Blog

Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport

Submission Date:
2022-04-16

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
I applied online with a digital photo code for a renewal for my son from a child passport to his first adult passport. The application didn’t take long and I was updated with the progress throughout.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-18

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Very easy process. Took 9 days to acknowledge receipt of old passport. Approved a day later. Received passport 5 days after that.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-14

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Was very worried seeing all the news about waiting times but it was quick and easy to do online. Kept up to date throughout.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-12

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Took a well to be told old passport received applied via Post Office.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-28

Date Received:
2022-05-03

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Longest delay was 2 weeks for them opening the post, after that it was approve and printed in 2 days, delivered a week later.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-10

Date Received:
2022-03-31

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Old passport returned in 5 weeks.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-14

Date Received:
2022-05-03

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Online applied, got professional photograph, sent old passport on 14/04. Confirm received on 21/04 (after four day holiday weekend), 22/04 requested photo confirmation from referee. Performed online over the weekend and approved on Monday 25th. Passport received 8 days later after a holiday weekend.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-15

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Submitted application- 15 April
Documents received/uploaded – 26 April
Photo rejected & resubmitted- 27 April
Application approved – 28 April
Passport printed – 29 April
Passport received – 4 May (delivered by DHL)

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-27

Date Received:
2022-04-16

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
All very simple.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-13

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Renewal passport received in 21 days. Considering there were 3 bank holidays in that time I think the service was excellent.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-13

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Passport was processed quickly once old passport accepted (sent expired passport via Royal Mail signed) and was 15 days before passport office confirmed delivery (Royal Mail delivered on 14/04/22). Note this passport expired Dec 22 eg 10 years and 9 months so renewed due to extension issue in some countries.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-19

Date Received:
2022-05-10

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Only took 3 weeks!

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-20

Date Received:
2022-05-03

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Was very pleased with prompt return of passport. Applied online.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-22

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
First class service, progress reported at each stage of process.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-19

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Application submitted 19th April
Documents received 27th April
Application approved 28th April
Passport printed 2nd May
Passport received 4th May
Glasgow office – outstanding
Still waiting on word from Liverpool re. child -> adult renewal sent the same day

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-16

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
I was terrified of the publicised 10 week waiting time by the HMPO. Thankfully it took less than 3 weeks from submission of my application to delivery (pretty fast given there was a bank holiday in there too!). The delivery from TNT arrived promptly within the 48 hour window as well.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-23

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Literally cannot believe how lucky I have been!

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-10

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Don’t believe the waiting times for a straight forward renewal. Hold your nerve.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-11

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
Overall, actually quite quick. But unexpectedly needed to travel shortly after submitting. Calling customer service was useless – no one seemed to know what was happening. Tried to upgrade to a fast track passport, but the agent took me through the full application process again, and told me to send my old passport (which was already at the passport office).
Application submitted: 11 April
Passport sent: 12 April
Documents received: 27 April
Application approved: 28 April
Passport printed: 3 May
Passport received: 4 May

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-22

Date Received:
2022-04-26

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
I was advised it would be 5 weeks but half way through it changed to 10. I had applied 5 weeks before my planned holiday but if it 10 weeks to arrive I would not have got it in time.

Type of Application:
First Child Passport (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-04

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Arrived well within the 4-5 week timeframe indicated (and since removed) when I applied.

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-03-29

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
We mistakenly selected registration certificate instead of birth certificate, and noticed the mistake as soon as the application was submitted. I called to ask them about it and was told to write a cover letter explaining and send it in with the birth certificate, which was received at HMPO on the 31st (although they didn’t acknowledge receipt until the 12th April).

While on the phone, the recorded message gave an estimate for first child passports of 5 weeks. However, shortly afterwards the online tracking told us 10 weeks, and the media started reporting of a ‘meltdown’ at the passport office. We were booked to go on holiday 8 weeks after submission, so were quite stressed about it.

We received the passport 5 weeks and 1 day after submission in the end, so there was nothing to worry about after all – even with our mistake!

Passport received 4th May
Application approved 1:15pm on 28 April 2022
Documents received 8:44am on 12 April 2022
Application received 9:55pm on 29 March 2022
Identity details received 9:55pm on 29 March 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 9:45pm on 29 March 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 9:09pm on 29 March 2022
Application submitted 9:09pm on 29 March 2022

Type of Application:
First Child Passport (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-29

Date Received:
2022-05-03

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Stated 5 week processing time on day of submission and passport received 5 weeks to the day later.
Documents sent to Bootle.
Just waiting for supporting documents to be returned now.
Only stress – Took ~2 weeks to update that supporting documents had been received despite sending next day recorded delivery.

Passport delivered – 3 May 2022
Passport printed 29 April 2022
Application approved 27 April 2022
Documents received 11 April 2022
Application received 30 March 2022
Identity details received 30 March 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 30 March 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 29 March 2022
Application submitted 29 March 2022

Type of Application:
First Child Passport (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-11

Date Received:
2022-04-19

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
Would have been quicker had the original delivery date not fallen on a bank holiday.

Type of Application:
First Child Passport (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-25

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
We had to cancel our holiday due to the long waiting time. When we ordered the passports we was told 3 weeks.

Type of Application:
First Child Passport (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-18

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
2 weeks to update that they had received documents and then no communication for 4 weeks. application approved at exactly 6 weeks (original timeframe was 4-6weeks) and received 2 days after “passport printed” update.

Type of Application:
First Child Passport (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-28

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Had to reconfirm identity for some reason.

Application history
StatusDate
Passport printed 5:54am on 2 May 2022
Application approved 9:47pm on 28 April 2022
Identity details received 2:04pm on 28 April 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 12:56pm on 28 April 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 12:16pm on 28 April 2022
Documents received 9:32am on 12 April 2022
Application received 4:41pm on 30 March 2022
Identity details received 4:41pm on 30 March 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 7:41pm on 28 March 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 7:40pm on 28 March 2022
Application submitted 7:40pm on 28 March 2022

Type of Application:
First Child Passport (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-23

Date Received:
2022-05-03

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
I was nervous after reading about people’s experiences, but all went smoothly for us, if a little slow at points (e.g. took two weeks to acknowledge our documents had been received and another couple of weeks to approve the application but Easter fell during that period).

I did email to clarify what they mean by 10-week turnaround though, as before you apply it says to leave 10 weeks but on the tracker it says it’s 10 weeks from when they receive your documents (which was 3 weeks after I applied). Their social media team were saying the latter, their phone team said 10 weeks from date of application and I am yet to receive a definitive explanation for this. Providing clarity around this would make it a much less stressful experience, so people can manage their expectations and plan accordingly.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-03

Date Received:
2022-04-26

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
I had to have 2 people confirm his identity.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-21

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Use digital passport photo with code to make it easier and less likely for pic to be rejected even if it accepts it at first online.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-18

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
takes a while after signed for documents arrive to be updated on tracker, but got regular and quick updates otherwise.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-02-14

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Comments:
Very stressful process. After 6 weeks of application, they asked for a birth certificate. then after few weeks they said your child is turned to 16 years old so need to apply for adult passport paper application with 2 paper photos and pay the excess fees. Once applied that, passport arrived in 10 days. No worries for 10 years now.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-13

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Passport renewal application from my wife and three children submitted on 13/03/2022.
Old passports sent on 15/03/2022
Renewed Passports for two of my children were received on 31/03/2022
My third child’s passport received today 04/05/2022
My wife’s passport has not been processed.
The sad part of it, my wife and daughter missed out on our holiday.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-20

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Bootle Office – very fast turnaround using the digital photo obtained at a photographer (they verify it there and then on official website). Unfortunately I have another child renewal online application, it’s at Peterborough, applied same date, documents signed for on 22nd according to Royal Mail, however tracking hasn’t been updated. I’m still well within the time frame but it’s still disappointing that the service isn’t the same, particularly for other people on time restrictions. Bootle though, can’t complain!

Type of Application:
Child Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-12

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Very easy and communicated well. All within timeframe given. Was worried after seeing so many reports.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-16

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
Was ‘being processed’ foe nearly 5 weeks but once approved went quickly.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-12

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Super. Everyone saying how long to come. Not us. Thrilled!

Type of Application:
Child Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-11

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Easy but so stressful . My own fault for renewing when holiday was booked. Cannot fault the service 3 weeks to the day and passport was delivered. Durham office.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-14

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
Please Rate out of 5

Comments:
Processed by Belfast office

Type of Application:
Child Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-04-07

Date Received:
2022-05-04

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Came a lot quicker than expected. Longest wait was the time it took to acknowledge that the passport has been received. Once the passport was approved there was no update regarding it being dispatched until a message from DHL to say it was arriving that day.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal (Online)

Submission Date:
2022-03-25

Date Received:
2022-04-12

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
very quick and no issues, old passports were received after a further 3 weeks. passports were posted though door, didn’t have to sign.

Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)

Submission Date:
2022-03-29

Date Received:
2022-05-02

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Excluding the international mail delivery times, it took them 2 weeks between signing for the delivery and acknowledging the delivery. Upon application approval it was fast and smooth.