Feedback, experiences, timelines, tips and useful information from people that have recently been through the UK passport application process.
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1st Adult Passport
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Glasgow
Submission Date:
2022-08-19
Date Received:
2022-09-14
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very easy and fast. Applied online, longest waiting time before update was waiting for my virtual interview, received update that passport was approved 5 minutes after finishing interview.
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-08-30
Date Received:
2022-09-15
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-07-29
Date Received:
2022-09-16
Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
2022-09-02
Date Received:
2022-09-15
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Adult Renewal Passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-09-11
Date Received:
2022-09-17
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-09-04
Date Received:
2022-09-17
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Really straightforward this time. Application done online, photo taken at home.
Had a bad experience last year with my child’s renewal. But this time round same office very pleasantly surprised, amazing service!
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Peterborough
Submission Date:
2022-08-17
Date Received:
2022-09-07
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very good – received emails to say they had received my application, my old passport. Two weeks later received confirmation that the application was approved and the next day that it was being printed. Then 5 days later received a message that it was on its way back and received it the next day. All pretty painless.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
2022-06-30
Date Received:
2022-07-22
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Much quicker than expected. About three weeks.
1st Child Passport
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-09-01
Date Received:
2022-09-16
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
2 x first child passports. Submitted on 1Sep, documents received on 7Sep, application approved on 14Sep, passport printed on 15sep, passport delivered on 16sep.
Still waiting on 2x adult first passports, submitted on the same time line but still on “we’ve received your documents”
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-09-01
Date Received:
2022-09-16
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
2022-09-01
Date Received:
2022-09-16
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Child Renewal
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Belfast
Submission Date:
2022-05-04
Date Received:
2022-07-22
Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful
Comments:
Called 3 times; contacted MP; online tracker never went past ‘documents received’; had the application escalated; received call back from Belfast and that is what eventually finalised the application being approved/proceeding.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-08-30
Date Received:
2022-09-14
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Used Max Spielman to do photos and application instore – my sons headmaster did his confirmation of photo/Id online within a couple of hours.
The worst part was TNT delivery – the driver went to the wrong address and had to go to depot to collect next day and fight to get passport – tracking gave 8am-8pm delivery window and no way to add comment on delivery directions or get a timeslot!
But the actual passport process was fast – alerted via email and text at each step a super impressed as had expected to take months!
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
2022-09-07
Date Received:
2022-09-16
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very quick and easy at the moment
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-09-03
Date Received:
2022-09-16
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
digital photo with code taken and verified Friday 2nd Sept at Max Spielman
Application completed over weekend 3rd/4th Sept
Was unaware that a child renewal still required confirmation of the photo by a professional person. Fortunately this process can now be done online by providing the email address for your designated approver as part 2 of the application process. They need to be given some information separately to allow them to complete the process but from their perspective it was very straightforward.
Old documents posted 24hour signed for delivery Monday 5th Sept
Passport office acknowledge receipt of old passport and photo approval Tues 6th Sept
Passport approved and sent for print notification received Wed 14th Sept
Passport print and dispatch notice received Thurs 15th Sept
Passport received via DHL Friday 16th Sept
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-08-30
Date Received:
2022-09-16
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Child renewal – documents sent to Liverpool by recorded 1st class post. Can’t fault the service, after hearing and worrying by the horror stories.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-09-02
Date Received:
2022-09-16
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Supposed and please it was this fast.
Updates were useful and reassuring.
Only concerns is that when delivered, it wasn’t pushed through the letter box (I’d paid for TNT) so it could have been taken. That’s not passport office fault obviously.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
2022-08-30
Date Received:
2022-09-14
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2022-09-01
Date Received:
2022-09-16
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
1 Week Fast Track Application
Type of Application:
1 Week Fast Track Service
Passport Office:
London
Submission Date:
2022-09-14
Date Received:
2022-09-17
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Received within three days of the appointment. Appointment itself was really simple and took around 15 minutes. Very impressed with whole service. Passport delivered by TNT through the letterbox, didn’t require a signature.
Overseas Passport Application
Type of Application:
First UK Passport (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
London
Submission Date:
2022-08-24
Date Received:
2022-09-16
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
2022-08-31
Date Received:
2022-09-15
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Send passport via Express DHL for guaranteed next day delivery in Europe