Hemel Hempstead

Hi guys here is my application timeline: Passport received 10:43am on 13/04/2022 Passport printed 2:17am on 08/04/2022 Application approved 9:06pm on 01/04/2022 Documents received 5:03pm on 17/03/2022 Documents sent first class recorded delivery on 04/03/2022 Application received 12:40pm on 02/03/2022 Application submitted 12:39pm on 02/03/2022 Notes: - My supporting documents were actually physically delivered by royal mail on 05/03/2022 but HMPO seems to take a long time to process the receipt of your documents. - Something HMPO don't tell you is that the processing time (up to 10 weeks) does not start from when they phyiscally receive the supporting documents but from when they say they've received them. - The processing time also does not include any time it takes for your documents to get there. - A lot of the employees at HMPO are very unhelpful and will tell you that they can't give you any further information. - You can arrange with TNT to pick up your passport from your local depot, you just need to call their number (0800 100600) and give the autonmated bot the wrong information several times and they'll put you through to a human. - Something else HMPO does not tell you is that once your passport is marked as "printed" there are potentially several additional days of waiting as they need to package all the passports for delivery, this means that once "printed" it is not actually ready to be dispatched yet. - I received no information from HMPO or TNT about tracking numbers or when my passport was going to be delivered, I had to find that out myself by using TNT's tracking page (you can enter your passport reference number to track it here: https://delivery.tnt.com/tracking). - My passport was posted to me without them asking for my signature it was just sent through my letterbox. - I was told by TNT that Monday - Saturday TNT drivers pick up passports throughout the day with the final collection at 5:30 PM, this means that if there is no information on your passport on their tracking page by 5:30 PM it has not yet been picked up by TNT.

Good evening everyone! Applied February 21st. Documents signed for on February 25th but only acknowledged on March 15th. No update since then, and we’ve subsequently had to cancel a holiday which was due to depart today, April 18th. This was a ‘simple’ renewal of an adult passport for a 78 year old! No replies to emails and phonecalls go unanswered. Any tips? No longer time-critical now we’ve missed our trip but this continues to be a shocking service.

Hi all, My timeline below for adult renewal, only took 17 days from start to finish. New passport received 12:02pm on 19th April 2022 Passport printed 3:16am on 14 April 2022 Application approved 10:17pm on 7 April 2022 Documents received 9:33am on 7 April 2022 Application received 10:47am on 2 April 2022 Application submitted 10:46am on 2 April 2022

Here's my timetable for an adult renewal. My child's first passport through Liverpool is a lot slower so far! Application history StatusDate Passport printed 1:28pm on 11 April 2022 Application approved 2:27am on 6 April 2022 Documents received 7:23am on 5 April 2022 Application received 2:12pm on 29 March 2022 Application submitted 2:12pm on 29 March 2022 Passport was in my hands on 14 April.

Sent passport to Bootle and was acknowledged within 2 days of being received and is now being processed but my wife’s was sent to Hemel Hempstead the same and recorded delivery and no update. Was getting worried about hers but from others experiences it’s just a waiting game with Hemel Hempstead 😱😱

Hi All, I have had the same problem with Hemel. I posted my husbands passport by royal mail on 20th April and it is still showing as undelivered. I sent my sons on the same day to bootle and they received it in 2 days and is now being processed. I have tried calling the passport office number and can't get through. I just want acknowledgment that they have received the passport.

JVIN, we have a very similar situation, bootle one has been printed and ready for delivery but Hemel one still not showing old passport being received, have u heard back to say documents received yet?

My timeline for an adult renewal. Overall it was very quick. The passport was delivered on the 30th. Passport printed 11:38am on 28 April 2022 Application approved 7:38pm on 26 April 2022 Documents received 12:32pm on 25 April 2022 Application received 7:59pm on 12 April 2022 Application submitted 7:59pm on 12 April 2022

Hi smudger, Have you had a response or anything to say that they have received the passport? I have still had nothing

I posted my sons passport renewal on the 21st signed for and still not showing as delivered! really starting to panic that it's lost but looking on here that seems to be normal! Any update JVIN - looks like yours should be a day ahead of mine? Any ideas what happens if they are lost with royal mail? My tracking type is delivery signature only as it was sent business recoreded so can't even see where it is! Do they need the old one to continue the application? What happens if it doesnt arrive. Nightmare.

Hi, I still haven’t heard anything. I am going to wait till Friday and then ring Royal Mail and see what they say. I’m not sure what happens if the passport is lost maybe re apply and say it is lost- but then do we have to pay the fee again. I will keep you updated on here if I here anything.

Thnk you! Fingers crossed they get themselves sorted this week and everything starts processing!

Mum’s old passport was received at Hemel on 25th Feb., signed for, (we checked the tracking). There was no update in the system until 18th March when it finally updated to having arrived - so nearly a month.

Hi, so just had an email to say they have received the passport now so I am hoping it won’t take long to process. So it has taken them just under 2 weeks to acknowledge receiving it, and it is still showing undelivered on Royal Mail which is just a joke.

Me too JVIN! Must have finally clered some. Finger crossed they move swiftly now! No point in paying for Royal mail when it hasn't tracked. Mine's the same.

Are the passport applications and documents, forwarded on from Hemel to another passport office? I was unaware there was an office in Hemel until I had to post the required documents. Has anybody had any passports approved from Hemel recently? If so, what was the timeline please? I submitted a child’s passport renewal (online) 11th April and it’s still stuck on ‘documents received’.

JVIN & LexT please can you keep me posted on your progress? I am in the same position. Posted my daughters old passport for her renewal on 19th April to Hemel and it is still showing in the system as not received, Worried it is lost now . Your post gives me a but of hope though!. I sent my passport for renewal on the same day (19th April)to Bootle and it was processed v quick and new passport received by me in post today. Don't know why there is such a difference in offices.

Hi bones, Mum applied online for her standard renewal on February 21st. The old passport was signed for at Hemel on February 25th, but not acknowledged in their systems until March 18th. Finally updated on April 25th saying the application had been approved, and the passport arrived (without notification) on April 28th.

Can I ask how long it took them to acknowledge your documents? Over 2 weeks for me now and still waiting

CAMcC will keep you posted. It’s was a joke waiting for it to arrive so hopefully yours will show tomorrow. Mine still says not delivered on Royal Mail…. I couldn’t see HH address on the list of offices either - maybe it’s a temp one? Or overflow? Fingers crossed it all keeps moving now as it’s a big stress when there’s nothing you can do about it!

Thanks Unhappyflyer. Looks like it takes just over 5 weeks to move from ‘received documents’ to ‘approval’ then, and that’s assuming no rejections along the way!

CAMcC, I posted child’s old passport to Hemel on 11th April. It was signed for on 12th April, but did not show receipt on system until 19th April.

Just seen on another site that Hemel is just a sorting office abs they forward on applications/documents! Does anyone know where the passports applications are sent onto from Hemel, or how you find out which passport office is handling the application?

CAMcC no movement from documents received as soon as it gets to the next stage I will post it on here.

I'm the same sent old passport back to hemel on the 26th April, royal mail still not saying its arrived 🤞 for some news soon