Durham

@rapha My friend emailed both the urgent compassionate team and the upgrade team. And got an automated response from both, he wrote he wasn’t able to supply evidence right now in the email to the urgent compassionate team. So I think him emailing both sped up the urgency of his application. So we thought maybe him receiving a call to upgrade was due to the upgrade team not the urgent compassionate team. But the urgent compassionate team normally reject some urgent requests but no rejection email or call was sent his way.

Hey @bobokitty any updates yet?

None at all. Currently on hold with passport office once again as we speak . No one will give me any info or tell me anything, it’s becoming absolute bull !!!

Hello! Just a general update for my fellow overseas passport awaitees .. I decided to call the HMPO Advice Line, I’m applying from Toronto ,Canada. I got through to an agent fairly quickly (3-4min on hold), he was surprised to hear that I’ve been waiting this long as my docs were received on April 16th. He put me right through to the Progress Team and the agent there was helpful as well. The agent said that it taking normally 10-12 weeks for overseas applicants to get their passports printed. This week is my 10th week and she said by July 9th I would be passed through the Examiner and printed. FYI, she did tell me that the Processing stage means that the applications is waiting to be examined now, meaning it’s just sitting at some examiner’s desk now. It’s a little relieving to have some answers, but who knows how accurate they are!? I am hoping there is some substance to what I was told, 10-12 weeks folks for those of you overseas. I will call back at the beginning of next week until July 9th for updates. She did state (as it says online as well) that the supporting docs (so my Canadian passport) will come 2 weeks after my UK one. I need my Canadian passport urgently for travel now postponed from June to August, and she put me through to the Customer Service Management line and I got a voicemail that said “we are busy at the moment and no longer taking calls.” And the call dropped lol. The agent said only that Progress team can perhaps let the examiner know to send my Canadian passport back if they’re done looking at it… I thought I was speaking with the progress team lol, very confused! Anyways 10-12 weeks is what we’re working with now!!! FYI: First Adult Passport Application Overseas: Canada Docs Received: April 16 In processing: May 14

YAY! Good to hear! We’ve been in processing since 27 April. Applied 30 March. So this week is week 12. Praying I get some answers

Overseas adult renewal from Ireland 45 days from application to receipt of new passport - would have been 40 days if I was at home when it first went out for delivery. Old passport waiting 19 days in the post room was the longest part, then another week until they rejected my first photo (too blurred as I accidentally uploaded the wrong file, but was rated as "Good" on the application page). New photo approved the next day then passport printed the following day. Thankfully much quicker than headlines in the media and some of the ones I've seen on here, I hope everyone who is still waiting gets theirs sorted out soon and in time for travel. 06/05/2022 Online Overseas Renewal Application 07/05/2022 Old passport posted 12/05/2022 Tracking showed old passport delivered 01/06/2022 Old passport receipt acknowledged 08/06/2022 Photo rejected, New photo sent 09/06/2022 Approved 10/06/2022 Printed and posted 14/06/2022 Received tracking number 15/06/2022 Out for delivery - Rescheduled for 20th June 20/06/2022 New passport received

Two quick questions: 1. Have there been cases where they ship the supporting documents first if you're applying from abroad (Canada / US?) It doesn't seem like they ship them together given all the other datapoints posted here from other abroad applicants. 2. Are passports printed in London? So the passport was printed last Thursday. Signed up for DHL app and got a notification about a pickup from London UK today. I assumed this was the passport being pick up with #waybill no1. But I just received an email from DHL saying they've received "my supporting documents from Her Majesty's Passport Office" to ship back. It's the same #waybill no1 as the pickup i thought was the passport. So I'm confused if they're sending the supporting documents first then passport which is annoying... as I need the passport first. Though I'd have assumed the documents are still in Durham?

@passnos, quick question first; are you applying for a first adult passport? Are you applying from canada/ USA? Just asking in terms of timelines, because I’ve not found too many people in this forum in the same situation as me (first time applicant, Canadian applicant and docs received back in April). Just trying to ballpark a timeframe for myself. Anyways, further to your question about DHL, I got this from their website: DHL will usually make 2 separate deliveries. One will be to deliver your new passport and the other will be to deliver the supporting documents that you sent with your passport application. There may be a rare occasion where we are able to send you your new passport and supporting documents in the same package. Your passport and supporting documents will normally be delivered separately and may be several days apart.

It's a renewal of lost passport and was applying from Canada as well. How long did it take for you get your passport? I assume you got your passport first then documents. Just checked and DHL says there's an exception on the delivery and now it's on hold. When i contacted an agent they said it's just on hold for the next flight. But the automated system seems to think maybe info is missing. Also, why would they say the "shipment is on hold"? it's confusing so confusing.

@Nimmy we are first time applicants in Australia, application submitted 18 Feb but documents not marked received till 13 April. I know someone who applied back in January from here and got her passport very quickly, interestingly interview was not required.

@passnos, I’ve not received my UK passport yet, let alone my Canadian! My application was showing Docs Received as of April 16, moved into processing stage May 14. I called today because it’s been 10 weeks my docs have been received and no movement. I had to postpone my flight to USA because I had no passport on hand. I was wondering what situation you’re in, but yours is different as it’s a renewal so they have your prior application / info on file it would seem!!

@Upsidedown Oh dear since February.. that’s a quite a long time. Did you call their advice line at all? Did they give any insight as to why it’s taking so long for you? Unfortunately, this entire process has been nothing short of a nightmare for me, however, today’s phone call was a little promising than the rest lol. They said overseas applications are being processed within 10-12 weeks, but yours is the same as mine, it’s at 10 weeks. Mine were marked received on April 16.

@Nimmy it took 4 weeks between them signing for our documents and being officially received. Two weeks after being flipped to "processing" we got an email which said "we don't accept photocopies, please send us your original birth certificate". Three years ago, when applying for our daughter's UK passport, my husband couldn't find his original (handwritten) birth certificate and we had to get a new one reissued, which was accepted for her application with no problem (and also has been accepted for his Australian passport) this time they have decided to query it. They also wanted the document he came to his current country on, since it is not the country of his birth (this document no longer exists as it was one of his parents' passports 50 years ago). When he phoned to tell them this he was asked to send it to them in a letter. That letter was received by them on 24 May according to tracking, then on 30 May he got another email complaining that he had not responded and threatening to cancel the application if it didn't arrive by 20 June. This time there was an email address so he emailed back a copy of the letter and said it is already there. We haven't heard anything from them since, not even an acknowledgement of the email, which I think is a bit rude considering the threat of non-refundable cancellation. He phoned last week and was told it is with an examiner and they could see the letter had arrived, but there has been no follow up at all.

Hi All From my personal experience, there's only one way to guarantee you'll get your passport in time (provided that you've had an application in for at least 6 weeks) Call your local travel agent and get a booking itinerary in your name for an upcoming date, send this to the relevant passport office for an urgent upgrade and/or visit your nearest passport office. State you're travelling in 48 hours and things escalate quickly (for a fee). The safest way is to book a very cheap flight abroad (e.g £10 to Milan) and use that as proof. Itinerary worked for me. Your passport should be printed that day or next at latest. Hope this helps

That absolutely does NOT work. We’re still waiting for approval and flight was yesterday. Been waiting 12 weeks

It absolutely does for everyone I know. It also has to be for an "emergency", not so you can top your tan up. (Thought that would be common sense) Sometimes the energy you put out there is what you get back. Peace

@cya, it may have worked for you and everyone you know but it does not mean it will work for everyone you don’t know lol. The people in this forum all have their own personal reasons as to why they need their passports so urgently (myself included). It’s a bit rude to entail that someone would do that to “top their tan up.” Also what you have written in your post is to blatantly lie to HMPO and book a quick flight and show that as proof lol. Also, you need to understand that not everyone in this forum is applying from Europe. That includes myself and @bobokitty. We don’t have the option to book cheap flights (even if we wanted to), it costs a hell of a lot more than 10 euros to go to the nearest province here. We all have our own personal reasons that we deem urgent, and if that means for someone to “top their tan up,” then so be it- it is none of anyones business and surely not correct to judge. Just be nice and spread that positivity you’re trying to put out.

APPLICATION APPROVED!!!! Waiting to be printed and then shipped to us!!! We will update as received!!!

That's great news @bobokitty!

Application history Identity details received: 8:02pm on 24 April 2022 Email sent to person confirming your identity: 7:44pm on 24 April 2022 Person not eligible: 7:30pm on 24 April 2022 Email sent to person confirming your identity: 7:26pm on 24 April 2022 Ask someone to confirm your identity: 7:25pm on 24 April 2022 Application submitted: 7:25pm on 24 April 2022 No further updates since this date. We have sent emails to the Durham upgrades email as we were requested to do but no response. We are supposed to travel in 11 days, not looking promising!

Does anyone know how long it takes between being approved and receiving passport over seas? Says it went to print 9:34am June 23.

@bobokitty that’s amazing news! Mine also got approved this morning, so grateful 🥲 I believe it’s best to give maybe 1-2 week timeline based on how things have been going so far. Apparently once it’s in printing it’s super fast and it’s sent to us (overseas) via DHL. There’s a DHL tracking link that I assume would get sent to us too. Just based on previous posts above.

FYI anyone joining this forum now, it would appear for Overseas First Adult Applicants, the timeline to get to printing the passport is roughly 10-12 weeks from the date ALL your documents show as received in the HMPO tracker system online. I am solely basing this off of myself and another overseas applicant who also had their documents received a few days before mine. Mine were shown as received in the system on April 16, and as of today June 23 passport has been sent for printing. Will update accordingly once it’s been shipped out. Fingers crossed we can make our vacation in August !!

Passport printed and sent!!! Will update when received!

So happy you both have your passport sorted, really hope even though mine is a uk renewal I follow the same time line. 11 weeks on Sunday and fly in just over 3 weeks time. Hope your passports arrive with you very soon.