this morning, saying….. Good morning,Could you please provide proof of the holiday which is booked and we can get this looked into!
They have replied to the second email I sent them with a copy of the letter that is waiting to be scanned in, I received 2 emails worded differently within 10 minutes, the first email I sent had proof of holiday on so they have picked the second email up first. I replied and attached proof an now will wait and see what they come back with.
1st Email Upgrade – proof of holiday – 9th June
2nd Email Upgrade – letter attached – 12th JuneHave you heard anything?
Does anyone know if this service costs £122, I’m sure I have read it somewhere on here
- This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by lindsay11uk.
June 13, 2022 at 1:16 pm #17329joesteinberg90ParticipantI called the progress team on Saturday on 0300 105 0850 and was on hold for an hour, but the guy on the line was able to be a bit more informative than the drones on the normal advice line who just read off a script. He acknowledged that my application has been over 10 weeks now with no update, so he said I shouldn’t have to pay for the upgrade, and they should prioritise it. However all he could do was notify the Peterborough office to respond to me within 24 hours.
Still haven’t heard from them yet today though, and my flight is on Thursday. I’m travelling up to the Peterborough office tomorrow to hope for the best if I hear nothing today.
June 13, 2022 at 1:36 pm #17332andstillwaitingParticipant@Lindsay
i have not had any email correspondence – not even an acknowledgement – i sent an email to upgrade team on the 9th too with proof of travel. i know they have received the extra docs as i have got confirmation from Royal Mail.However i did ring today (13th) in the morning, the Lady asked for my RM Tracking number and said she would link the docs to the application. Also Said she would send the Liverpool office (which is where my app is) an email or something as a matter of urgency to try to get someone to dig the documents out to speed up the process. i must say it has not filled me with much confidence though as she did say that they usually take 3-4 weeks to be seen.
i was also told that i would get a call from withheld number and NOT to Miss it
June 13, 2022 at 1:38 pm #17333andstillwaitingParticipantI’m thinking of sending out another email to let them know of my latest communication?
or maybe i should wait a day or two , i dont knowJune 13, 2022 at 6:10 pm #17343samParticipantTomorrow I’m going to go too the passport office to try and get my daughters passport she’s flying Wednesday. Can anyone tell me what I need too take as her passport is in the Belfast office and I’m going too my nearest one which is Newport. I hope they can help me, feel sick with dread
June 13, 2022 at 10:07 pm #17360lindsay11ukParticipantwas it customer service team who sent you the email with upgrade request on or did you just email them?, I had an acknowledgement email and the email this morning and not heard anything since. For the past few days I have been using webchat to see if it has been scanned and they have been very helpful and don’t know if it was coincidence but he said he would leave a note on file as a matter of course ( whatever that means ) and was emailed by upgrade team twice 10 mins after that, was told to to web chat tomorrow with tracking no and maybe the letter can be found. so will carry on checking all week with them and come Monday if I haven’t heard anything I will have to go to the passport office. I am driving from Cornwall on Wednesday as our flights are from Manchester on Thursday dinner so wont have much leeway to be messing about on Wednesday driving to god knows where to collect it, try the webchat it has been quicker than the hour and 20 mins waiting on the phone.
June 13, 2022 at 10:08 pm #17361lindsay11ukParticipant
@sam https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/978885/Collecting_passports_and_documents_from_the_counter_.pdflots of info on there
- This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by lindsay11uk.
June 14, 2022 at 9:45 am #17377EllieinedParticipantBrilliant, thanks @lindsay11uk. Am a bit puzzled by the new ‘6 weeks rule’ though. Is it from application or from receipt of documents?
My daughter’s passport is stuck in Glasgow, in the manual processing hellhole – despite the straightforward renewal being submitted online. I applied on 26th April, documents were received on 2nd May but acknowledged on 6th May. We fly in 9 days. I had no clue foreign official documents (her EU passport) would be confiscated throughout the process, and released only after approval (France doesn’t ask for foreign passports when renewing French passports). It has a considerable impact, considering the process can take over 14 weeks, and kids’ passports are only valid for 5 years….
I have been told to expect a call from the upgrade team – still waiting. I have also emailed the Glasgow upgrade team but haven’t heard back. My MP’s team has also asked for my daughter’s passport to be released.
I am wondering if I should just go to the office on 21st or 22nd.
Thoughts?
Thanks so much to everyone for their help!!- This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by Ellieined.
June 14, 2022 at 11:09 am #17383joesteinberg90ParticipantBeen to the London office this morning as my flight is on Thursday. Got there at 7.45 and queued for 2 hours and 40 minutes. Most people in the queue also had no appointment and were in a similar boat.
I got to the front of the queue just to be told that my application is in Peterborough and they can’t do anything except ask the Peterborough office to give me a call back, and it’s not guaranteed.
This is 12 weeks since my application now, and with less than two days to my flight. And it’s still a “we’re sorry this has happened to you but we can’t help”.
I asked what would happen if they try at the Peterborough office and they just said “we don’t recommend it but we can’t stop you”, so I’m on my way there now.
It’s a full day of train journeys and queueing just to be told “wait for a call” again.
- This reply was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by joesteinberg90.
June 14, 2022 at 11:18 am #17387EllieinedParticipantOK thanks. @joesteinberg90 did you call to check where your passport was before going to London? When I first requested an upgrade (14 days before travel) I was advised by Newport that my passport wasn’t there anymore. I had to call the passport helpline to find out where it had gone. I read some applications have been transferred through multiple offices. Maybe try to contact Peterborough while on your way back home?
June 14, 2022 at 12:20 pm #17390andstillwaitingParticipant@Lindsay
it was customer management team. she requested my upgrade and she told me to send travel details etc to Liverpool upgrade team email.- i didn’t/haven’t received any email back, no acknowledgement, nothing..She also said i have sent wrong certificate.
i spoke to someone else yesterday (13th)- she said she would put a note on the system and request Liverpool office try and find the document from mail room. She took my Royal Mail Tracking number and put it on system apparently.i was on web chat today (14th) he said,
“I can confirm that the office is currently taking action regarding upgrading / expediting your application. They have been
notified of your date of travel on 22/06/2022.
The most recent note from the office is on 13/06/2022 on 8:51.
I would advise to allow more time for the office to take further action”
“This notes adds a tracking number regarding a sent birth certificate that was received on 10/06/2022”So i guess its just a waiting game now.
@Ellienied – truth be told.. nobody really knows ‘when’ this 6 weeks starts/ends! – i was told by one advisor it is ‘when the documents are Received’, another advisor said from when ‘it goes into Processing’
one even told me from when you submit it!June 14, 2022 at 12:38 pm #17391eugenia-shiParticipantHow did you manage to get a hold of a web chat advisor? The chat never seems to be available for me.
June 14, 2022 at 1:36 pm #17396andstillwaitingParticipant@ euginia
u will have to get on bang on 8 o clock. that’s the only time i got a chance on a couple occasions.June 14, 2022 at 1:44 pm #17401joesteinberg90ParticipantAlright well here’s a fun conclusion for you.
It’s been 12 weeks since I made my application. One missed holiday last month when the upgrade team never responded, and another coming up on Thursday. The past two weeks have been constant attempts to get the upgrade, to no avail.
Today I’ve spent three hours queueing at the London office, just to be told my application is in Peterborough, and that they can only request a callback from them. I’ve then taken the train up to Peterborough, queued again there, was sat in a waiting room with a ticket for about an hour, full of similarly stressed looking people. Then my phone rings, and wouldn’t you just know it, it’s the upgrade team to tell me my passport is ready.
They ask me if I’d like it sent to London, I reply “funnily enough I’m in Peterborough, in fact I’m just downstairs”, and now I’m picking it up at 4. The lady at the desk tells me “see? The system does work!” and I swallow the urge to tell her about last month’s missed trip.
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