Durham

So we've had a very different experience from most people. Haven't received the passport yet but it's being printed so I assume it won't take too much longer. Online Child Passport Renewal lodged 17 June. Posted documents via DHL from Melbourne, Australia. Documents marked received on 29 June. Application approved and sent to print on 4 July. Yes it may still take weeks to print and send but the other response times have been pretty fantastic. I'm sure this doesn't help anyone else but maybe it will give you hope that things are getting better.

Hello - Long post sorry!! We have also pretty much given up :( we sent a first time adult passport application with Post office check and send (paper application) on 13th April, got an email on 22nd April advising application received then another on 25th April advising it was now with Durham Passport office. NOTHING at all received since. Ive chased it on the webchat option and they tell me as of yesterday it is STILL WAITING to be examined, its been there 10 weeks and not even been looked at yet!!- I know as a first time adult application I will likely need an interview too which are going to be hard to get I imagine, ive filled in application trackers and had a reply saying received and waiting to be checked, ive filled in the enquiry form nothing back from that - I rang advice line and the automated response told me they have the information they need and will continue with application and contact if need any more info then call ends, I spoke to someone on advice line number option 8, on 4th July who told me that they would have been in touch by now if I needed an interview (Not sure how they would know this though if they haven't checked my application yet). I seem to get conflicting info from anyone I manage to get through to, ive filled out a complaint form, emailed MP but no reply and emailed the expedited team to see if there is any thing I can do to get it sped up as (i received automated response from that email!!) although ive read you can do this if you have waited more than 10 weeks, only thing is I have no holiday booked as yet so would have no flight docs to show, my holiday was due to start from 8th August but advised not to book anything by post office till you have passport so hadn't booked anything!! thinking 17 weeks in advance of holiday I would have the passport with me. its awful asking to wait till 2 weeks prior can expedite is as airline usually needs more notice than this or 48 hours before could turn up at office hoping they can sort it but no guarantees ??!!??!? I am beyond frustrated and stressed its making me ill with worry as others have waited for booking their holidays till I had this passport back. Any thing else I can do?? I'm desperate to get it, ive even said I would go wait at Durham office to see some one but the told me they would probably just turn me away Thanks for letting me vent

@ks18 only other thing you could do is hunt online for a cheap flight for within the next 2 weeks and go through the upgrade team that way, if you look about there will be some really cheap flights

Amber9514 they are now checking you booked your flights before applying for a passivity to crack down on people booking cheap flights to get an upgrade. Doing this probably won’t work now and will just waste more money. If you’ve been waiting over 10 weeks you don’t need to have travel booked. You can still turn up to the office and get the application sorted

Oops sorry didn’t realise that 🤦‍♀️

Hi, can anyone help me passport timeline as below: First Passport May 7th sent via check and send service May 14th June 31st awaiting examination July 05 awaiting printing July 05th awaiting checking No update since Rung the progress team everyday since June 31st as due to fly on July 15th Some people were helpful which is why I think my application suddenly started to move forward. However, no one can give me an indication as what is happening now Was told awaiting to be checked meant it was printed and needed checking before dispatch. Will i receive tracking? How long is the usual dispatch time from printing? Have been told i cant upgrade due to first passport! What are my options? Do you think it is likely to arrive on time judging from this timeline was told 4 days from printing to send and then 2 to 4 to arrive? Anyone had a similar experience. Sorry for all the questions dont really know what to do and im stressed. Any help will be appreciated. Many thanks

@amber9514 - i did consider that but then read that they were checking to see when flights were booked and turning people away as @Wanting3 says, so I dare not do that to risk losing more money. I thought 10 weeks would be more than sufficient to get it back - we are not due to go till august 8th so fingers crossed there are still a few weeks BUT there are 7 of us going so will be harder to accommodate when booking late deals. emailed expedite team on Thursday so hopefully hear something back by Wednesday this week, but failing that is arriving at the office an option ?? @wanting3, what's likelihood of getting passport then , especially as i may need interview as 1st passport and people are saying those are hard to get booked too

I need some help of who to contact, as I'm getting frustrated of sitting on hold for 2 hours plus and the embassy isn't responding. I need my replacement passport urgently (presently on week 8) as I need to renew my residency visa for the country I live in. The irony being, if I miss the visa renewal I have no method of leaving the country anyway!!! All information I get is wish washed, and I'm unable to speak to anyway/have a contact email. Pulling my hair out here as it's urgent I have a form of ID. I had to get a new passport due to excessive wear and no pages left due to stamps. Thanks in advance if anyone can support me.

I'm a bit excited - just got email notification that our passport applications have both been approved! StatusDate Application approved 12:02pm on 11 July 2022 Documents received 12:21pm on 13 April 2022 Application received 5:45am on 24 February 2022 Identity details received 5:44am on 24 February 2022 Email sent to person confirming your identity 7:25am on 22 February 2022 Ask someone to confirm your identity 6:59am on 18 February 2022 Application submitted 6:59am on 18 February 2022 Application approved 12:02pm on 11 July 2022 Documents received 12:21pm on 13 April 2022 Application received 5:41am on 24 February 2022 Identity details received 5:40am on 24 February 2022 Email sent to person confirming your identity 9:30am on 22 February 2022 Ask someone to confirm your identity 6:39am on 22 February 2022 Application submitted 6:39am on 22 February 2022 This was after emailing the expedite team on the weekend.

Does "awaiting examination" mean it has progressed further than "in processing" or is it the same thing?

Awaiting examination is the last part of the process before it is approved.

ive just had a call back and email advising its finally with an examiner after 11 weeks :) said once checks are done itll be 3-5 days after printing for delivery and no need for an interview as waited so long - so hopefully moving in the right direction. now just the worry of how long the examination takes

@ks18 Mine is also with an examiner. Is that good? I wasn't sure if this was further along then "being processed" or whether it was the same thing? 🤔

@Estival, that's good news! I'm hoping that means its not too much more of a wait now - just wait for updates.

After countless emails, phone calls, on hold, no call backs and Christ knows how many hours wasted we finally got a phone call, txt and email saying my Son's passport is approved, printed and will be dispatched for next day delivery. Can't breath sigh of relief until we have it in our hands. Was weird as although it's been stuck at Durham office for 10 weeks they asked if we wanted to pick it up from Newport ! Not sure if was the escalation upgrade email, expedite urgent mail or mail from our local MP that finally got it moving.

@ks18 Oh that's good then. For some reason I thought waiting to be examined meant it was still at the processing stage. Let's hope it's not too much longer for us both then

My son’s passport has been stuck at Durham for over 10 weeks and I’m due to travel with him in 14 days. I’ve been phoning, getting in touch via the web form page. Every time you get a different answer and I can’t seem to get a straight answer as to what the hold up is and what my options are now we are past ten weeks. Does anyone have an email and or telephone number for Durham? Or any other contact emails or numbers that they have had success with? @neilG are you able to share the escalation upgrade email address please? Thank you

Our applications were stuck at Durham and this is the email address I used - passports were approved, printed and despatched the following business day. ExpeditedService@hmpo.gov.uk This one only works if you are over 10 weeks.

@upsidedown Do you have an email for upgrade team or any other for Durham? I didn't get a response from expedite team but think it's cos even though it's 10 weeks since I posted it, it's not quite 10 weeks since I got the text message saying they'd received it. Thanks

@Estival I didn't have anything specific for Durham, just the expedite email as above (got it from another member here). It does say that they won't do anything unless it is more than 10 weeks, so I think you are correct that you haven't heard anything as it's not quite 10 weeks since they sent the text message - that will be when they are counting from. In our case it was 20 weeks since we had submitted application and over 12 weeks since they'd acknowledged receipt of our documents. There had been so many delays and stuff ups though, our documents sat in their mail room for 4 weeks! and then my husband was asked for ridiculous additional information, that hadn't been requested for any family members previously, and that once received sat there again for another 7 weeks. So I think it was a bit of a no-brainer for the expedite team. How long is it till you hit 10 weeks from the date you got the text message?

@upsidedown Thanks for info. Sounds like you've had it worse from what you've said. It's 10 weeks since sent but it will be 10 weeks end of next week when I got the text message. We don't have any travel booked yet though cos was waiting for passports. We are wanting to go away in school holidays but didn't want to book and risk in it in case they didn't come in time. Will they not expedite it without proof of travel?

@Estival we did not have to supply proof of travel. I think you will find if you email again once it is 10 weeks since you got the text message you will get some action. Though hopefully you might not have to wait that long! Ours was quite a saga, we were unlucky at every step.

@upsidedown I am waiting for 15 weeks and travel booked for 27-July. Please can you help and guide me in high level the format of the email I can send at ExpeditedService@hmpo.gov.uk please. I assume my application Reference and Name in the mail subject. Other than that just have to explain that I am waiting for 15 weeks and my travel is booked for 27-July. Is it like this please? Many thanks.

@biswajitmitra in the subject line I put the passport reference numbers and my husband's name. We also had a reference number from previous contact from an examiner who had contacted us with a query so I put that in too. I just wrote the email as a letter - "To whom it may concern, I am writing to you about the passport applications of my husband, [full name], and my son, [full name], which are being handled by the Durham office. My husband’s passport application (PEX ------) was submitted on 18 February 2022 (20 weeks ago), and my son’s (PEX ----------) was submitted a few days later on 22 February. The supporting documents were officially marked “received" for both applications on 13 April (over 12 weeks ago) (although according to postal tracking both were actually received four weeks earlier). " I then outlined all the dealings we had with HMPO staff including queries, phone calls, information sent and dates, etc. In your case, you would include dates you had phoned and been told you would get a call back. Have you got a reference number for when you reported your passport as lost? I know other people on here had delays because they were not asked for this number, but it was needed for their applications to progress. Then I said "It is now almost four weeks since that phone call, our last contact with HMPO, and we are becoming increasingly concerned and anxious about the situation. We are travelling to the UK in three weeks and are beginning to worry that the passport will not arrive here in time, particularly considering the lengthy postage times between the UK and Australia." and concluded with "We are requesting that these applications be expedited if possible, given the time taken to process them and the increasingly urgent need." and signed it Yours sincerely, with our names below. In our case I think the delays were so extensive and I had documented anything so it was a very strong case. You have been waiting a long time too and have upcoming travel - good luck!

Hi I just have a question if anyone knows? I had a call from them yesterday regarding my 1st passport as its been with them 12 weeks now (since mid April) and still hadn't been examined, I got a call advising had been passed to examiner on Monday 11th July for checking, once checks are complete its 3-5 days after printing to be sent out/delivered to me (I did ask if I could collect it from Durham to save more delays but wasn't able to) and they said that there would be no need for an interview now either (maybe because of the time waited and holiday due to start on 8th august), then got an email advising Durham are processing this and once approved its off to print and they'll notify me. (hoping this isn't too long) still advising 10 weeks to receive it on bottom of the email but hey-ho. Anyway my question is does anyone have any idea as to how long the examiner takes before its approved/printed- do I need to chase it if I haven't had a notification soon advising on printing/with delivery company?