Feedback, experiences, timelines, tips and useful information from people that have recently been through the UK passport application process.
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Adult Renewal Passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-14
Date Received:
2023-01-26
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very smooth experience, i was expecting to wait the mentioned 10 weeks but to get everything done in about 10 days is impressive.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
2023-01-16
Date Received:
2023-01-25
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Used Post Office renewal service – inc. photo
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
2023-01-12
Date Received:
2023-01-12
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
Applied digitally on 12.01.23 (and went to a photobooth with digital photo capability to ensure nothing failed!). Digital application was easy. Posted old passport with Royal Mail Next Day Delivery on 12.01.23. Royal Mail did NOT update that the package had been delivered (looked every day for 8 days). Meanwhile Passport Office eventually sent email saying Old Passport received on 19.01.23. That was the most nerve-wracking stage as I did not receive any proof that the old passport had been received for ONE WEEK, despite spending £6.35 to get it tracked and delivered by 1pm next day!! Email to say new passport printed came on 25.01.23 and, having paid an extra £5 to have the new one delivered promptly, it came the next morning on 26.01.23 via a courier. Pretty fast, given that the Passport Office are saying allow 10 weeks.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Glasgow
Submission Date:
2023-01-14
Date Received:
2023-01-19
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very Fast, expected it to be longer. Photo was accepted without countersign which was a relief!
Passport Application Received – Jan 14
Old Passport Received – Jan 19
Passport Approved – Jan 24
Passport Printed – Jan 25
Passport received at home – Jan 26
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-13
Date Received:
2023-01-26
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
1 x adult renewal, 1 x child renewal
Documents & passports sent together one same envelope despite different addresses given to Liverpool (not Bootle)
Application submitted on 13/1/23
Documents & old passports sent 14/1/23
Marked as received 16/1/23
Applications approved 24/1/23
Passports received 26/1/23 – no delivery tracking received
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Glasgow
Submission Date:
2023-01-14
Date Received:
2023-01-26
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Expired passport posted with tracking on Saturday 14/01/2023 and received at HMPO GLASGOW on Thursday 19/01/2023. The new passport delivered 26/01/2023. Very happy with the service.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-17
Date Received:
2023-01-26
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
The most stressful part was coming to the acceptance that I had to remove my spectacles for my passport photo. Every prior passport I have had included them, as I am very short-sighted, so cannot see the image of myself displayed in the booth.
Second photo at the booth in Asda (only one sitting) I got an acceptable photo and decided just to run with it, not sweat it anymore!
I applied for the passport the same night – no hassle because it was a renewal, posted from UK and I used the photo booth code. (Several prior applications had been made from Hong Kong.)
I then delayed two days to post the old passport back on a Friday. I had a “fat” extra pages passport, so it needed £1.05 for second class post. I think the regular, thinner passport would be just 68p.
Old passport arrived at Liverpool (Bootle) on the Monday following and I received my passport via DHL through the door on Thursday that same week.
In between, this website gave me some comfort that the automated messages from HMRC did not.
Extracts from ALL the automated SMS messages I received:
Wed 18 Jan
You’ve applied to renew your passport – application reference …
Thu 19 Jan
Remember to send your old passport to …
Ignore this message if you’ve already sent your old passport.
Mon 23 Jan
We’ve received your old passport. If we need more information, we’ll contact you.
Tue 24 Jan
We’ve approved your application. We’ll let you know when your passport is ready to dispatch.
Wed 25 Jan morning
Your new passport has been printed, and will be transferred to our delivery supplier in the next few days. When it’s ready for delivery, they will contact you with a tracking reference.
{I did not receive any tracking reference by SMS or email, but no matter.}
Wed 25 Jan afternoon
When you get your new passport, you must sign it with a black ballpoint pen. You can’t use it until you do. Go to https://www.passport.service.co.uk/help/sign to check where you need to sign.
Pretty fast service in the end, though oddly not as fast as 4 days turnaround at British Consulate in Hong Kong about two or three passports ago, when British Consulates could still issue passports directly. (And this was not a “rush” service – 24 hour passports were possible then on payment of an appropriately high fee.)
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
2023-01-20
Date Received:
2023-01-26
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-16
Date Received:
2023-01-25
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
This was a first adult passport for a 16 year old who already had a child passport. Uploaded own photo from phone. New passport was actually received on 26 Jan, but I could not select that date above.
App submitted: 14:31 16/01/2023
Old passport posted: 15:00 16/01/2023
Old passport rec’d at PO: 17:42 18/01/2023
Approved: 07:25 23/01/2023
Printed: 11:08 24/01/2023
Received: 26/01/2023
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-07
Date Received:
2023-01-17
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Extremely fast and informative all the way from application to receiving new passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-07
Date Received:
2023-01-17
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Extremely efficient and informative from application and receiving new passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Glasgow
Submission Date:
2023-01-11
Date Received:
2023-01-24
Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-14
Date Received:
2023-01-26
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-14
Date Received:
2023-01-26
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-17
Date Received:
2023-01-26
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
I was notified my passport was out for delivery less than an hour after I received the printing notification, despite the notification saying it would be transferred for delivery in “a few days” – it wasn’t a problem for me, as I have an accessible letterbox (so it could be posted without me being at home) but be mindful, incase you need to be at home for delivery and miss it!
1st Child Passport
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
2023-01-10
Date Received:
2023-01-24
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Child Renewal
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-10
Date Received:
2023-01-25
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
Applied late evening of the 10th Jan, so missed the last post to send old passport. They received that on the 12th.
Was then asked on the 18th to provide my birth certificate (mother), as apparently i’d missed my middle name off the form. They received this the next day.
I got a txt to say it’d been approved on the 22nd and then an email on the 23rd to say it’d been printed.
They said they’d give me a ref once it’d been dispatched, which they didn’t, as it was surprisingly delivered on the 25th.
Happy with the speed overall.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-01-09
Date Received:
2023-01-20
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very easy & quick process to renew
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
2023-01-16
Date Received:
2023-01-26
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Quick and simple process with good communication
Overseas Passport Application
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
2023-01-06
Date Received:
2023-01-26
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
My photo was a selfie taken with a ten-year-old mid-range phone, but was accepted no bother. Everything fine except DHL delivery a bit haphazard,(delayed once without notification and eventually delivered two days later to a different collection point from that requested).
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
2023-01-09
Date Received:
2023-01-25
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
Pretty fast and easy process . Just a week after submitting , they asked for a document that initially wasn’t asked for , but 24 after they received it , they approved , 3 days later got the DHL reference .