[bltglark]

If your passport is in Durham this is the email:
DurhamUpGradeTeam@hmpo.gov.uk

If you don’t use the capitals they don’t receive it.

[bltglark]

Hi,

Sorry a bit of an essay

My experience:

I was told our application was going to be sent to the upgrade team and to wait for 72 hours for them to call- I waited and got nothing. Called back, I was told it was being sent to the upgrade team – I waited 24 more hours and got nothing.

I asked for a call back and finally spoke to someone helpful. They told me unless I had an automated reply from the upgrade team then it wasn’t with them. They gave me the email address of the office processing the passport (Durham)and told me to send evidence of travel but I wouldn’t hear back until a few days before our flight.

We fly on Tuesday, having not heard anything by Thursday on Friday I queued at my local passport office (Newport) (waiting from 5,30am). I got a call back the same day from Durham who processed the application (I paid an additional £100), I collected it from Newport Saturday.

I am not sure if it was the visit or the email that helped although anecdotally the people I met in the passport queue on the Friday and Saturday had all been called back as soon as they got home.

My advise is, the call backs were a waste of time. If you email, make sure you get the correct address (the Durham email has capitals in it). And if all else fails be ready to go to the passport office (they normally ask for it to be 48 hours before your flight).

Good Luck The last month has been so stressful! but it was ok in the end.

[bltglark]

I can’t really answer your question but I did the same for my son (the guidance is rubbish and I was in auto pilot). I called the passport office number, they just advised me to send an accompanying letter explaining why signed by my son. I haven’t heard anything back. The application was sent on the 12th May and the letter was acknowledged on the 1st of June (arrived the 20th of May).
It’s all super inconsistent and the lack of any advice on what’s going on is so frustrating.

[bltglark]

No Help, but I am in the same position. Making the right decision is so hard.

[Author]

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