New Passport Upgrade Service!

@PBC19. Send this email and also go into the London offices today! DurhamUpgradeTeam@hmpo.gov.uk Subject header: URGENT passport needed TOMORROW! Expedite (ref number) (name of applicant)……….. URGENT PASSPORT NEEDED TOMORROW! Expedite PEX- Holiday travel – Sunday 15th may 2022 Applicants name – D.O.B – Address – Contact number – My name- (if applying for child) Email address – Proof of travel-

So I’m just wanting to know how long roughly is it taking people to get there old passport received on the application. I can’t upgrade until then and I fly in 14 days Thanks

Hi Vilkilee22 Approx 10 days to 2 weeks. I would ring passport office first thing in morning and ask to be put through to management team. Be prepared to wait. We had 2 phones ringing. Keep your tracking no hannd from post office

@france22 thank u Will they be able to help I’ve phoned today and not got much help, just said I had to wait for a text to say they’ve got old passport. I can’t take no more stress. It’s going to be a very close call to get this passport 😞

Thank you!!!

Did you get call transferred to management services? If not ask then to. You will get to speak to an official passport worker.good luck

Thank you! I’ve sent it again but can’t get to the London office but will turn up tomorrow. Beyond stressed. People travel tomorrow have already got their call.

I’m on hold now and will do that. Thank you x

What number is it I call the normal 0300 222 0000 numbed?

Yes. Then press 8 then 3. May have to press 3 twice. Insist nicely to have call transferred. Try having 2 phones on go in case one cut off in transfer. Tomorrow its 9.00 but try at 8.00

Thank you very much for your info

By a cruel twist of fate, it looks like I missed their call whilst on hold with the main advice line. I am screwed if they don’t call me back by EOB today. I got a call from a Telecoms company and a voicemail was left. You can make this up. I’ve emailed again.

@PBC19 Ahh no, call them back and tell them you missed the call and get them to put on your notes to call back asap! They called from withheld number, good luck 🤞

Call off a different phone if you can so you can answer straight away if they call back!

So we got our birth certificates and drive to Durham from Liverpool and handed it over. They told us not to worry as the teams are calling around 48 hours before travel to either send next day or collect - so I now have faith. Worth the 6 hour drive.

0300 105 0850 - this number outs you straight through to the progress team

I sent another email this morning and wrote urgent in the subject for all 4 passports- 1 adult renewal and 3 children’s first. I’ve still not spoken with anyone from the upgrade team but had a text a few hours ago to say mine had been approved… but nothing for the kids. Anyone else had this? Am I still going to get a call? Can kids be upgraded?? I read somewhere in this thread that they can’t??? I fly Weds! Currently 55 minutes on hold atm to progress team… :(

My sons got upgraded today I have to collect tomorrow and we fly Monday so they will prob ring you Monday if you fly we’d

Hi, Did someone send their passport when applying for the first child passport? Did they return this passport together with the child's passport?

Will do, lesson learned arghhh, I could cry and scream :-(.

Ahh it’s so horrible isn’t it 😩 I spent 2 weeks glued to my phone, was too scared to go into any big supermarkets incase I lost signal, on the last couple of days I told everyone I new not to call me too, I actually ran out on my midwife when they were calling me 🙈😂 it’s so easy to miss a call and when it’s withheld it makes it that much more annoying 🙄 wishing you the best of luck, you still have time 🙌 hopefully they will see the note tonight or early morning and ring straight back, apparently there working till 11pm so keep your phone on loud next to you till late. My daughters was ready to collect yesterday at 3pm and I only got my call at 10am so they can do it same day 🤞

Is there a long wait on this number?

Hi folks, applied for two new child passports 23rd March using the Post Office check and send paper form. Travel on the 28th May Got no idea which office the applications are at so today (15 days before travel) I emailed my two nearest office upgrade teams requesting an upgrade. Ive also just called and spoke to two nice people who were helpful and said I should now expect a call in a day or 2. My question is, will I have to pay for this, if I have been waiting over 7 week already?\ The lady suggested it would be £60 per passport? I don't think ive seen that mentioned on this forum yet?

Don’t give up hope!! Hi everyone. We applied 5 weeks ago for a standard child renewal. I worried it wouldn’t come in time (we fly 25th May) but I was told by the advice line twice that as long as I hadn’t sent his old passport in I could book a one week fast track appointment and bring a letter asking for his standard application to be cancelled. I went to London and was turned away. Told so many contradictory things from the advice line. In the end sent in his old passport to Bootle over 2 weeks ago but it hadn’t been scanned on. They told us on the phone there was nothing that could be done until/if it was scanned on, and that this can take 3 weeks and they won’t investigate until 3 weeks (which was too late for us). Wrote to our MP who enquired and was told the same. My wife just went to Newport (with a letter of authorisation from me) and because of the fast track wrong advice they called Liverpool, got Liverpool to find his passport in the mail room and then approved and printed it there and then! They were turning people away otherwise saying come back within 48 hrs of flying So if you’re in our situation, or the passport isn’t scanned on it is possible for them to find it! Turn up, be nice and hope!! Good luck everyone!!! 😎

I emailed all offices and got a reply from Durham to say that they've acknowledged my upgrade request. Does that mean that Durham will print my passport? Can I go and pick it up in person if it gets too close to my travel date?