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1) Are you an EU/EEA citizen;
2) Do you have Settled Status;
3) Do you have an ID card?;
4) Are you travelling only between the UK and the EU/EEA/Schengen?If yes to all, update your settled status to be linked to your ID card, and you’ll have no problems. (I did this while HMPO failed to return my EU passport for nine weeks.)
If no, see if you can get an emergency passport from your home country. Note that doing so will likely cancel your existing passport. I am not sure if this will impact your British passport application if it’s not already approved. I cancelled and replaced my US passport after the application was approved, but before the supporting documents were returned (which took nine weeks after the passport was approved).
@timber321 my experience with the US Embassy was super easy. London is one of the best and most coveted international assignments, so you tend to get the best government workers. I’ve had to deal with the Embassy a few times and always felt like I was in a weird governmental utopia, where things work and workers were friendly. The new building is modern and gorgeous, and there’s even a coffee bar in the waiting area. I’ve actually never seen a nicer government building. It’s a nice change from the other US embassies, which tend to look and feel like maximum security prisons…
Like you, I booked an appointment at the Embassy a couple of weeks in advance “just in case.” You will need to fill out DS-11, AND also fill out DS-64 (lost/stolen passport). I wasn’t sure about DS-64, but the embassy staff told me I needed to fill it out. I explained the situation that it was missing v. definitively lost, and they said it was correct to report it lost at HMPO Peterborough. Your appointment will go faster if you fill out this form in advance. It’s also better to get a US-sized passport photo in advance, though there is a photo booth there. I brought a whole host of documents, but they just asked to see another US government-issued photo ID. I showed my US driver’s license, which I keep renewing (using a US address). They didn’t ask to see proof of flight or anything that backed up my story of submitting the passport to HMPO.
By reporting the passport lost/stolen, your existing passport will be cancelled/invalidated. There’s no way around this (I asked). The embassy officers were extremely understanding, far more than I thought they’d be. The two officers I dealt with both said “the British lose passports all the time.” One was familiar enough with the process to know that they mail the documents back separately (and he offered his opinion that it was silly). I was apparently the second person that day in this situation, at 7:45 a.m…. I got a temporary passport valid for one year on the same day, in less than an hour actually (and less than 15 minutes after I filled out the DS-64 form).
After hounding the passport office almost daily and getting my MP involved, I got my US (and Italian) passport back 9 weeks after I received my British passport and 13 weeks after submitting it to HMPO. I now need to return this passport to the embassy for cancellation, along with the temporary passport, which the US Embassy will replace with a full validity 10-year passport (for free as long as I do within a year). You can use the same photo if you replace it within six months. The process of exchanging temporary for permanent allegedly takes three weeks. I need to go to the US again this month, and I decided to wait to be safe even though I had six weeks between trips. I’ve had enough passport drama this year!
The temporary passport has no chip, but I was (surprisingly) able to use it at a Global Entry kiosk. I had updated my details online in advance.
Hope this helps!
Can’t help with Mexico, but I went to South Africa with a colleague who did not have two consecutive blank pages in his passport (which is their requirement). He was denied entry and sent back to the UK. These requirements, as nonsensical as they may seem, can be quite strict. Maybe try to find a Mexico-specific travel forum to get a better answer?
user123, Ryanair’s own terms and conditions say your girlfriend can travel on her ID card:
https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/ryanair-uk-terms-and-conditions0“2.1.2 A valid national identity card issued by the government of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden or Switzerland”
There is verbiage that (correctly) says she cannot travel TO the UK on an identity card, but there is nothing to say she cannot travel FROM the UK.
“From 1^st^ October 2021, nationals of the EEA/EU or Switzerland travelling to the United Kingdom must be in possession of a valid passport, as National ID cards issued by the EEA/EU and Switzerland are no longer acceptable to enter the UK (unless you hold a form of residence status in the UK)”
I’m sceptical about the response you received, which doesn’t sound like it came from a native English speaker. I do not see how Ryanair could possibly deny a passenger with an Italian ID card from boarding a flight to Italy without falling afoul of EU-261 rules.
If all else fails, try Easyjet or British Airways. I’ve travelled with both on an old-style Italian carta d’identita’ within the past three months, so I know first-hand it’s possible.
The UK doesn’t do exit checks or stamp passports on exit for anyone. Your girlfriend can add her ID card data as advanced passenger information on Ryanair or any other airline, and that is sufficient to leave the UK to go to the EU/EEA.
The only risk is that she cannot get back into the UK without a passport. Assuming her British passport is approved, you can receive delivery of it and either bring it to her or post it to her.
user123, for what it’s worth, I flew with an Italian ID card and had no problems leaving the UK with Easyjet or British Airways. I did this five times (as I was without my passport for 13 weeks): to France, Spain, Belgium, and Italy (twice). I am fairly certain EU law requires the airlines to accept ID cards for travel to the EU, and that your partner would be eligible for EU-261 compensation if she were wrongly denied boarding.
Your partner’s bigger problem could be getting back to the UK if she does not have Settled Status. If she does have Settled Status, follow the steps I listed above. Carry digital and physical copies of the following EU guidance and show it (if needed) to the border officials for the exit check and the airline:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/faq_travel_with_id_cards_final_for_publication.pdfI had no problems whatsoever entering or leaving Italy, always explaining that I had settled status / permanent residence on exit. No problems with Belgium, though the immigration officers asked if I had a passport so they wouldn’t have to key in the ID card data. No problem entering Spain; on the exit, I had to go through a long explanation. France was a mess: at first, they didn’t want to let me ENTER, saying I needed a passport to travel from the UK (ignoring that I was presenting an EU ID). Then I was initially rejected on the exit check and by Easyjet, and had to get supervisors both times.
The UK border was easy. The officials are trained on the ID card / Settled Status process.
Are you travelling to the EU?
Do you have an identity card?
Do you have settled status?If yes to all of the above, update the document in your settled status to be your identity card. You’ll get a confirmation near-instantly if it has a machine readable zone, or in a few days if you have an old-style card. If you do this and get the confirmation, you won’t have problems at the UK border. You may, depending on where you’re flying, have issues entering or exiting the EU/Schengen border or with the airline. Explain the situation, mention both settled status and permanent residency (IME, some border officials still don’t understand “settled status”), and carry links to the relevant information. Expect complication, but you’ll be OK.
If you don’t have an identity card, see if you can get an emergency travel document. The Passport Office held my foreign passports for 13 weeks. In that timeframe, I had emergency work travel, and by law I have to enter the US on my US passport (even though I had received the British passport by that point). I went to the embassy and had a document in < 1 hour with no issues.
Good luck!
Final update from me: I received my supporting documents back, nine weeks after my British passport was printed and eight weeks after it was received (13 weeks after application). I had paid extra for secure delivery, but the documents were sent via ordinary Royal Mail and pushed through the letterbox (despite living in a block of flats, which I know is a no-no for ordinary passport delivery).
I did not receive any notification in advance. Per the tracking information, they were posted yesterday. No idea if this was linked to my increasingly angry complaints – the last of which I made on Sunday, specifying that I don’t need another callback from customer service, I needed someone in Peterborough to physically find and post the documents.
There were two barcoded labels on the envelope with my name and address – one for Royal Mail, and one general. Not sure if this is an internal barcode, or it was supposed to be for TNT and this was physically out of that stack and mailed via Royal Mail instead.
I am curious if I get any further callbacks from the passport office (no one responded to my last call, or my last written complaint) and if they even know they’ve mailed the passports back. My naturalisation certificate was crumpled and dissheveled. I might have cared about that six weeks ago, but at this point it’s the least of my problems….
Glad this clusterf*ck is over! Good luck to all who are still waiting for the return of their documents.
I just got my “urgent callback,” who delivered the same message.
“I’m just following up to tell you that all of our systems are down.” What the flying f-ck?!?!
I’m so tired of these “check the box” useless callbacks that do nothing to solve the actual problem. My supporting documents have been missing for nine weeks. Stop having useless CSRs call me back and start having someone go look in the office for them!
I am in week NINE (after receiving my British passport) of waiting for my other two passports and naturalisation certificate. Nothing including getting my MP involved has resulted in any action other than hapless centralised call centre reps calling me back to tell me that they can’t tell me anything.
I’m beyond furious. I’ve already replaced one of the two foreign passports due to essential work travel, and I may end up replacing the other v trying to deal with the brick wall that is HMPO.
If anyone has gotten any actual help, I would love to learn your tricks!
Truly at my wit’s end trying to get my foreign passports (needed to enter those countries) and naturalisation certification back. I will probably just end up replacing my foreign documents. It seems like HMPO is just hiring outsourced call centres to read scripts v. hiring people to sort through documents and mail things.
If anyone has had any luck getting to a person who can help, let me know.
Every time I call, I’m promised a priority / urgent callback. The first priority callback one came from someone who didn’t have access to anything other than the normal web site and TNT tracker. She transferred me, and the call disconnected. I tried calling the number, but it was an outsourcing firm. Called again. Phone line not accepting calls, as it was too busy. Called again. Person transferred me, call disconnected – same as before. Called again and begged not to be transferred unless someone was on the line. Promised another urgent callback. Two days later got a voicemail that consisted of “if you’re still having problems, call the general number.” Again, the number they called from was from an outsourcing firm. Called again. Person transferred me, call dropped. Called again and begged not to be transferred. Now promised another callback “from someone who can help.” When I ask who that person is, the person doesn’t know.
I have wasted so much time trying to get my documents back. At this point, it will take less time to replace them. I just wish I could launch a claim against HMPO to recover the substantial fees in doing so. I’m not sure if there’s any point beyond which the documents will be considered de facto lost, and HMPO will be forced to provide some kind of accounting as to what the hell happened to my documents?
[Edited: Sorry, I just saw that you live in South Africa. The process is probably different for you, so the below information may not be relevant.]
If you paid extra for secure delivery, you can use the same tracking number on the TNT web site. Another consignment will show up under the same number.
I received my British passport on 30th March (printed on 24th March) and am still waiting for the return of my two foreign passports + naturalisation certificate. Truly at my wit’s end with the lack of accountability.
I’ve already had to cancel one of the foreign passports to get an emergency travel document, and will probably end up replacing the second one, too.
HMPO seems to be spending money on outsourced call centre agents who just read from a script and can’t actually help, instead of spending money on people who can physically retrieve and mail documents.
My British passport was issued and printed on 24 March, and I’m still waiting on the return of my foreign passports and naturalisation certificate. So far, no amount of calling, complaint forms, being put on urgent/ priority lists, or (as of Friday) getting my MP involved has managed to result in anything.
Six-plus weeks ago, someone at HMPO told me that HMPO was prioritising mailing out British passports over returning documents, but everyone should get the documents back within three weeks. I called back the following week and it became four weeks. Now approaching week nine….
I was initially OK with HMPO choosing to do this, but at this point, I’m seriously annoyed. Both of my other countries require me to enter on their passports. So I get to spend another summer separated from family, etc. If HMPO is going to take months to return these documents, it needs to be up-front about this so that people can decide. I would NOT have decided to apply for a British passport if someone told me I would be without my other passports for months on end. I can accept two weeks becoming four; becoming eight-plus is unacceptable.
Eight weeks for me, soon to be nine. I filed a formal complaint (no response – beyond promised 72 hour turnaround). I called the hotline and was promised a 48 hour callback (also missed). I’m going to call my MP’s office on Monday.
It’s beyond ridiculous that HMPO is holding foreign passports for so long. Just mail them back at the same time!
I tried posting yesterday, but it doesn’t seem to have shown up.
I’m still waiting with no update – now eight weeks after British passport printing (seven since arrival), and 11+ since I initially applied.
I’ve registered an official complaint online, and am in day two of (allegedly) three of waiting for a response. If I don’t hear back by Friday, I will get my MP involved.
