Applications whilst locked down

Child First passport Document sent to Liverpool Passport RECEIVED 27/05/2020 Printed and sent 26/05/2020 Application Approved 22/05/2020 Processing 09/03/2020 Applied Online 03/03/2020 Wel before lockdown GOOD LUCK TO all u guys.

Daily Express story link below (from yesterday). As ever with newspapers the story seems to contain some contradictions such as saying that only urgent passport cases are being processed, while later on it quotes a Home Office spokesperson saying that standard renewals are being processed but are taking longer than usual. The story seems to have been inspired by one in the Telegraph on 22 May. My application is at Peterborough. I was in the city centre last week taking a walk round the outside of the cathedral. The Passport Office is quite close. As I walked back on my way home I noticed two members of the PO staff returning to the office in the mid-afternoon and going in through the staff entrance. If nothing else that does at least prove some of the staff are at work though what they're doing is anyone's guess. What there's no indication of anywhere is whether Passport Office staff are going to gradually building their service back up. One would have expected a modicum of normal service resumption as the lockdown eases. I might add that there are all sorts of other areas that have shut down, like birth registration for example. https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1287425/passport-renewal-uk-passports-renew-delay-holidays-travel-advice-news-latest https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/passports-expiring-lockdown-coronavirus/

Hi, My partner sent away for his renewal on the 10th April and his passport was delivered by the 15th May. Pretty quick. He had lost his passport and it was due to expire on the 27th of April. I on the other hand am left waiting as it's my first adult passport so will need an interview. We're due to go away at the beginning of September. You would think they could find a way around doing interviews face to face. Even zoom interviews would surely make sense and stop a backlog of passport interviews building up. Suppose I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that everything is up and running again soon.

Has anybody who sent their documents to Newport received their passports back? I read somewhere that the Newport office was closed since lock-down while others have minimal staff. This was my first passport application, no news since 24th March. Application being processed 12:05pm on 24 March 2020 Documents received 4:16pm on 23 March 2020 Application received 2:17pm on 19 March 2020 Identity details received 2:16pm on 19 March 2020 Email sent to person confirming your identity 11:44am on 18 March 2020 Ask someone to confirm your identity 11:39am on 18 March 2020 Application submitted 11:39am on 18 March 2020

Shannon81x: which passport office did your partner's passport go to? Was it the same one as yours? We're beginning to build up a picture here but it's crucial to know which offices applications were made so that we can identify the ones operating some sort of service and those that aren't.

@Ramart81 first passport applications and child renewals seem to be taking the longest. Where did you read the information regarding Newport being closed? I would take everything written by newspapers with a pinch of salt - they are inconsistent with each other and inconsistent with what HMPO have told us.

Hi Ramart81, I had same date and same office. Application processed 24 March since then nothing from newport passport office.

Sent child renewal to Newport...has been processing since 21/3 2 other passports sent to other offices on same date and had them both back.

@lottiebritt - to where were the other two sent? Were they standard adult renewals? What were the dates of them turning to "being processed" and being "approved"? Newport seems to be one of the slower offices at this point.

@rjo 1 adult renewal sent to Durham - processing from 21/3 and approved 27/3 1 child renewal sent to Peterborough - processing from 21/3 and approved 12/5 Newport still waiting. I just hope now our holiday gets cancelled or our son won’t be able to come with us at this rate! 😂

Has anyone recieved a passport back from Belfast? Waiting on a first child passport sent in mid march. When I spoke to someone they advised they couldn't give me a timeline and that it could be days, weeks or months but didnt take any information from me and wouldnt let me know if belfast was operating.

So the child renewal to Peterborough is consistent with current trend at 7 1/2 weeks from processing to approved. But Newport doesn’t seem to have many success stories in the thread so we don’t even have a semi-complete picture for it. Belfast, I think that might be the first in this thread to mention it.

As my previous post 8 days for my adult renewal from Peterborough 22-30 of April from submit to being printed but still no passports for child renewals from Durham being processed now for a month.

Yes there are some exceptional cases which seem to be taking barely even a week which is confusing, particularly with Grantham Traveller’s application also being a straight forward adult renewal. WWFC, was your adult renewal to Peterborough done via the digital check and send system? I’m trying to figure out if there’s any reason for these wild inconsistencies

Thank you to all of you for contributing to this topic which I hope is helping you get a better idea of the current situation. Please do continue to post here but we have also set up a new forum for people to post their completed timelines for each respective Passport Office. Stay safe everyone! http://www.passportwaitingtime.co.uk/forums/forum/different-passport-offices/

WWFC's application to Peterborough was submitted a week before mine but my documents (i.e. old passport) arrived at Peterborough on 29 April only one day after WWFC's. Despite that, my application wasn't even admitted to 'being processed' for another THIRTEEN DAYS (12 May), twelve days after WWFC's new passport was sent out. Mine is still 'being processed' (27 May) which as we all now know is a a very elastic term. It sounds like something is happening but in reality it is probability just heaped up in a long stack of applications awaiting processing. As it happens I can afford to be patient, and I also fully accepted from the outset that I'd have to wait an extended length of time, but that doesn't mean I am not very confused by the intense variability in service. Mine is a standard online renewal with no complications. The online photo submission page said the picture I had uploaded was right into the Good sector. My old passport had not expired but a) had a damaged page and b) will be useless from September on for helping my son and his small children out of Vietnam where they are stuck for the moment, because it would no longer have enough time left on it. I was assured by someone on the Passport Office helpline that I had done the right thing because it is in the queue and I ought to get the new one in time.

rjo i just applied and uploaded photos myself on GOV.UK

US/UK Dual citizen applying for first Adult Passport from the US. Documents sent to Durham office. Here's my timeline so far: Application being processed 7:35am on 26 May 2020 Documents received 11:12am on 22 May 2020 Application received 7:13pm on 14 May 2020 Identity details received 7:13pm on 14 May 2020 Email sent to person confirming your identity 5:33pm on 14 May 2020 Ask someone to confirm your identity 5:28pm on 14 May 2020 Application submitted 5:28pm on 14 May 2020 We'll see how long this takes! Fingers crossed

Grantham Traveller - I was told via Twitter that replacements for damaged passports take longer because they have a longer process (because they are government documents which have been damaged and so must be checked for something - any other details I don't know) - this is the process mine is also going through. It does seem strange to me as to why mine is taking so long with this process because the application to replace the damaged passport asks for very little information, but I guess we will never know. Hoping for an update soon as mine just passed 7 weeks since processing started.

Thanks rjo. The only damage to my passport is a small tear (about 12 mm) at the edge of an internal page and to be fair it hasn't been queried on passing through immigration anywhere including the UK, but of course one is advised to get a passport with any damage replaced because some countries' immigration officers can get agitated about the slightest problem. There isn't any damage to the key pages with my picture which is what would cause problems with a UK renewal application (perhaps that's the case with yours?) and other very specific damage (see below). Mine is otherwise only going through a standard renewal and that's all I applied for, though I pointed out with a post-it note that one page had a small tear in it. The UK Passport Office's definition of damage (which then crucially requires identity to be confirmed) is: details are indecipherable the laminate has lifted enough to allow the possibility of photo substitution discolouration to the bio-data page chemical or ink spillage on any page missing or detached pages the chip or antenna shows through the end paper on the back cover for the new style e-passports the chip has been identified as damaged after investigation None of those apply to mine.

Interesting. Mine has a missing page but I haven’t been asked to confirm identity. My belief was that this would be done earlier on in the process, much like in the cases of naturalisation etc. in the thread which seem to be done way before the processing stage. So since then I’ve assumed all I’m waiting for is them to say yes/no to my photo.

Presumably then rjo when you applied you went through the Replace Online service, whereas because the damage to mine was so minor I went through the Renew Online procedure. Replace Online is for damaged, lost or stolen passports. Identity confirmation is usually necessary for lost or stolen, but for damaged only (I think) where the photo page, chip, laminate are damaged and/or details are indecipherable. I completely share your frustration. If it's going to take 7-10 weeks one could accept that far more easily if they just said when, i.e. 'your application should be completed by 10 July' or whenever. As it is we are simply in a fog. Ironically, in 2011 my passport was stolen (in Athens). I came back on an emergency passport. I applied for the replacement passport the day after I came back (on a Tuesday). The new passport arrived on the Friday. Happy days. Mind you, if that hadn't happened I'd have renewed the stolen passport in 2014 and not had the problem now.

Yes - replace online. So I’m not too sure why it should take so long. I’m wondering if it’s worth another phone call and asking why some take a week and others are taking 8+ times that...

I'm starting to get really down with neg. health effects from not having passport. 8th April: Application submitted 15th April: Documents received 22 April: Application being processed ^ It was sent to Durham office but I'm in Scotland. I'm an adult with autism and have no parents and not much support. My need for passport is that I have no valid ID right now. I can't do banking or organise accommodation for myself so I'm staying on a friend's sofa just now but I feel like I've been doing that for too long and it's straining things. It's causing me unbearable stress .. pre-covid-19 I had a crisis team and help but there is none of that now... mental health services aren't functioning or giving me the time of day. I will feel much better once I have my passport and ID.. will make me feel human again. My aunt in Australia passed away 3 days ago, can't travel for that either. Not meant to be a rant, just a desperate soul here. Can't stop ruminating

When you apply for a passport, do you choose which passport office it goes to for processing? Newport, Durham, Peterborough, etc.