New Passport Upgrade Service!

@wanokuni that’s what I have been worried about too. Not only didn’t other half loose his passport but he has also lost his driving licence card. So how will we prove id. Needless to say I will be taking the new passport straight off him when it arrives!

Just collected my passport from London for travel tomorrow. Large line of people waiting to go into main passport office but the guy on the door was insistent that unless you had an appointment you wouldn't be seen.

I applied for my husband and two children passports on 9th May, we are due to travel on Sunday (I know, I know!) I had previously tried for three weeks to get an appointment to no avail and pretty much resigned myself to the holiday not happening and posted of applications in the hope we would get them back in time to travel for the summer holidays. Then, last week, someone mentioned the upgrade service! My hopes were raised again and I decided to give it a bash! I emailed all Information to the Durham address, and put a note on there that I was prepared to travel to any passport office in the country to collect. Obviously, I don't qualify for an upgrade as application not six weeks old, but the last I spoke to said discretion would be used and there was a chance. Had a call yesterday from passport office. I still don't know why, she took all my info and said there was no update. I asked her why she had called me and she said there was a note in the system to call me??? I don't know what to think at this stage. I am prepared to pay any amount of money and travel anywhere. Is it worth calling, e-mailing? Turning up at passport office (my nearest is London Victoria). Any advice appreciated. Equally, if anyone wants to tell me to stop dreaming and I am def not going on holiday, I will take that too!

@Gemzy Did you also get texts saying that you’ll be contacted for delivery? I’m a bit confused since I was told I’m just collecting but I’m getting texts suggesting it’s being delivered?

@wanokuni Yes I did even though we were collecting. Have u had a call now or just texts?

@Gemzy Excellent, got the call whilst I was in Tesco haha.

@marylondon go to your nearest office on Friday earliest you can, they should be able to help if within 48hrs of travel. We did this and got passport yesterday for travel tomorrow! :)

@Gemzy My nearest passport office is London, but lots of people saying you can't get in there without an appointment. Is the London office different to the others? Can I ask when you first submitted your application?

@marylondon you could try Peterborough where we went, it’s not far from train station if you get a train from London. We didn’t have an appointment but they have an enquiries queue and that’s where we got some help, I’d try and go if you can. We applied 2nd Apr

@Gemzy Thank you. Yes, I think I'll give Peterborough a go on Friday morning. Although, your application was submitted well before mine! But I'll try it! Thank so much

Ive found RBI’s process so stressful its not even funny. Travel date - 26 May! 26 March - submitted passport application for a renewal Beginning of May - started chasing for updates. 16 May - referred to Durham upgrade team 18 May - I didnt hear back within 48 hours so chased. Receiver auto response confirming receipt and will try and meet my travel rage. Applications are done by date order (apparently) Mon 23-today - me calling several times daily asking where passport is as im due to travel in days!!!!!! I keep being told that its marked as urgent and theres alerts placed for the case handler. Today - head down to the London passport office around half 12 ish as nobody is calling me back and I cant just wait. I travel tomorrow. No real queue at the office and the person helping me could basically see that there were urgents and alerts all over my file but Durham hadn’t told London to print. London contacts Durham. I sit and wait and maybe 20-30 mins later Durham calls me to tell me they’re pressing print right now and to collect at half 4. Im relived but the he last week and the half has been way too stressful not to mention ive had to leave the office come down, im heading back now and will pick up tomorrow morning. Good luck to all of you waiting. This forum really helped me in terms of info and stuff.

U can get in. I just walked in BUT, mine was super urgent as im travelling tomorrow. Also when I left there wasn’t a queue. And what queue there is people collecting passports so it moves very quick.

Update on my friend. Travelling tomorrow. She got a call yesterday morning from the upgrade team and said as it's her very 1st passport she'll need an interview on teams. They said she'd get it by 3.30pm yesterday or 11.30am the latest today in order for her to pick her passport up at 3.30pm today. She didn't get the call or an email with teams link. She's travelling a 2-hour trip to Peterborough now to see if they can help. Not looking hopeful :( But keeping everything crossed!

Hello everyone. I'm at bit of a loss here. I am due to travel on the 1st of June, sent my application in on the 24th of March and the passport has been processing since the 5th of April. Ladtb Wednesday I contacted the durham update team as I was made aware of it and send in an email with proof of travel and got the automated response saying I'd hear back within 48 hours, it has been an entire week and the only call backs I'm getting is from the advice line, everytime I phone and get through I get told, "we're no longer going by the 48 hours and you just have to wait for a phone call," but the call has not come. Stressed is not even the word

You’re likely to get a call within 48hrs of travel date so Mon 30th or Tues 31st, I recommend you get yourself to your nearest passport office on the Monday and they should be able to help get it processed, the Upgrade team can print at the office you’re at. We did the same yesterday and travel tmrw! Take ID

@paigebates91 - like you (I think, correct me if I am wrong)! My wife and I had our passports stolen just under 6 weeks ago. We are due to fly on the 9th of june. I've probably been on the phone, both on hold and talking to agents for around 6 hours. However I never seem to get anywhere close to the upgrade team. I have sent them an email which i have had no automated response or reply from. Have you had any luck at all up to this point?

Right I’ve had to get my Mp involved yesterday as I am so distressed after hearing this new 6 week rule that people keep saying about the upgrade… my MP chased it this morning and come back to me also this morning and advised me the upgrade team are actioning my upgrade , but I may have to wait as late as 48 hours before for a phone call , which I’m not doing either … if I haven’t heard anything by Tuesday evening I’m heading to our local passport office and chasing it down there and won’t leave without one .. I’m not risking the bank holidays as we travel on the Sunday…. I suggest you do the same chase any Avenue to help speed it on. And let me know .

I have had another automated email from the Belfast upgrade team as I have sent an appeal to them as the first automated email from Saturday confirms that I met the criteria for an upgrade at the time. I have sent screenshots of both emails and am keeping fingers crossed that this works as they’ve clearly moved the goalposts after my request went in.

Firstly, thanks for all the tips and knowledge on this forum. I've been chasing an upgrade as I'm due to fly this coming Sunday. I had emailed the Liverpool depot who are dealing with my passport regarding an upgrade. Finally got the call today but missed it as I was away from my desk. Unknown number but followed a call my partner received who gave them my number. Within 5 minutes I then received an email to say my passport had been approved. I then called one of the numbers listed here to be told it was likely coincident and it had been approved through the normal process and nothing to do with the upgrade team. I take it there is little hope of it been printed and with me by Saturday? Anyone had super quick turnaround time? Most that I can see take at least a few days to print, let alone being dispatched!

Hi all, I’ve been following the forum and I’m not sure whether to feel hopeful or not, I’m travelling on the 29th may and I’m still waiting for my two childrens passports which have been processing since March 29th, I was advised to upgrade when I was due to fly in two weeks which I did, the only emails I have received were from Durham stating that “we are dealing with upgrades from the date you need your passport, we will contact you in time to meet this date”, however a few people on here are flying the same day as me and have received their call backs 😔, I’m thinking of going to the London office tomorrow to see if they can help with speeding up the upgrade, I will definitely update if I am successful, if not I’m hoping I get a call back on Friday the lastest.

Not looking good for my friend. She got to Peterborough. The man she saw was lovely and tried his best to help. But they have nobody at Peterborough that could do an emergency interview so he emailed the team that are doing interviews and he's not had a response. He said they interview until 5pm and if she manages to have an interview by then, they can approve it straight away and he would personally print her passport first thing in morning as he's there from 6am. But it's now nearly 5pm and still nothing 🙁 So she's just left Peterborough in tears. The man was really apologetic and he said himself that it's ridiculous. So it's not looking good at all! We fly out tomorrow, so she's already set her mind and knows she won't be going unless a miracle happens :(

They called my friend at 5.05pm for the interview! Talk abut cutting it fine!! She can collect her passport at 8am in the morning then she's getting dropped off at airport and meeting us there. Can't tell you what a relief this is! But honestly, she first applied back in November, then they messed up her application so she had to apply again on 14th Feb and she literally picks her passport up on the morning of the flight! What an absolute shambles!? I've said if she gets there in morning and their printer isn't working, then I'm not going either because that's one bad omen! lol I just want to thank everyone for your advice on this forum as we wouldn't have known what to do otherwise! Good luck to everyone still waiting, I really hope you manage to get your passports in time <3

Awww I’m so pleased for your friend !! What a relief ! But also unimaginable stress at the same time :) I hope you all have a lovely holiday now

ok

This is my first post so hope this is okay! My husband lovingly reassured me our passports were all fine and in date but when I checked one of my childrens had expired last year! Cue the massive rush to send the application (couldn’t get a express one to save my life) send all documents in. Application received 10th May Identity confirmed 10th May Documents received 21st May Tried to upgrade as we fly on the 4th June and had a call tonight 7:21 to say they had approved the upgrade and we would receive the passport in 5-10 days but it would be being posted out. Has anyone had any luck in Liverpool having it printed on the day? I’m going to head down tomorrow and plead my case, she also didn’t charge me for anything which I found strange!