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Whether you’re eagerly waiting for your passport or planning to apply soon, this page offers valuable insights from others who have gone through the process.
How This Page Works
Every day, applicants like you share their passport application experiences on our site. They provide:
- Application Date: When they submitted their passport application.
- Receipt Date: When they received their new passport.
- Photo Method: How they obtained their passport photo (e.g., at home, pharmacy, professional service).
- Processing Office: The passport office or centre that handled their application so you can check to see how quick the agency you have been assigned is processing passports.
Additionally, applicants often share helpful tips and observations that can assist you in managing your application or understanding current processing trends.
Stay Informed
Monitor the latest wait times and gain a realistic expectation for when your passport might arrive based on real-world data. Knowing what to expect can ease anxieties and assist in planning your travels.
Compare Processing Times
See how different agencies and photo methods impact processing speeds. This can help you choose the best options to potentially reduce your wait time.
Learn from Others
Benefit from the experiences of fellow applicants. Many share crucial advice, like which agencies are processing faster or tips for avoiding common pitfalls.
Share Your Experience
Help us keep this page accurate and useful by submitting your own passport wait time once you receive your passport. Your contribution will assist others and contribute to a clearer picture of the current processing landscape.
1st Adult Passport
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Other
Submission Date:
22-01-2025
Date Received:
30-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Supporting documents were returned in a big paper envelope so they were not as good as when I sent them.
Royal mail sends a text message with a tracking number – if you paid £5 for secure delivery of the supporting documents when they are returned to you – same tracking number will show both new passport and supporting documents. It’s worth checking the tracking a couple of times during the day. For me initially it was only showing the new passport, but in the afternoon it had both – new passport and supporting documents.
Passport delivered to me and supporting documents returned on 30 January 2025
Passport printed on 29 January 2025
Application approved on 28 January 2025
Documents received by HMPO on 24 January 2025
Documents posted to HMPO on 23 January 2025
Application submitted and received on 22 January 2025
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
London
Photo Method
Other
Submission Date:
25-01-2025
Date Received:
25-01-2025
Overall Experience:
Please Rate out of 5
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Used a different photo booth (Not Photo-Me)
Submission Date:
14-01-2025
Date Received:
24-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Used a different photo booth (Not Photo-Me)
Submission Date:
14-01-2025
Date Received:
24-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Adult Renewal Passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
21-01-2025
Date Received:
30-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Passport printed 6:00am on 29 January 2025
Application approved 9:48am on 28 January 2025
Documents received 6:10pm on 23 January 2025
Application received 9:18am on 21 January 2025
Application submitted 9:18am on 21 January 2025
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
30-01-2025
Date Received:
31-01-2025
Overall Experience:
Please Rate out of 5
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
22-01-2025
Date Received:
30-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Applied Online 22/1/25
Documents Posted: 23/1/25
Documents Received: 24/1/25
Passport Approved: 28/1/25
Passport Printed: 29/1/25
Passport Received: 30/1/25
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Used a Photo-Me photo booth
Submission Date:
26-01-2025
Date Received:
30-01-2025
Overall Experience:
Please Rate out of 5
Comments:
Very fast service, applied on Sunday, sent old passport on Monday, passport office received it on Tuesday, renewal approved on Tuesday, received new passport on Thursday.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
19-01-2025
Date Received:
31-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Excellent service from HMPO. Within a week of sending documents, passports arrived. We applied as a family, so 2 x adult passport renewals, 1 x child renewal and 1 x child first passport. Sent all our documents together to Corby and all applications approved within minutes of each other. Timeline below:
Passport received 31st January 2025
Passport printed 3:12am on 30 January 2025
Application approved 8:41pm on 29 January 2025
Documents received 10:17am on 27 January 2025
Application received 10:47pm on 19 January 2025
Application submitted 10:46pm on 19 January 2025
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
19-01-2025
Date Received:
30-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Photo Method
Other Post Office Check and Send (tablet)
Submission Date:
06-01-2025
Date Received:
16-01-2025
Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful
Comments:
Waiting for acknowledgement that my old passport had been received was quite stressful because it took 7 days. The Post Office had sent it to the Durham Passport Office which was temporarily closed so it was redirected to the Liverpool Office. It was tracked and signed for in Durham but nothing after that. The helpline were concerned they didn’t know where it was but found it shortly after I gave them a tracking number from the post office (this took 3 attempts to obtain) and the process was fairly quick from there.
Overall it was quite quick however many others who sent their documents themselves during the same week received their passports within 5 days!
The uncertainty and being told I might have to report my old passport as stolen was very stressful.
Application received 2:47pm on 6 January 2025
Application submitted 2:46pm on 6 January 2025
Documents received 11:04am on 13 January 2025
Application approved 12:42pm on 14 January 2025
Passport printed 4:49am on 15 January 2025
New passport delivered to my house on 16 January and old passport the next day (17 January)
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Used a Photo-Me photo booth
Submission Date:
21-01-2025
Date Received:
31-01-2025
Overall Experience:
Please Rate out of 5
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
29-01-2025
Date Received:
01-02-2025
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
10-01-2025
Date Received:
17-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
24-01-2025
Date Received:
01-02-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
This was a renewal I did a couple of years ahead of the expiry date as my passport was a bit tattered and I was worried about it being rejected at gates (it never was but thought better safe than sorry!). Was hoping for a quick turnaround as I had travel booked for March and was not disappointed!
Application submitted: 11:04am on 24 January 2025
Application received: 11:05am on 24 January 2025
Sent from Post Office (special delivery): 12:11pm on 24 January 2025
Marked as delivered from Post Office: 08:40am on 27th January 2025
Documents marked as received: 10:27am on 28 January 2025
Application approved: 9:17pm on 30 January 2025
Passport printed: 4:40am on 31 January 2025
Dispatched to Post Office: 09:30am on 31 January 2025
Delivered to me: 10:08am on 01 February 2025
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Used a Photo-Me photo booth
Submission Date:
22-01-2025
Date Received:
31-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Excellent service
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1st Child Passport
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
13-01-2025
Date Received:
17-01-2025
Overall Experience:
Please Rate out of 5
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Please select
Submission Date:
03-01-2025
Date Received:
10-01-2025
Overall Experience:
Please Rate out of 5
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
19-01-2025
Date Received:
30-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Submitted: 19-Jan
Documents sent: 20-Jan
Passport Approved: 28-Jan
Passport received: 30-Jan
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
19-01-2025
Date Received:
30-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
1 Week Fast Track Application
Type of Application:
1 Week Fast Track Service
Passport Office:
Newport
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
27-01-2025
Date Received:
30-01-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very quick service!
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