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We’ve had terrible trouble, Durham office. Birth certificate was a replacement issued by Scotland’s National Records Office and has been used previously for 2 passport applications with no problems. This time someone decided it was a photocopy and asked for original (misplaced some time ago) and some additional info. Information has been posted (arrived 24 May according to tracking) and also emailed (30 May) and have heard nothing since. I hope you get it looked at in time since you are travelling.
First adult passport, overseas application. Been in processing since 14 April (application submitted 18 February). It appears someone took issue with a birth certificate (which had previously been accepted for another UK passport application) (and had also incidentally been accepted for an Australian passport application). They also wanted the document used to arrive in Australia (not possible as it was a parent’s passport 50 years ago). Because this latter document no longer exists we were advised to send a letter, this was received 24 May according to tracking. On 30 May we received a reminder email threatening to cancel the application if letter was not received. This time there was an email address to reply to and we emailed a copy of the letter and a statement that the letter had already arrived there and been signed for. Since then there have been no updates or further contact.
Glad some of you are getting approved. We are on day 111 since submitting our overseas application. Having replied with the requested additional information we have since heard nothing.
It’s frustrating.
I am afraid there are lengthy delays. We have applications in for 2 first adult passports – they should be straightforward but HMPO have decided not. Husband (born in Scotland, emigrated with parents to Australia as a child) applied for first UK passport 18 Feb and has been in processing since 14 April. Son’s was put in a couple of days later, also in processing since 14 April and needs dad’s birth certificate for eligibility.
There is no question of eligibility (our daughter got her passport with a 2 week turnaround in 2019 using same documentation as her father and brother!) but someone has decided to raise issues where there should be none, with documents they have previously accepted.
Hopefully you might have better luck. We are yet to hear whether an interview will even be required for either application, as they are busy quibbling about documents – problem is also the length of time it takes for documents to be processed in the mailroom, our initial documents sat there for 4 weeks.
I am of course wishing my husband had applied for his passport ages ago like his sister did, instead we are dealing with a bureaucratic mess.
Fantastic result for you @jacky
We have heard nothing new after replying to the email that asked where our letter is.
They seem to have an issue with my husband’s birth certificate. It is a replacement copy issued in 2019 which was previously accepted by them for my daughter’s passport, and he has also used it with no problems to get his Australian passport. We also have an application in for my son which we have heard nothing about, I suppose they can’t do anything with his till the query with his father’s birth certificate is sorted out.
We still don’t know whether they will be required to have an interview and the communication is terrible, made even worse of course by the different time zones.
I read that they will be closing for Jubilee week so today is probably the last day anything will happen for a while. We are almost at 16 weeks waiting. It is so frustrating, but at least we are not needing it for immediate travel.
It’s terrible isn’t it, I think we would all feel better if we felt confident there was some kind of process or system, rather than the mess we are all a part of now. I too have read some awful stories. Hope you get some good news soon.
That’s very strange if they were both in the same envelope. I wonder if there has been an admin error when they logged/scanned the documents, I hope they haven’t lost it.
Ours took 4 weeks (from overseas). We phoned as we had yet another “please send us your documents” message though this one also said if they hadn’t arrived by [date] they would cancel the application. Got put through to Processing who made notes on the file and took tracking details and then we got acknowledgement they were received a few days later.
Supposedly they only count the 10 weeks from when they start processing now (probably because it makes the processing times look better). If I were you I would call them to see if there is an issue – you will probably find there is, since there has to be something that has caused it to go into manual processing route. Even though you say you don’t need it urgently, it is still cause for concern when it takes so long.
Good luck!
What a nightmare for you! Is there no avenue of appeal? especially as you say they’ve been scanned and linked?
