Blog

Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport

Submission Date:
2022-02-07

Date Received:
2022-04-12

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Apparently my application went from “digital” to “manual”

Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport

Submission Date:
2022-03-05

Date Received:
2022-04-07

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
Process was straight forward and easy, completed within the stated time. I gave it 3 star for the following:
* There was a 2 week wait between my supporting documents signed for by the passport office and them updating the system.
* I still haven’t received my supporting documents back (which includes a naturalisation certificate and my foreign passport), with no way to track this.
* There is no option to fast track first adult passports.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-02-11

Date Received:
2022-04-12

Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Comments:
Documents received: 2 March 2022
Application being processed: 10 March 2022
Application approved: 6 April 2022
Passport printed: 9 April 2022
Passport received: 12 April 2022

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-13

Date Received:
2022-04-12

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Took over 2 weeks to update that documents had been received, I called up very worried they had been lost. Passed around 4 different people only 1 was helpful, they kept hanging up on me as well. Miraculously my documents were suddenly found the next day, fairly quick process after that.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-02-03

Date Received:
2022-04-07

Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Comments:
Stressful from start to finish. At the time of application, the average time was quoted as 3 weeks. Ended up being 9 weeks for a standard adult renewal completed online. I’d highly encourage anyone with the means to use a FastTrack or Premium Service to save the stress.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-22

Date Received:
2022-04-12

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Passport office: Bootle

Passport printed 1:40pm on 11 April 2022
Application approved 3:29pm on 7 April 2022
Documents received 11:54am on 5 April 2022
Posted passport: Thursday 31st March
Application received 8:49pm on 22 March 2022
Application submitted 8:49pm on 22 March 2022

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-03

Date Received:
2022-04-25

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
The online system took a long time to update that they receive the supporting documents ( old passport) at particular date making it worrisome if they ever received it.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-19

Date Received:
2022-04-07

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Got an email on the 2nd of April to say passport had been printed and TNT would send me tracking details, I got a message on Thursday morning 7th to say TNT were delivering that day. It got posted through my door and a picture of my front door. Very stressful experience as I travel with in 8 weeks of sending it and reading those horror stories in the papers. I wanted to share my experience as I know I won’t be the only person checking this website for updates. My passport tracker app has not even been updated with any further updates , it still reads passport printed on 2nd April

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-20

Date Received:
2022-04-12

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
Wait in between stages and poor communication / transparency was nerve wracking!

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-14

Date Received:
2022-04-12

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Very stressful as had to bring our holiday forward and the wait time changed twice during the last 4 weeks! Passport office not very helpful. It seemed that one person would say something completely different to the next and took hours to get through to anyone. Not a bad wait time though really, just stressful because of our booked holiday and nothing I could do to speed it up.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-09

Date Received:
2022-04-30

Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Comments:
Still waiting since 9th march no progress on my application and no response to my requests to upgrade to premium upgrade to ensure I get it before travel 23/04 causing major stress and negative impact on me at the moment. Absolutely disgusting.

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-03-04

Date Received:
2022-04-11

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Application Received- 4th March
Documents Received- 23rd March
(Royal Mail tracking confirmed they’d arrived on 6th March however, it took another 2 weeks for the HMPO to acknowledge this- this was very stressful)
Application Approved- 31st March
Passport Printed- 7th April
Passport Delivered- 11th April
(I never got notification from TNT that the passport was on its way, however when I checked their website & put in my passport application number, all the tracking information was there).
Delighted the passport has arrived but the delay in acknowledging the documents had arrived was stressful. My advice, leave plenty of time before you travel to ease the stress! Our passport arrived the day before we had to travel and then was a rush to book covid tests and sort visas.

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-03-04

Date Received:
2022-04-12

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Submitted a adult renewal and first child passport, adult renewal came through quick. First child took a little time… documents were sent 11th March for first child passport but did not update on system till roughly 28th march. Approved 7th April, printed 11th and received today 12th…just via normal post although said tnt… but believe was low risk area hence they just posted.

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-03-06

Date Received:
2022-04-11

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
this has been a stressful experience, i appreciate that you should allow 10 weeks but the website said 4weeks turn around time and reality of being over weeks coupled with media reporting of back logs and an online tracking system which doesn’t show any progress. my tips are allow more time and don’t rely on the media reporting as that just adds to angst. The documents were reported as being delivered to HMPO 11 days before they acknowledged receiving them and the tracking system still shows the passport as being printed despite it now being in my hand, once the passport is in for printing start checking the HMPO/TNT website using the PEX number for tracking and your postcode as the HMPO tracking website is next to useless.

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-02-24

Date Received:
2022-04-11

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
Biggest issue: Sent supporting documents (birth cert.) via ‘Signed For’ Royal Mail to Bootle office. Documents were not signed for nor were they showing as being received. I therefore assumed that they had been lost and therefore I paid and purchased a duplicate birth certificate and sent it by Special Delivery. 5 mins after posting, my records were updated to show that the original had been received. Perfect storm of passport office taking 2 weeks to update receipt of documents and failing to sign for documents means you will not know where you stand. Recommend using a tracked or Special Delivery service for peace of mind.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-02-05

Date Received:
2022-04-05

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Easy week + latency between documents delivered (registered) and update on website. Zero further info from helpline.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-14

Date Received:
2022-04-04

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Sent to Durham, quick turnaround. Other child’s was sent to Bootle on same day & still on documents received stage!!

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-02-25

Date Received:
2022-04-12

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Was planning to go to France on 09/04. I rebooked outward travel for 11/04 in case the passports arrived in time but yesterday decided that our trip wasn’t going to happen (and my husband’s passport still hasn’t arrived.
Timeline-
Submitted: 25/04
Documents received: 04/03
Being processed: 07/03
Approved: 07/04
Printed: 11/04
Arrived: 12/o4 No tracking information available. I checked on Final Mile several times.
My husband had lost his passport and cancelled it, then found it, but obviously had to renew. Waiting times were suggesting 3-4 weeks, so we decided not to go for fast track. My daughter had changed her name, so we decided we might as well change her passport at the same time even though her old one was valid. Our trip was one that had been cancelled for Covid lockdowns at Easter 2020 and again in 2021, so it was 3rd time unlucky for us! We were due to come back on Saturday 16th, so if my husband’s passport had also arrived today we might even have rebooked outward travel again and gone today. The timing has been really frustrating for us.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-28

Date Received:
2022-04-12

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Very straightforward and fast, 2 weeks 1 day from start of application to receipt of passport.