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No updates, eight weeks after my British passport was printed (and 11 weeks since I first applied and sent my foreign passports via signed-for delivery).
I filled out an online complaint form, which is supposed to result in a response within three days. If I don’t get a response, my next stop will be contacting my MP.
I don’t suppose the embassies of my other two countries would want to get involved and demand the passports back. The passports are, after all, their property. At this point, HMPO is holding the documents without justification, against their own process, and against my will.
I received my British passport, but all of my supporting documents have disappeared. Nothing has been returned six weeks after receiving the British passport, and HMPO cannot tell where the documents are or when or if they will be returned.
I ended up getting an emergency U.S. passport, which the Embassy could print same day (within one hour actually), as the U.S. requires me to enter on my passport. I will need to exchange for a full-validity passport within a year. I haven’t yet replaced my European passport, as I have an ID card. The U.S. Embassy told me that HMPO lose passports all the time.
Worst case, investigate the process of getting an emergency Canadian passport. So sorry this has happened to you.
Don’t risk it – as I say as a U.S. citizen who has to go to the Embassy to get an emergency passport, at a cost of $165, because HMPO is so delayed. Doing this means that the passport HMPO has is now cancelled, and I’ll then have to exchange this limited validity one for a full validity one once my US travel is finished.
Even if you get the British passport, as I did, you can’t use it to enter the US. I’ve been waiting five weeks since my British passport was printed for the return of documents. I have called multiple times and was told it “should” arrive within two weeks, then three, then four…. Still waiting!
The last person I talked to said that HMPO is prioritising mailing out passports, so the supporting documents are basically sitting there indefinitely. Absolute shambles.
I’ve been waiting for my supporting documents to be returned for five weeks now (10 since I mailed them). I’ve called several times – told two weeks, then three, then four…. Still waiting. I’m not sure I’ll ever see them again, to be honest. This system is a shambles.
Is your travel all within the EU / EEA, and do you have Settled Status? You can update your Settled Status to be linked to your ID card, and then travel on that. I did this, and I had no issues at the U.K. border. I had more issues with airlines and with entering / exiting Schengen, but I was able to talk my way through them.
The bigger problem for me was the loss of my US Passport. The US will not allow me to enter on a foreign passport. So after five weeks of this nonsense, I had to go to the embassy and get an emergency passport, at a cost of $165, which resulted in the cancellation of the passport that HMPO still has. The embassy told me that this happens all the time, and they’re very frustrated with the British losing American (and presumably other) passports. I was the second person with this issue at a 7:45 am appointment.
I’ll have to then exchange this passport for a permanent one within the next year. The knock-on effects of HMPO’s incompetence are endless.
To be honest, I regret getting the British passport as I could have just continued using the European one indefinitely. If I were you, I’d wait until thing settle down (definitely after summer). Hope this helps.
Update: Four weeks post passport printing, and nine weeks since my documents arrived, and I still don’t have my supporting documents back despite paying extra for the secure delivery. Ridiculous.
I’ve tried phoning HMPO several times, always waiting an hour-plus on hold to be told that they’re very busy, that the documents should arrive within two weeks (nope), then three weeks (nope), then four weeks (nope). I can’t wait any longer, as the U.S. requires U.S. citizens to enter on a U.S. passport.
I ended up having to go to the U.S. Embassy to get a temporary emergency passport (at a cost of $165), reporting my passport lost by HMPO. This means I’ll have to surrender and replace the full validity U.S. passport if it ever arrives back from HMPO.
According to the U.S. Embassy, this “happens all the time.” I was the second appointment of the day reporting my passport lost at HMPO… at 7:45 a.m. What a complete shambles. This all needs to be digitized and simplified so that original documents don’t need to be mailed at all.
Any recent updates on return of supporting documents?
UK passport printed: 24 March 2022
UK passport received: 30 March 2022
Paid for secure delivery: YesReturn of supporting documents is still outstanding. From what I gather, there is no way to track these?
First adult UK passport, Peterborough office, waiting for return of naturalisation certificate + 2 foreign passports (one of which I need with increasing urgency….)
In a lucky turn of events, my passport showed up today! Around 5 pm yesterday, the TNT tracking information suddenly appeared with a delivery date of today. I live in a block of flats, so I made sure I was home all day.
The TNT driver needed to enter, hand the passport to me, and take a picture that showed my flat door number.
What a relief! Now I just need my EU and US passports back – no way to go to the US without my US passport, unless I want to end up in jail.
This forum has been a god-send.
Passport delivered c. 3:30 pm on 30 March 2022
Passport printed 4:29pm on 24 March 2022
Application approved 11:33am on 23 March 2022
Documents received 12:37pm on 17 March 2022
Application received 5:50am on 25 February 2022
Identity details received 5:50am on 25 February 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 5:48pm on 24 February 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 5:42pm on 24 February 2022
Application submitted 5:42pm on 24 February 2022Sending best wishes to everyone still waiting!
Eilisha92, my passport was also printed last Thursday at the Peterborough office, and I’m in the same situation. No tracking information.
8 days for the passports to be collected?!?! Argh. I guess I should not get my hopes up about having it anytime soon.
Peterborough seems to have been the slowest office to go through.
Mine was printed on the 24th of March (Thursday), but I still don’t have a TNT tracking number as of mid-day Tuesday. And the application reference number doesn’t produce anything on TNT’s web site.
I’m due to travel for work on Thursday. In theory, I can use my EU ID card + Settled Status. In practice, I tried this last week, and it created all kinds of chaos – with the airlines and with entering and exiting the EU / Schengen border.
The UK border, which I thought would be the diciest part, ended up being the easiest! No queue and through in 30 seconds with a smile. Why the EU had a problem with an EU ID card is beyond me. The airlines, I can understand since settled status is the only exception for travel to the UK, and I imagine very few EU nationals in the UK use ID cards except in situations like this, where their passport is being held by another entity.
I have this sinking feeling that the passport will come just after I leave for the airport….
I got the text, too! Documents signed for 1st of March (Peterborough), now finally marked as received 16 days later. Feeling somewhat relieved, but also somewhat anxious.
Thanks, everyone, for the updates. nassao41, I’m a few days behind you, as Royal Mail delivered my documents on 1 March. I guess I’ll wait a few more days to see if my status changes.
I’m still trying to figure out with certainty whether I can travel on my EU identity card + settled status. I know I can get to the EU, but will have issues at the UK border or with airlines? The settled status was linked to my passport. I uploaded my ID card to the online system, but it’s in a manual review process as it’s an old-style one without a machine readable zone.
If I get confirmation that the ID card has been linked to my settled status, I’ll travel. If not, I guess I’ll cancel or try to get an emergency travel document?
I would greatly appreciate any advice from EU nationals who have travelled on identity cards post-October 2021!
nassao41, I’m also on day 11 with no update (Peterborough). I used signed-for delivery and have confirmation that my documents arrived 11 days ago.
I’m in the same situation as the original poster. I sent my documents on 28 Feb via signed delivery, and I got confirmation that they arrived in Peterborough on the 1st of March. So far, there’s no update in the system.
I’m an EU citizen with settled status who naturalised in February (with no effect on my other citizenship). Does anyone know if it’s still legal to travel using my EU identity card + settled status? Obviously I can enter the EU, but will I have difficulties at the UK border? I know ID cards are allowed for those with status for another few years, but I’m not sure if naturalisation “voids” settled status. If I try to enter the UK using my ID card, I’ll have to see a border agent. If they ask where is my passport and I tell them it’s with the UK Passport Office, I don’t want to get in trouble. Thanks for any help / advice!
