10 weeks wait time exceeded. What next?

Dear Customer, I have forwarded your application details to one of our examination teams to progress as soon as possible Kind regards The Expedited Team Just checked my email and got this response from the email I sent Wednesday, fingers crossed things will start moving 🤞

Well done you! I have everything crossed for you. I’ve written to my MP this evening.

Have you emailed the expedite team kila? I shouldn't be eligible till Wednesday and they haven't even asked for any proof of flying etc. Never know might consider it with you been so close to 10 weeks and flying soon

I emailed last week but perhaps that really was a bit too early. I will try again especially as I am so close to 10 weeks and have only 10 days till we fly. Thanks again.

My 10 weeks comes up on Friday 8th July. I travel on Sunday 17th July. What should I do?

Have you tried the Expedite service? It’s worth it as you now have two weeks before you travel though they are saying you need to have waited 10 weeks since application as well. I hit 10 weeks on Tuesday and fly the following Tuesday. I got an email saying they will try and fast track but they are doing it in date order and I simply have to wait to be contacted. My phone is glued to me in case they phone.

So got my email on Friday afternoon saying that my application has been expedited. This morning received a phone call around 10am saying that it's been processed and should be with me by the end of the week. Recommend anyone waiting over 10 weeks to try emailing the expedited team, I didn't have to proof my travel plans just told them I was flying in less the 3 weeks. Can't wait to get it in my hands !

Glad to hear it Helly87. I am due to travel on the 23rd so I'm readying myself for expediting from 9th July. I've also involved my MP in the matter so hopefully something will work and I can be sorted out by the 23rd. Enjoy your holiday.

I tried calling them and despite them even stating I had originally sent my application in 24th Feb, they would.make a note on my application my flight date of 29th July and that printing takes 1 and a half weeks. Doesn't fill me with much confidence that they actually want to fast track mine. Should I call again?

Have you emailed them snoopy? expeditedservice@hmpo.gov.uk I really didn't think they would get back to me but they did the next day I wouldn't even bother calling seems like a waste of time.

So pleased for you Helly87. I’ve contacted my MP today who is brilliant. I am sitting here crying as I have just found out from her office that as my son has now turned 16 due to waiting so long, she has been told he needs an adult passport. That’s not actually true. We’re due to fly next Monday. Still hoping expedite team will come back to me but every time I am hopeful,there’s just another setback. No-one from passport office has contacted me about this and I don’t actually think it’s factually correct.

@Helly87 I am very pleased for you. Glad it is now all sorted. I've just expedited mine on Friday. Received an automated message to confirm that they have received the email and should get an update within 48 hours. Not heard anything since then. Getting a bit nervous since I have only 7 days left before our holidays. I will give them a call this morning.

Long time lurker here and thought would post my experience in case of any benefit to others. Lost application passport for my son, only realised after booking holiday it was lost but thought we would be ok with standard application as we had 12 weeks before holiday. Online application made on 24th April. Contacted office once to provide lost passport reference number (came a few days after the application). Contacted by phone again to enquire about progress after 9 weeks but were told to sit tight and we could expedite after 10weeks/2weeks prior to travel. We phoned bang on 8am on 4th july for an upgrade (both 2 weeks before travel and 10weeks since application). I used the number 0300 1050850 which I believe is for their customer services management team, was on hold for all of 3minutes! To their credit within an hour of sending our upgrade email, as advised to Liverpool office, they phoned to enquire if we wanted passport posted or to collect from our local Belfast office. We could choose date and time of collection which we did for 9am 6th July. Passport collection very straightforward from the office (which compared to other offices seemed quiet, maybe only 5 or 6 people in to make enquiries other than people with appointments). I appreciate from reading a lot of other stories ours has been pretty straightforward. The main stress the whole way along has been the unknown, lack of information regarding tracking and inconsistencies when compared to other peoples applications!

Hello, I have submitted my first adult passport application on the 25th of April, sent my supporting documents on the 27th of April. As I used a signed for delivery I know they have been delivered to the Liverpool office on the 28th of April, which is 10 weeks ago. I need my documents urgently as next week (on the 14 of July) I am travelling abroad. I have tried contacting Passport Adviceline but did not manage to speak to anyone. I am willing to travel to any of the Passport Offices if needed (London is the nearest one to me). If I were to show up at any of the offices would I be able to speak to anyone there? I have also contacted the expedited service by email and am waiting for any response. What else can I do? Thank you in advance

The whole thing is a shambles. If you can get to the right people in the expedite team they are fab. Our application was in on 27 April when waiting times were only 4-5 weeks and my son was 15. It was sent 10 May (still 15 yrs) to be checked but an examiner got it on 3 July. She saw that he was over 16 now and sent us a letter on 3 July (still not received) asking for a further payment. It was only because my MP looked into it that I knew this was the issue. I contacted Expedite team, Liverpool upgrade team and Escalated Service team a number of times over the last 4 weeks. None of them talk and very little shared info. I paid this morning. Was called by examiner this afternoon and am picking it up tomorrow from Wales, our closest office which is about 4 hours drive. We travel on Monday. All much easier as we have hit 10 weeks. You can get this done but need the right people. I thank Helly87 in particular for being so helpful. Not in my hands yet and still issues as I’ve been told he needs ID. Thing is, at his age, he only has a passport - which is still in the Liverpool office! Good luck.

Helly87 I've tried emailing them and had no response back. The phone call last week, I've heard nothing since, it's now going to be me raging at them soon. Does anyone know for sure 100 percent you can go to a local office and get one printed? Mines a renewal that got lost in the post

@Helly87 thanks for sharing the email, I might send them one, can't hurt! I just can't believe how long this has gone on.

I have emailed the expedited service email address today. Our 10 week wait is not up until 13th July however I am now 2 weeks away from travelling. Received automated email back from them stating they only consider applications that are 10 weeks old, it doesn't mention anything about being within 2 weeks of travel. Did anyone get any success from being in a similar position? i.e. less than ten weeks since docs received but within 2 weeks of travel?

I emailed these yesterday as my 10 weeks are already up and when I used webchat yesterday the advisor told me my application is still waiting to be examined !!- so they have had it all this time at the Durham passport office and it hasn't even been looked at yet - its my first application for a passport too so I'm likely to need an interview and was looking to travel 8th august, ive been chasing it for ages, involved MP, filled in enquiry forms, rang advice line, always getting contradicting info, filled in complaints forms and eventually emailed expedite team yesterday, I got the auto reply to it so hopefully that starts something off as they have had my application at the Durham office since 25th April (which I received and email for- but no updates since), I sent it on 13th April using post office check and send, paper application who advised me of 10 week wait, which was ok as nothing booked and she advised me not to book anything till received passport which I haven't thinking that 10 weeks gives me more than enough time even if slightly delayed but to hear its not even checked and passed the 10 weeks wait was more than disappointing as people are waiting to book their summer holidays once I get this passport.

Just been reading this thread as my son’s passport application has passed the 10 week period as of today. I have phoned numerous times and also emailed. It’s so very confusing trying to get a straight answer as each call advisor says something different. We are due to fly in 17 days and our application has not progressed since the documents were uploaded on the 18th May and I have been advised it is at the Durham office. I have been told we can’t use the upgrade service/ be put in touch with the upgrade team as our travel date is greater than 2 weeks away. Has anyone had success contacting them when their travel is slightly more than 2 weeks or am I better to wait till we are in the 14 day window? Any advice on how we can do anything at all to speed up this process will be greatly appreciated? I’m going to email my local MP too today. I feel so helpless and stressed as I’m sure lots of you are feeling too!

Clee, I am in the same position. I called so many times, various different answers and promises all to be done done. Mines has been in Liverpool since 19th April, an I'm due to fly 29th July. Latest answer is they will not do anything till 2 weeks before I fly. So 15th July! I did contact my local mp and they've been very helpful in actually telling me more on what the actual situation is. 2 weeks before you fly they will do a 1 week fast track process, only in flight order though! So it could end up 48 hours before until they contact me in order to go to my local office and collect (fortunately for me it ain't that far). All this info was from the local mp. And they have also been following it up and if I don't hear any progress by Wednesday then I'm to contact the mp office again for them to follow up. Always worth a try. Annoying as it to wait.

Empathy for you all. The biggie is when you pass 10 weeks AND have only 2 weeks to fly. My son’s was stuck in Liverpool. Applied 27 April on line but a real person did not look at it till 3 July. My MP was brilliant. She found out in one call, about 1 hour after I spoke with her office, what the issue was. I’ve asked her to raise in parliament as I take issue at being told I have not paid the correct fee when I paid what was due which was child renewal. Not my fault it took so long that he then became an adult. I phoned and emailed expedited, escalated and Liverpool direct numerous times. I phoned advice line last Tuesday when I knew the problem was a payment, paid on Wednesday and collected it on Thursday - from an office 4 hours away. Will be claiming fuel and costs and a day off work. The people I managed to speak to when it was urgent were outstanding. They really will do all they can to help. We fly tomorrow. You will get there too.

I hit the 10-week mark last week. I e-mailed the expedition team on Thursday and my MP today. I am overseas and need to move on to another country soon for work. The visa process needs to begin now and it is still at the 'documents received' stage. Ridiculous...

@Nawa similar situation here, though mine is for first time application - mine will be at 12 weeks on Friday 12th July since I had an email saying they had received my application at the Durham passport office, rang webchat and emailed but no further forward and still at same awaiting examination stage - so been there all this time and not even been looked at yet - its beyond frustrating!! ive emailed expedite team see if that gets anything back

I have also emailed the expedite team, hopefully we will hear from them some time today? (does anyone know how long it takes to hear from them?)