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@Foster only one day, and then it arrived around 5 days after we got the update that ot had been printed.
@Foster great news! It only took a few days from approved to print. DHL didn’t send a tracking link tho; they just sent a code to my partner’s phone so he could pick it up from one of their secure pickup point. Odd that they didn’t send via signed delivery. I hope you will receive yours soon!
@vicching Horaay! Glad to hear you’ve got your passport now 🙂
@vicching you need to refresh the page a few times until it says either you can talk to someone now or everyone is busy now. Sometimes the page said the webchat wasn’t available due to technical problems but it would change after a while. What I did was just to let the open window sit on one side of my screen, while I worked on the other side (easy when you’re on a PC and have a massive screen). The page will change and provide you a link to go to a pop-up window when there’s someone available. You just have to wait unfortunately.
@Foster, no problem! I hope you will get your application sorted out sooner rather than later. Wish you the best of luck!
It does seem that they are churning out passports really fast for people who applied in July, which is obviously great news for everyone who applied. Here’s hoping they will sort out people who are stuck in the black hole. We finally got ours approved and printed after waiting almost 14 weeks.
@Foster, these are the email addresses that I wrote to:
ExpeditedService@hmpo.gov.uk
Escalatedservice@hmpo.gov.uk
durhamupgradeteam@hmpo.gov.uk
durhaminternational@hmpo.gov.ukExpedited service and Durham international sent an auto-reply almost instantly. The other two I never heard back. I didn’t bombard them with emails tho. We basically sat tight until it reached 10 weeks, and then we called the advice line. They suggested us to send an email to the Durham upgrade team, but we never get a reply from them. I think I only emailed them twice, asking for an upgrade (this is before I knew that overseas application cannot be upgraded). I called again the week after that, and the advice line staff made a note of the person who confirmed the identity details (she has Irish passport). When there’s no update, I called again a week later, and that went nowhere. 2 hours, 26 euros, no result.
By week 13, they updated the tracker and said the photo was rejected and they asked for more details. We immediately sent them. 7 days later and no movement, I sent an email to those 4 email addresses with proof of flights and purpose of travelling. I also used the webchat on the same day to tell the staff that we really needed the passport to come on time. She was very helpful and put a note to the examiner (that we are going for our wedding), although she did say that there is no guarantee that her note would actually make any difference. And then, 4 days later: approved and printed!
Hopefully our experience will at least give you some reassurance that overseas applications are being processed, albeit super slow. I do think that bombarding the passport office with emails and calls don’t really help, but at the same, I totally understand the stress and anxiety people are feeling because there is really no transparency. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me, and I will do my best to help.
@Foster it’s a lost replacement application. Just got an update actually: it’s been approved and printed! Can’t believe it. Now here’s hoping DHL won’t lost it in the post.
Not sure what nudged them, but I did send the proof of flights to the expedite team and Durham international. I also used the webchat and told them about the flight date and why we have to go. The webchat staff said she made a note for the examiner about the date and purpose of traveling.
So, that’s 13 weeks waiting with no update, and then 10 days for them to approve and print after they rejected the photo.First thing to check: did you cancel your lost passport? If yes, you will receive an L number reference that then you put in your application. I did this online though so I have no idea how to attach your L reference on a paper application.
@BByod thanks for your reply. Unfortunately my partner has not been living in the UK for 15 years and he’s not registered as a voter anymore. He doesn’t have an MP. So, that’s not an option, sadly.
I’ve emailed the Durham upgrade team email address as well but never received any reply from them, not even an auto reply.
I will try emailing Durham again but I’m not sure they will reply. Being overseas is really difficult as we don’t have many options.
