May 31, 2022

Passport Experiences 31st May 2022

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Passport Application Experiences

Feedback, experiences, timelines, tips and useful information from people that have recently been through the UK passport application process.

1st Adult Passport

Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport

Submission Date:
2022-04-20

Date Received:
2022-05-26

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Application history
Passport received – 26/05/2022
Passport printed – 25/05/2022
Application approved – 23/05/2022
Documents received – 29/04/2022
Application received – 20/04/2022
Identity details received – 20/04/2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity – 20/04/2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity -20/04/2022
Application submitted – 20/04/2022

Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport

Submission Date:
2022-04-13

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Passport printed 4:18pm on 26 May 2022
Application approved 8:37pm on 24 May 2022
Documents received 8:01am on 3 May 2022
Application received 11:48am on 13 April 2022
Identity details received 11:48am on 13 April 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 10:40am on 13 April 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 10:25am on 13 April 2022
Application submitted 10:25am on 13 April 2022

Adult Renewal Passport

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-06

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Online renewal, with professional photo taken and checked (and code provided). Would definitely recommend doing this.
Straightforward adult renewal application, no countersignature required, and new passport received in the time frame suggested by this site.
Longest part of the process was waiting for my old passport to be acknowledged- two weeks after it was sent via Royal Mail tracked and signed for. But I was expecting that based on previous comments.
Most stressful part was having every single person I knew telling me there’s no way I’d get it back in time for my end of July trip!! Pleased to say they were wrong and this site was right.
Have to say though, the new passport looks and feels really cheap and nasty compared to the old one though. And all the beautiful artwork is gone. Oh well…
Passport printed 8:43pm on 26 May 2022
Application approved 9:57pm on 24 May 2022
Documents received 1:53pm on 20 May 2022
Application received 5:43pm on 6 May 2022
Application submitted 5:42pm on 6 May 2022

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-07

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
Fell foul of change of rules, only realising when due to travel in 3.5 weeks. Received PP this morning 2 days before travel. Enlisted help of local MP, multiple emails to upgrade teams with flight info. Unsure if any of this helped as zero communication. Phone lines pointless as they have no greater information than is available to you .
Application received : 07/05/22
Documents Received: 20/05/22
Application approved : 24/05/22 10.09pm
Passport Printed: 26/05/22 9.50pm

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-07

Date Received:
2022-04-27

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Very easy, I paid for next day delivery to submit my old passport- date received was registered 7 days later. TNT delivered my new passport to the wrong address- able to identify where as driver had taken photo of wrong front door.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-09

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Really difficult to get my photo accepted – passed the guidance webpage but failed in the actual application.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-07

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Very pleasantly surprised at how easy the renewal process was. Also very impressed with the email/text updates from the Passport Office as to the progress of the application.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-11

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
19 days from start to finish. Very efficient from start to finish and informed at every step of process. If you can go to photo booth issuing code as precluded having to send hard copy of photo as photo digitally accessed by Passport Office immediately.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-27

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Comments:
Had to make 3 trips to Peterborough and collect in person.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-23

Date Received:
2022-05-14

Overall Experience:
Please Rate out of 5

Comments:
Fast and efficient turnaround of of 2 renewal passports, issued by 2 different passports.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-10

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Dual UK/USA citizen, so had to submit my USA passport for the renewal. Have not yet received my USA passport back from the passport office (they have said that it will be sent separately from the UK passport).

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-27

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
I was very concerned due to press coverage but five weeks from start to receipt seems reasonable. After the passport application was approved – things moved quickly.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-04

Date Received:
2022-05-25

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Online application action with digital photo code option. What a breeze.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-14

Date Received:
2022-05-27

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Renewal of a stolen passport.
Lots of phone calls in the final 3 weeks where I was deferred many times after holding for so long.
They did not have my lost/stolen application attached to my renewal application.
Referred to upgrade team as my company booked me a flight on my old passport details, but upgrade team did not respond so flight had to be cancelled.
Received a courtesy call on the day of approval) 10 weeks + 1 day since submission.
Many people had their passport application renew before myself even though they had applied months later.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-05

Date Received:
2022-05-14

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Shocking the length of time it took when others had there after 3wks.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-04

Date Received:
2022-05-26

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
I used the digital check and send at my local post office.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-16

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Very fast and efficient service. I was worried about the delays but processing was very fast.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-09

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Durham office. It took 9 days for the passport to register as received after the date it was delivered, but after that, all went quickly and smoothly.

Lost/Stolen Passport

Type of Application:
Lost/Stolen Passport

Submission Date:
2022-03-20

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Comments:
It took exactly 10 weeks total from 20 March 2022, including a rejected photo, getting my MP involved and visiting the passport office in person to ask for info. Very stressful experience as the phone lines always dropped despite 100s of attempts to call so I didn’t get an update for 8 weeks. DHL (thankfully not TNT) were brilliant in delivering and it plopped through my letterbox this morning. Thank you!

1st Child Passport

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-02-28

Date Received:
2022-05-21

Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Comments:
Whole experience was a shambles. I had no communication from HMPO for 7 weeks straight where the application was just sitting at ‘’processing’’. Once the application was at almost 13weeks I got my MP and MSP involved as I was not happy. People I knew had put in for their child’s 1st passports and had received them within 2weeks yet I was almost 13weeks with nothing! The most stressful time of my life.

Submission Date:
2022-04-24

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
I hadn’t realised there were such delays before booking our holiday. I sent the documents the next day, but the process moved slowly.

I read on Twitter that since you can’t ever get through, press 8 at the first set of phone options and 3 at the second. Every time I spoke to someone in less than 5 minutes.

The first time I called, I was told that I could upgrade online 2 weeks before my departure date (that was actually the day before I called), so I rang the next day, and they said the upgrades were now only 7 days before departure. Fortunately, my passport was approved 8 days before departure and arrived with me today, 3 days before departure. TNT delivery went smoothly, but there were no scans from Friday when it was dispatched until today, but it did say the delivery date was today, and it was posted through my letterbox (no signature required).

Passport delivered 11:39am on 30 May 2022
Passport printed 10:00am on 27 May 2022
Application approved 9:06am on 25 May 2022
Documents received 8:03am on 9 May 2022
Application received 4:35pm on 24 April 2022
Identity details received 4:35pm on 24 April 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 11:40am on 24 April 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 11:32am on 24 April 2022
Application submitted 11:32am on 24 April 2022

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-04-25

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
We were one of the lucky ones with our child’s passport application – no problems occurred, no additional information was required and we received it fairly quickly

Application history:
Date Passport received 30 May
Date Passport printed 1:05pm on 27 May Application approved 7:19pm on 25 May Documents received 11:54am on 9 May Application received 10:05pm on 25 April Identity details received 10:05pm on 25 April Email sent to person confirming your identity 9:45pm on 25 April
Ask someone to confirm your identity 7:50pm on 25 April
Application submitted 7:50pm on 25 April

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-04-24

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Thankfully my baby daughter’s passport arrived in time for our holiday. Here is the timeline I experienced with Peterborough passport office.

Delivered 30th May by TNT
Passport printed 9:28pm on 25 May 2022
Application approved 9:04am on 24 May 2022
Documents received 10:15am on 6 May 2022
Application received 4:37pm on 24 April 2022
Identity details received 4:37pm on 24 April 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 4:16pm on 24 April 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 3:56pm on 24 April 2022
Application submitted 3:56pm on 24 April 2022

Child Renewal

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-05

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Very happy with quick turnaround of my son’s passport especially after seeing some of the recent reports about a 10 week delay! Applied online and processed in Hemel Hempstead. Relatively stress free apart from the 2 week wait for them to confirm receipt of old passport.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-04

Date Received:
2022-05-27

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Arrived after 23 days despite having to get a 2nd ID confirmation at the last minute (we have no idea why the original one was rejected).

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-07

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Easy process and quickly processed. Would have been stressless without all the media hype. Also, another child’s passport was processed in 10 days at another office.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-26

Date Received:
2022-05-25

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
I took the risk with a photograph taken on my phone (following all the guidelines and against a plain pale grey wall) and it was accepted. This may have been the sticking point if I had not done it correctly.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-15

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Not too bad , I did email them about 5 days before print as it was stuck, but then it went very quickly , I’m not sure who delivered it plain white van through the door

StatusDate
Delivered 30 May 2022
Passport printed 3:08pm on 27 May 2022
Application approved 7:16pm on 25 May 2022
Extra document sent to Peterborough 5May 2022
Documents received 3:28pm on 28 April 2022
Old passport sent to Hemel Hempstead 19 April 2002
Application received 11:18am on 18 April 2022
Identity details received 11:18am on 18 April 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 12:56pm on 15 April 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 11:52am on 15 April 2022
Application submitted 11:52am on 15 April 2022

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-07

Date Received:
2022-05-18

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Very quick process. Would have been easy and stressless if not drawn into the media hype.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-29

Date Received:
2022-05-26

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Arrived a lot quicker than I thought it would as had seen all the scary stories in the media about them taking 10 weeks.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-04

Date Received:
2022-05-18

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Used Check and Send service from Post Office (£16), and got new photos there (£7) too. Well worth these extra costs – got passport day after text acknowledged receipt. Fast turnaround reflected update of existing holder (infant to child) and the inclusion of both parents on HMPO system.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-11

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
Passport received 12:45 pm on 30 May 2022 (delivery by DHL)
Passport printed 5:44pm on 26 May 2022
Application approved 8:27pm on 24 May 2022
Documents received 9:35am on 25 April 2022
Old passport posted 13th April 2022 signed delivery (never updated on post office tracking site)
Application received 5:49pm on 12 April 2022
Identity details received 5:48pm on 12 April 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 3:26pm on 11 April 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 3:24pm on 11 April 2022
Application submitted 3:24pm on 11 April 2022

Old document sent to Newport office. Top of head is cropped in new passport photo, hope that won’t cause problems at airports.

For comparison: I also submitted my adult renewal and another child renewal to Liverpool on same date (11th April); adult renewal passport was received on 30th April and child renewal passport on 19th May.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-05-10

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
This is 1 of 3 renewals i made on the same day, 1 is being printed the other 2 I have not yet received any notifications for. Received and signed for but still not updated on progress.

Overseas Passport Application

Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)

Submission Date:
2022-04-18

Date Received:
2022-05-30

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Have received one child’s overseas renewal fairly quickly – 6 weeks to the day after I submitted it. However, other child’s passport – overseas renewal, submitted same day, mailed documents same time, have not even had notification yet that documents have been received!

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