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Just wanted to give an update on this. Unfortunately it probably won’t be very helpful as we ended up not going to the passport office.
Got an email from the upgrade team on Thursday confirming that the request has been received at flight date noted. Yesterday my partner got a call from them to say that the upgrade has been approved and the passport will be ready for collection later in the afternoon.
Seems like we’ve been incredibly lucky, as this is rather out of the norm it seems, and we just managed to reach a very helpful and compassionate person from the management team who rushed our application through!
My partner made a standard application without checking the processing times, so we called the helpline for advice on how we can get the passport renewed faster. They said to try and book fast track and then cancel the original application. We found a fast track appointment, called back to confirm that having two applications won’t cause any problems, and a different agent assured it will be ok if we post a letter to candle the standard application.
Obviously that was wrong and my partner wasnt allowed ti submit fast track and told that the only thing we can do is send the passport off ti be processed as normal and try to get an upgrade 2 weeks before the trip. Also wrong advice..
So it’s the original application we’re waiting on, after having to cancel the cancellation letter and numerous helpful agents in the helpline being compassionate and trying to escalate the application. Seems like it is all to no avail though
Has anyone been successful in being seen at the passport office and getting their passport 48hours before the flight when the application has been submitted less than 6 weeks ago?
I’ll be only on week five on but we’re flying on Tuesday… the application has “urgent” notes all over it after multiple calls to the management team, if that will help with anything.
We will go to Peterborough or London on Monday (if not both) and I will update how it goes… would be so frustrating to drive all the way to Peterborough for nothing though
How did you manage to get a hold of a web chat advisor? The chat never seems to be available for me.
My worry is that we won’t be let in even 48 hours prior to travel, because we were convinced we had the passport in the bag when we got advice from the helpline and when we actually succeeded in getting the fast track appointment booked… so we never intended to go through with the standard application, so it will only be 4 weeks since we’ve applied and only nearly two weeks since the old passport has been signed for…
We were counting on the fast track service, the belief which was back up by the passport office agents and we have paid to have the passport ready next week. And now we can’t even get a refund
Thank you for the advice!
How do you request a callback from the upgrade team? I’ve sent an email to PeterboroughUpgradeTeam@hmpo.gov.uk with all the details, but didn’t even get an automated response? Is there another way?
We’ve sent the passport off yesterday without a cover letter unfortunately as we were in a rush and despair and the whole potential cancellation issue has arisen later in the day after another call to the helpline… it was received today so fingers crossed it will get scanned in before the 20th! 🤞
Wanting3 what if it’s an online application and the passport has been received according to Royal Mail tracking but not yet updated on the application?
Also can you come in 48 hours before travel if the application gets wrongly cancelled even after million of requests over phone and enquiry form? Thanks
Hi,
We are sopposed to be going on our first holiday in 4 years on the 21st and only realised a few weeks that my partners passport needs to be renewed. They immediately submitted the standard application not knowing about waiting times or urgent options. I knew however and we immediately called the helpline trying to correct our mistake and change to a fast track or premium, but we were told that we can’t do that over the phone and that we just will need to cancel the standard application if we manage to secure an urgent service online, as they are very busy. We followed their advice and managed to book a fast track appointment and another adviser confirmed everything would be fine if my partner posted a letter to the passport office asking to cancel the standard application.
Needless to say it wasn’t fine at the fast track appointment, because they haven’t processed the cancellation so we were told that the only option is to post the old passport off to be processed as standard.
So now we are 2 weeks away from our flight and seemingly no chance of getting the passport in time. In addition to this the helpline is now saying that we need to prioritise letting the passport office know that we don’t want the application to be cancelled anymore, but the “urgent” call back hasn’t come through to either of us.
So I have a few questions:
If you email the upgrade team are you supposed to get the automated response immediately? I received nothing, is that a bad sign?
If the application does get cancelled because of that letter, will they let us know?
In case it does get cancelled, if there a point in going to the passport office 48 hours before the flight anyway? They have the old passport and all the information they need and the situation is just absurd, so is there a chance we can still try to plead our case if we bring along all the evidence?
Do both London and Peterborough offices have passport printers?
And finally, a long shot, but does anyone know the phone number for Peterborough office?
Thank you so much in advance!
