New Passport Upgrade Service!

I got mine from Liverpool today. Only waited 5 weeks but I’m travelling tomorrow and passport has been stuck on ‘application submitted’. I turned up with no appointment at all, just went to security at the front outside and said I’m flying tomorrow. They didn’t even make me queue outside just sent me straight in. I showed proof of flight (has to be an email or something showing you booked the flight before you submitted passport application obviously) and within 5 hours I walked away with my passport, printed there and then. If you turn up within 48 hours they’ll definitely print your passport for you, but if you turn up and your flight is outside of 48hr window you’ll be wasting your time most probably, I seen a lot of people in that situation stand there all day and walk home without a passport because of this.

Does anyone have any first hand experience of how long it takes for additional documents to be looked at for a ‘first child passport’? I was asked to provide my own birth certificate. We have already been waiting 4-5 weeks and are due to go on holiday at the end of June. Can’t afford to wait another 5 weeks. Many thanks in advance 🙏🏻

Ennevive I had to send extra supporting docs for an adult renewal with name change. I sent it on a Saturday , according to Royal Mail got delivered the following Tuesday then was approved a week later. It took about 5 weeks to get to the printing stage but haven’t received it yet as it was only printed last Thursday. I think they are pretty quick with looking at extra documents. Mine was sent to the Durham office so times might be different at others

I have just received an email to say my daughter’s passport application has been approved (8 weeks after submitting). I applied for an upgrade 10 days ago and had planned to go to one of the offices in person on Tuesday (we fly Thursday). But now that the application has been approved (nothing to do with the upgrade team), I’ve basically lost that as an option, as they’ve said that it can no longer be printed in person and that I have to wait for it to be delivered to me. If anyone’s been in this situation and still managed to go and get the passport printed in person I’d love to know. It’s a 2.5 hour drive up to Peterborough, so would be a long day with a 4-month-old baby in tow. I’d also love to know how long it’s taking people to receive passports once they’ve been a) approved and b)dispatched.

Hi, do I need to have proof of travel etc printed out when I go to the passport office? Or will emails on my phone be enough? I’m due to travel on the 11th and haven’t heard from the upgrade team despite requesting one over a week ago. Thinking I’m going to have to chance it at the Newport office on Thursday.

@passportstress1234 Yes take everything you can print out or email is fine

Long shot left too late. Child renewal was sent last year told 10 weeks then passport was lost recently reapplied on the 9may but due to travel on the 16th. I will miss out on a chance to upgrade I feel the worst. Is there a possibility of heading down to my nearest off 2 days before traveling still it's been in processing since the 20th. They won't upgrade me and couldn't get a fast track feel lost.

Hey guys, got the confirmation email about the receipt of the upgrade request. Will the next time I hear anything be the call 48 hours beforehand? How do I make payment for the service / how does it work?

I have currently been on hold for 3 hours. 1 hour and 50 to get through to advice. And 1 hour 10(still going) to get through to progress team. Anyone had much luck?

When you ring the line try option 8 followed by option 3. For some reason you seem to get through to someone a lot quicker selecting those options. I finally had a call from the upgrade team who stated I do not qualify for an upgrade as its 6 weeks the week I am due to fly. The only thing I can do is sit and wait and I might try my luck visiting a passport office. Good luck!

@adz93 I hope so let me know. Unfortunately next week is 5 weeks mark for me getting my daughter's passport. Let me know how you get on I will be heading down on the 14th if not heard back. Good luck

I’m thinking of going to Peterborough on Wednesday as we fly on Sunday and if I risk leaving it any later we could loose all our money for the holiday 😔 Has anyone had any luck getting theirs 4 days before travel rather than the 48 hours everyone keeps talking about? Thanks!

i need to renew my sons passport as we fly away in 7 weeks today, but we go to France 4 weeks later and that trip we return 1 day before his passport is 5 years old - 3 months validity needed for France, which is 5 months before its expiry. The passport has 5 years and 2 months on it and passport office tell me the passport is now only valid for 5 years. Are we saying that if i apply today, and after 6 weeks the passport has not arrived, in the last week i can upgrade to Fast Track over he phone and probably pick up the passport? Passport office didnt tell me this on one of the 3 calls i made to them today.

@passplease in the same boat and thinking of doing the same. Just difficult getting down with 2 little ones and a newborn so didn’t want to leave it too late

@adz93 it’s made even more difficult when you hare children. Tomorrow is the only day I can go without having two children with me. Is feel like tomorrow is my final chance and if no luck then we will have to move our holiday and pay £600 to do so!

@Passplease. Have you contacted the upgrade team and heard nothing back? The system seems to be very temperamental.

@Ennevive Yes I have contacted both Durham and Peterborough upgrade teams and haven’t heard anything. I got the automated reply but that was it.

Hi, did your passport arrive in time?? I am in the same situation as you. I applied for the upgrade to my daughter's First Child Passport on Weds 1st June as I had been sat in documents received status since 17th May and had 2 weeks before travel. Friday 3rd June it got approved via the standard service, completely independent of the upgrade team. I fly on Weds 15th. It went to printing status this morning, but haven't received anything yet from the courier. Whilst it's amazing that it jumped to approved like that, it's now taken any of the last resort options out of my hands which also stressful, I'm anxious about the dispatch and delivery happening in time as have read some horror stories about TNT! Would love to know if you had it in time and are set to travel tomorrow, fingers crossed for you! For anyone else who is interested in relation to their specific situation: I will hit my 6 weeks from application submitted on the day I travel (15th June), and mine has gone to print, albeit not via the upgrade team. I'm convinced getting the upgrade referral and making a few calls etc helped it get looked at. I applied on 4th May, first child passport via standard service online. I had tried for 10 days to get a fast track and it was just impossible so had no choice but to risk the standard service. When I applied, it said the average turnaround was 4/5 weeks so hoped it would be ok. It didn't go to docs received until 17th May and then didn't budge. Thankfully, it was around this time I then found this incredible forum! I phoned Newport (01633 745709) the day I hit 14 days until travel, and made sure they referred me for an upgrade on their system. They told me someone would call me and tell me what information they needed and which upgrade team to email it to. I didn't wait, I straight away emailed every upgrade team email I'd seen on this site, with all the information everyone has been listing in their posts and attached flight evidence. I received the auto acknowledge email back from both London and Peterborough. I had a couple of voicemails from the passport office just saying 'this is a callback as requested, please call xxx if you need to discuss your application with us' sort of generic chat. But every time I phoned back on the number they gave (0300 222 0000, option 8, option 3), the person answering couldn't see the reason for the person phoning and just said they would get the relevant team to call me again. However, in between these calls my application moved to approved. I called again yesterday to confirm that now meant I wouldn't be able to collect in person and she said yes, it would have gone to central print and would be delivered by courier. Now I'm just waiting for dispatch and delivery and praying it comes in time. Application history Passport printed 9:35am on 7 June 2022 Application approved 9:35am on 3 June 2022 Documents received 12:12pm on 17 May 2022 Application received 8:28am on 4 May 2022 Identity details received 8:27am on 4 May 2022 Email sent to person confirming your identity 7:32am on 4 May 2022 Ask someone to confirm your identity 7:21am on 4 May 2022 Application submitted 7:21am on 4 May 2022

This seems crazy! What is the purpose of this service if all you get is radio silence?! Very worried as I too will be in this position next week.

@richimus23. If it has printer, you will have it in your hand by the end of the week. I received my renewal within 48 hours of the ‘printed’ message.

Application Date: 30/3/22 Processing from 13/4/22. Countless calls/emails. Now within 2 week time of travel to a long awaited honeymoon. Upgraded my application on 5/6/22. Progress Team called 6/6/22 advising to email upgrade team with relevant information. Upgrade Team called today (7/6/22) - Passport to be printed at nearest office for collection by the end of the week. Very stressful time. Not in my hands yet - but it’s the most progress I’ve had in weeks

@rachimus23 I'm in a similar situation. They won't upgrade me I applied similar fashion for child renewal/ replacement 9th may been sorting there since 20th. What emails did you use and format I'm flying 16th Thank you

Is anyone else being passed between the upgrade team and customer management team. I applied for the upgrade on 27th May and they assured me I'd hear in 48 hours but I didn't. Long story short, whenever I now ring the advice line I get different answers from every person but then I get told to speak to customer management about my upgrade but once I get through I get told its the wrong place! I'm literally going in circles. It's Tuesday and I need my passport by Friday and no one seems able to help! (The one call back from the upgrade team resulted in me being transferred to the customer management team who had a queue so long that I got cut off and haven't been able to speak to anyone since!) My passport is at Liverpool and the email tells me I cannot go to the office so I have no idea what I can do!

Get ya self down the passport office, that’s what I did walked away with it that day Don’t listen to them, they see you just make sure it’s not before 48hrs before you fly!!

I'm just so worried I'll go and get turned away! Were there queues etc? I could go first thing on Friday morning if needs be. They have all my documents etc though so I would be going empty handed, would that make a difference??