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@wolfegal we are overseas and had success with the expedite team but they will only do something if it is over 10 weeks. I have heard people on here have had luck with upgrade team if it is over 6 weeks and travel is within 2 weeks, but I am unsure if it will work since you are overseas.
Nawa is that 11 weeks from when your documents were received? I emailed the Expedite team on Saturday and got an automated response which said they will do nothing if it is less than 10 weeks. Then on Monday at about midday UK time we got an email that the applications were approved. Two hours later another email that they were printed, and a few hours later a text message that they had been despatched.
We had stopped calling as the operators couldn’t really tell us anything and seemed to be pretty useless.
@biswajitmitra in the subject line I put the passport reference numbers and my husband’s name. We also had a reference number from previous contact from an examiner who had contacted us with a query so I put that in too.
I just wrote the email as a letter –
“To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you about the passport applications of my husband, [full name], and my son, [full name], which are being handled by the Durham office.
My husband’s passport application (PEX ——) was submitted on 18 February 2022 (20 weeks ago), and my son’s (PEX ———-) was submitted a few days later on 22 February. The supporting documents were officially marked “received” for both applications on 13 April (over 12 weeks ago) (although according to postal tracking both were actually received four weeks earlier). ”
I then outlined all the dealings we had with HMPO staff including queries, phone calls, information sent and dates, etc. In your case, you would include dates you had phoned and been told you would get a call back. Have you got a reference number for when you reported your passport as lost? I know other people on here had delays because they were not asked for this number, but it was needed for their applications to progress.
Then I said
“It is now almost four weeks since that phone call, our last contact with HMPO, and we are becoming increasingly concerned and anxious about the situation. We are travelling to the UK in three weeks and are beginning to worry that the passport will not arrive here in time, particularly considering the lengthy postage times between the UK and Australia.” and concluded with“We are requesting that these applications be expedited if possible, given the time taken to process them and the increasingly urgent need.”
and signed it Yours sincerely, with our names below.
In our case I think the delays were so extensive and I had documented anything so it was a very strong case. You have been waiting a long time too and have upcoming travel – good luck!
@Estival we did not have to supply proof of travel. I think you will find if you email again once it is 10 weeks since you got the text message you will get some action. Though hopefully you might not have to wait that long! Ours was quite a saga, we were unlucky at every step.
@Estival I didn’t have anything specific for Durham, just the expedite email as above (got it from another member here). It does say that they won’t do anything unless it is more than 10 weeks, so I think you are correct that you haven’t heard anything as it’s not quite 10 weeks since they sent the text message – that will be when they are counting from. In our case it was 20 weeks since we had submitted application and over 12 weeks since they’d acknowledged receipt of our documents. There had been so many delays and stuff ups though, our documents sat in their mail room for 4 weeks! and then my husband was asked for ridiculous additional information, that hadn’t been requested for any family members previously, and that once received sat there again for another 7 weeks. So I think it was a bit of a no-brainer for the expedite team. How long is it till you hit 10 weeks from the date you got the text message?
I emailed the expedite team at the address ExpeditedService@hmpo.gov.uk and put the passport ref and all other details in the subject line.
There was no message from HMPO saying we were eligible – it was another member here who suggested I email them.
In the body of the email I outlined all the dealings we had already had with HMPO and the dates when things were sent and received. Our travel is not for 3 weeks and I did mention at the end that we were worried it would not arrive in time. I didn’t have to supply any proof of travel – pretty sure that is not required when you are over 10 weeks. I did not get a response but the passport applications were approved, printed and despatched very quickly, and we are now just waiting for them to arrive.
It does say they won’t do anything unless it is 10 weeks – and I believe they count this from when your documents were received, not application submitted.
Our applications were stuck at Durham and this is the email address I used – passports were approved, printed and despatched the following business day.
This one only works if you are over 10 weeks.
@vegele is that from the upgrade team or the expedite team? they are different teams…We had similar date of documents acknowledged and emailed the expedite team (being overseas and also first passport were not eligible for upgrade). Only response from them was the automated message and then on Monday we got notification our applications had been approved.
This was automated message we got from expedited service (ExpeditedService@hmpo.gov.uk):
We have received your email. Please do not send any more emails as this may cause delays.We can only consider expediting an application if you submitted your application at least 10 weeks ago
If this does not apply to you, you will not receive a response from this mailbox.
You cannot expedite your application face-to-face at a passport office – please do not visit us.
We are unable to reply to general email enquiries. You can track your application at: http://www.gov.uk/track-passport-application
To get passport information or to find out how to contact us, please visit: http://www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports
@Estival ours were at Durham and that was the email address I emailed. I am not sure there is a difference – ours was with an examiner for weeks, I think just sitting on their desk.
How long is it since “documents received”? You might be able to get the expedite team to do something. I would try emailing them, mentioning your upcoming flight date.
@screamer there are many many people on this forum who have been told by HMPO staff that it only counts from when your documents received, because they can’t start working on it until then. It should count from submission though, I agree, and maybe it did count from then until the times started blowing out.
I used the address Helly87 supplied – it was expeditedservice@hmpo.gov.uk
@Estival ours was expedited I am pretty sure because it had been processing for well over 10 weeks. (Bearing in mind that HMPO counts 10 weeks from when your supporting documents were received, not from when your application was submitted. We were over 12 weeks from the date our documents were officially received. If it is at that point, I would suggest you send the details of your application process and then say that you have tried to do the right thing by not booking, but the uncertainty of when you will be able to travel is causing considerable stress and anxiety.
