Feedback, experiences, timelines, tips and useful information from people that have recently been through the UK passport application process.
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1st Adult Passport
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
2023-03-29
Date Received:
2023-04-24
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
Passport Application Submitted through Solicitor on 29 March 2023
Confirmed Application Received Home Office 29 March 2023
Identity Verification Requested 30 March 2023
Documents Sent to Passport Office 31 March 2023
Passport Office Received Documents 4 April 2023
Ask Someone Else to Confirm Identity (Referee Refused) 19 April 2023
New Identity Confirmation 19 April 2023
Passport Approved 21 April 2023
Confirmed Passport Being Printed 21 April 2023
Passport Delivered to Home by Courier 24 April 2023
Had weekends and bank holiday during this time frame which slowed things down as did having to submit other referee. Very pleased I got passport so fast, especially being my first one.
Awaiting original documents to be returned 24 April 2023
Adult Renewal Passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-04-11
Date Received:
0023-04-24
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Quick and easy process with text updates from Passport Office at all stages.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-04-11
Date Received:
2023-04-24
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Child to adult renewal for my 16 year old
12/04 – old passport received
21/04 – passport approved
22/04 – passport printed
23/04 – passport received
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
2023-04-17
Date Received:
2023-04-24
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Exceptional service with updates via text and email, on every step of the process.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
London
Submission Date:
2023-04-11
Date Received:
2023-04-14
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Amazing service. Take the correct documents and there is no issue!
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-04-03
Date Received:
2023-04-21
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
All very smooth, the biggest delay was over Easter when RM took 6 days to deliver my old passport to UKPO 1st class signed for.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
2023-03-22
Date Received:
2023-04-03
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Easy to upload a photo taken at home. Kept me updated at each stage.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
2023-04-07
Date Received:
2023-04-24
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very Easy, kept fully informed through, quicker than expected
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
2023-04-17
Date Received:
2023-04-21
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
I needed a new passport in a hurry (3 weeks max). I had planned to try and get a fast track appointment, but because this was proving impossible I thought I would risk sending it via the normal service, having seen some of the comments on this website, and also having heard that the passport workers only need 1 person for a postal application rather than 2 so postal is easier for them during the strikes. I sent my old passport via next day recorded delivery, got photos done at an approved digital photo booth which sends them straight to the passport office, and I paid for the faster return service. I was very worried because I needed my passport in a hurry and thought I might have to cancel my trip. However, I was very delighted that everything went smoothly and it was returned far faster than I had hoped. I would recommend the approved photo booths to ensure you get the right quality of picture. Don’t worry if your recorded delivery tracking details at the post office don’t get updated when you expect either. It was 24 hours later that this appeared. I am so grateful to the passport office staff who turned this around so fast.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
2023-04-18
Date Received:
2023-04-24
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
No need for fast track. Strike impact seems low.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
2023-04-06
Date Received:
2023-04-24
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Straightforward, I sent old passport off the same day I applied however took 5 days to be delivered to Passport Office as was Easter Bank holiday
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Lost or Stolen Passport Application
Type of Application:
Lost/Stolen Passport
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
2023-03-26
Date Received:
2023-04-08
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
1st Child Passport
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
2023-04-04
Date Received:
2023-04-20
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Submitted 4 April
Documents received 11 April
Approved 19 April
Delivered 20 April
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
2023-01-15
Date Received:
2023-03-03
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
Our application was for a child’s first passport where both parents are EU citizens living in the UK long-term. I think not having a GB parent slowed down the process a little bit. The dates I put down are from start to finish, but note that we had to send additional documentation which added about 3 weeks to the process!
Also, the system was slow to show are documentation as having been received. Despite using recorded next day delivery, it officially took 1.5 weeks to arrive.
Child Renewal
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-03-25
Date Received:
2023-04-12
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Given the planned strikes and Easter holidays I was impressed the child renewal came back so quickly. We even had updates of going to print over the Easter weekend, which I didn’t expect. A far cry from the 3 month wait for my child’s renewal last year! Least they are listening and process is working.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
2023-04-07
Date Received:
2023-04-24
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Passport received 08:15am on 24 April 2023
Passport printed 3:12am on 21 April 2023
Application approved 9:10am on 20 April 2023
Documents received 6:03am on 12 April 2023
Application received 11:59am on 7 April 2023
Identity details received 11:59am on 7 April 2023
Email sent to person confirming your identity 11:17am on 7 April 2023
Ask someone to confirm your identity 10:38am on 7 April 2023
Application submitted 10:38am on 7 April 2023
1 Week Fast Track Application
Type of Application:
1 Week Fast Track Service
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
2023-04-18
Date Received:
2023-04-21
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Paid for a Fast Track appointment on Friday 14 April and initially accepted an appointment at the Liverpool office for Friday 5 May. Managed to get an earlier appointment the next day (Saturday 15 April) for the morning of Tuesday 18 April. I secured the earlier appointment by using the link on the confirmation email to ‘change’ appointment. Locations and dates varied throughout the day and within 24 hours an earlier date came up. Very happy with service.
Type of Application:
1 Week Fast Track Service
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
2023-04-17
Date Received:
2023-04-20
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Easy appointment at Durham, Hardly anyone else in the office, staff were able to get me seen earlier.
Appointment took 10 minutes.
Delivered 4 days later by post office courier at 8pm, no signature needed.
Type of Application:
1 Week Fast Track Service
Passport Office:
London
Submission Date:
2023-04-11
Date Received:
2023-04-13
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Realized at the start of April my passport was due to expire in August however had trips booked for May and June and so was worrying because the countries I am travelling to need a minimum of 3 months left on them. Started looking into how I could get a passport fast as the 10 week wait time was going to be too long for me as I was travelling soon. Came across the 1 week fast track and the premium service however appointments were scarce. Thankfully I cam across a twitter page called ukpassportcheck which tracks when appointments go online and new ones are added. Through this I was able to book myself in for an appointment in Liverpool (I’m from Essex so wasn’t ideal but I took what I could get). What they don’t tell you, however, is that you can change the time and location of your appointment for no extra charge so when an appointment became available in London I was able to change it for free. I then had my appointment sorted which was very easy to do, just have the correct paperwork and photos and I was in there for no longer than 20 minutes. My new passport then arrived 2 days later in the post and my returned documents came another 2 days after that. Very quick and easy service and I can now go on my holidays.
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We have a very small favour to ask………….
We really hope this information is helpful to you and reduces stress whilst you are waiting for you passport. If you are able to make a small donation for the cost of a coffee it really helps us to maintain the site and continue to make improvements for future passport applicants.