New Passport Upgrade Service!

That's the position I'm in at the moment I'm waiting for them to recieve the birth certificate of my sons renewal They received it from royal mail about a week ago and I'm getting nervous now ....we fly on the 17th June Looking at holiday re-arranging options already

I think we will almost certainly be re-arranging travel. We fly 5th June, and doesn’t look like upgrade within 4/6 weeks is an option from this week.

Hey Everyone 👋 I've just managed to have an extremely good call with the progressing team. I'm due to travel in 7 days and still awaiting my daughters passport. An upgrade request was originally submitted on 18th May however, I've not heard anything back. During the call the process was clearly explained. Upgrade requests will only be actioned if application is 6 weeks or older - This ties in with the sudden change to 10 weeks - Also due to demand they consider this the appropriate time window to allow upgrades to be processed. Callbacks are happening within 1-3 working days prior to your travel date. When you receive a callback payment will be taken and you will have an option to collect from your nearest passport office this can be different to the office currently handling your application When sending a request to the upgrades team - Date of travel has to be placed within the subject header - IMPORTANT Make sure you include screen shots of travel and attach full PDF of travel document - different advisors want different types of evidence it seems. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news if your application is less than 6 weeks. I'm hoping my call when come in the next few days.......!

this isn’t being clearly explained to people … all I’ve been asked for previously is the date of my application… which is currently 5 weeks - for a lost passport, I’m awaiting a call back as we travel in 12 days and this hasn’t been explained and I only spoke with someone yesterday from the progress team. Anyone had any luck with a upgrade less than 6 week old application?? I could actually cry now if that is the case

Hey Paige, I think the steer is anyone that has applied since the timeframe went to 10 weeks officially understood at time of application this period. Those that fall beyond this were expecting a different application timeframe. It seems like the upgrade process is ever changing as only recently been implemented but it does seem like the 6 week rule is going to stay. It was the first point the progressing team checked to ensure the previous information given around my eligibility to be offered an upgrade was correct. I've spent many hours speaking to the passport office and this is the first call I had where I felt like the advisor genuinely knew what he was advising me on. Also maybe other factors come into play like type of application etc I really don't know more than I've shared.

Yeah I understand that , it’s so draining and the fact not one advisor has told me this , obviously things happen like needing one urgently or losing a passport ( my case) and many other peoples that already have a holiday booked mine has been booked since a year ago .. I’m gutted no one has told me this before… after thinking I have some sort of hope .. that’s all been lost now and to top it off I can’t change my holiday either:( Gutted.

@KS1982 thanks for that update. Can I ask when you were told that they'd be in touch 1-3 working days before travel? If this is a guarantee I have no issue travelling to passport office the day before we are due to go away, but unfortunately we have to make any changes to the booking 72 hours before arrival which leaves me in a complete bind. Complete first world problems but if I could get someone on the progress team to just give me some information as it seems like it changes every few days which is so frustrating! there is hope, then there isn't, then it looks like it might be hopeful again!

I travel on Thursday and received an email at 8.30am this morning with a direct number to the agent dealing with my application. I think I got an email as I was on hold to the General enquiries team. The person I spoke to on the general line advised me that he was 100% certain I wouldn't be getting my passport in time. In the end I had to hang up as everything he was saying was at odds with what I'd been advised previously. The main issue at play seems to be that people are getting told different things by different call handlers. The guy from the Durham office told me that in the morning the team has a work list of people travelling within 48 hours and that so far in almost every case people have been getting their passports.

I fly Friday and finally going to pick up my sons passport after 12.5 weeks. It's been a long emotional process but glad I collect today.

Congratulations @Kel85. Makes me happy to read things like this. Just a few questions, I travel in 5 days. Should I call them first thing tomorrow or wait till it’s 48 hours? Got automated reply from them and emailed them earlier but that’s all I’ve done. Any advice? Also, what was your office?

Hey @clareil, the steer was that if you met the upgrade eligibility criteria application 6 weeks or older, evidence of travel etc and all has been submitted then they are processing upgrade requests in date order. As of this morning the timeframe was 1-3 working days prior to travel for callback to happen, but the steer was this is a guideline and the call can happen at anytime within this window, some are getting calls earlier if they clear passports required in the 48 hour window they are working on.

Brightonnik, did you then call the number left on the email you received? Did they give you a different steer to the general advice helpline? Kel85 did you get a call from the upgrades team then?

@kel85 we fly Thurs and waiting anxiously for a call. My husband has also gone to the Peterborough office in the hope of coming home with my sons passport! 🤞

Ks1982 the email was from the durham upgrade team, who then took payment.

Thanks so much for this message this has really given me hope ..due to fly Monday my passport was applied for 10+ weeks ago so hopefully get the call by end of the week. 🤞 if not I'm going to travel to my nearest passport office to see if they can print it

I’ve just had the email from the Belfast Upgrade Team to advise that because it’s less than 6 weeks since I applied, that I cannot upgrade so I am going to miss my flight. I’m heartbroken. The 6 weeks rule was not pointed out to me last Friday when I was given the email address.

That’s gutting I’m in the same position…. Yet to hear but it’s probably going to be the same outcome what was your date of application?

27 April, so although it’s close it’s not close enough for me to have my passport before my flight.

Have just spoke to the passport office finally today and even though if you have emailed a upgrade team within the 2 week before you fly timeline it is not guaranteed to get your passport any faster or at all before you fly its just a guideline

Gemzy cab you let us know if ur husband has any luck at the passport office..goodluck 🙏🤞

You could always try and go to the passport office within 48hrs and see if they’ll process it. Worth a try! 😬 @gradders

I will do! They’ve been known to do it from bring on this thread a while now so let’s hope! @carolmu1992

What counts as 6 weeks? As in on the timeline, must your application have been being processed for 6 weeks? or does the date it says your application was submitted have to have been 6 weeks ago?

I’ve no idea I’m afraid, they didn’t specify. I’m sick of the whole process just being so vague.

just spoke to someone on the helpline who said its 6 weeks from application being submitted so im hoping thats right as my application was submitted 27th march but only been being processed since 20th april ...