New Passport Upgrade Service!

it seems they're literally cutting it down to the last day or two before travel for people to collect at local office or have it delivered by special delivery at extra cost my son's application was sent to Belfast, so the email was BelfastUpgradeTeam@hmpo.gov.uk, but I think you need to call the adviceline first and they can transfer your call to the Progress team, who will initiate the upgrade request for you.

Hi Stephie, can I ask when do you travel? I too am waiting to hear from Belfast team. Got confirm email back form them on Monday after emailing them Sunday...

Hi all, My passport is in Bootle but I'm heading to the Newport office an hour before opening tomorrow. It'll be 48 hours before I travel and my application was started 5 weeks 2 days ago. I have my proof of travel, does anyone have any advice for me as I'm quite worried as it hasn't been 6 weeks yet.

hello, advice please, got in touch in May with HMPO, I send emails to the Upgrade team, but still have not received any answer, planning to see them tomorrow as our flight is on Sunday. Our applications are in Durham but the nearest office is Liverpool, my question is: Can I go to Liverpool even application is in Durham?? it's quite a lot to drive to Durham. Thanks

Hi, I had requested an upgrade on compassionate grounds couple of weeks back with all requested documents needed for this. Today, I received an email saying that I am not eligible for an upgrade as I am not past 6 weeks of processing. I am in the 9th week of documents received & 11th week of application. My understanding so far was that 6 weeks from documents received is the eligibility for upgrade. Has anyone else had similar replies/experiences?

Would anyone be able to share the template they have used to request an upgrade? Is there any specific subject line that needs to be used to catch their attention? How long have people been waiting to receive call backs?

@vsn22 I didn't realise it had to be 6 weeks in processing as this isn't something the Customer Management team mentioned. We assumed the 6 weeks is based on when the documents was received. As we did a paper application, we can't see when they began processing or whether they have started processing. The Customer Management helped us draft the Upgrade email so we assumed we would be eligible for the upgrade. Our flight is on Monday and we are planning on going to Peterborough tomorrow morning.

See below the email we sent on the guidance of the Customer Management team. Subject: URGENT "application number" "Surname" "date of travel" FAO Upgrade Team I made an application on the 19 April, uploaded on the system on the 29 April, but all supporting documents is already with the passport office. As I have travel booked for the 27th of June can this application now be upgraded? Attached is proof of flight details. Once the application has been approved, if collection can be done, can the passport be issued and collected from the Peterborough office? My contact number is: XXX

I have had different number of weeks depending on which person I spoke to. One advisor said 6 weeks from documents received and I couldn't upgrade so I just hung up on her and called back with a different advisor who said I could upgrade because it was 6 weeks from application submitted. Just keep trying

@csy30006 Can you post tomorrow whether you’ve managed to get the passport from Peterborough please. My partner applied for his passport 2nd of may, we are travelling on the 29th and planing to go to Peterborough on the 27th but I’m very stressed about it all, my partner rang them few times, sent emails and nothing seems to work

I applied for a lost child passport on 1st May and am due to travel on 27th June. I was put forward for an upgrade when I was within 2 weeks of travel and heard nothing from the upgrade team. On 22nd June, I decided to email our local MP and received a call back from the MP office within an hour! The person I spoke to raised our issue with the passport office in London that afternoon. I received a call from the Glasgow passport office upgrade team where the passport was being processed before 5pm the same afternoon. I paid the upgrade fee and was told I could collect from Peterborough, my local passport office, today. I had a call midday to say the passport could be collected at my chosen time. The passport has since been collected and I am very relieved! If you're in a similar position, my advice is contact your local MP. I do not believe it was coincidence that I was contacted by the upgrade team on the same day. I really hope this helps those awaiting a call from the upgrade team. Thanks to all those that have contributed to this forum. It has helped me.

@kasiajanik we were told today my husband's passport is in the queue to be printed. However, we don't know where it's being printed and if it's Durham, we will need it to be posted next day rather than Royal Mail 2nd Class which is their standard. We've tried to respond to their email a couple of times asking if it can either be printed in Peterborough or London for collection, or pay for next day delivery. No response yet so if it's in the mail as 2nd class post, I'm not sure if it'll arrive in time for our trip on Monday. It's one issue after another!

So I've just got through to the progress team who said my upgrade from Saturday hasn't even went through and my passport has now been transferred to the Durham team after the last person said it would be going to Glasgow. I fly on Saturday. Am going to the Glasgow office tomorrow morning but I'm losing hope now.

Hey everyone. I've been lurking for a few weeks now - I've got a lost passport application that has been outstanding since the 25th of April now. I made the application online so my application is currently in Liverpool which isn't too bad but Peterborough is closer for me. Anyhow, I managed to make my way through to applications on Monday (20th) finally who advised me to email the Liverpool upgrade team with my evidence which I did at 2pm - they also submitted a request at their end so I have acknowledgement from their side also. It's now Thursday and it's been 76 hours - no one has gotten in touch with me and the operator I spoke to this morning said that they were unable to put me through to the upgrade team (even though another operator yesterday had me sat on hold for 2 and a half hours to get through to them, before I got an office closed message) and all I can do is 'just wait'. I'm really anxious because I don't even think my application has been through an examiner yet so there could even be an issue with it. Has anyone got any advice on what I can do or who I can get through to? Worst case is I'm planning on going down to Liverpool on Wednesday morning. I am going to take a filled out fast track form and a counter-signed photo with me just in case there is something wrong. Has anyone had any experiences around this?

I forgot to mention that I fly early morning on the 1st July so I'm quickly running out of time, I effectively have 6 days to sort it out. :(

@Lost1874, Our tickets were booked for 23 June, and I received the passport in the post on 22 June. It could have been quicker if I had travelled to a passport office where they'd print it there and then, but we couldn't make it so had to wait for Royal Mail delivery. I was told they're working to meeting travel dates that are couple of days away, but it is not guaranteed that they will meet it 100%. I put the applicant name and the date of travel in the email subject for the upgrade request then in the body of the email, it was literally bullet points with no waffle Applicant Full Name Application Ref Number Email Contact Phone Number Evidence of Booked travel (I attached the eticket for our flight) Hope this helps

@StephieC do you know when your passport was printed? We've been told my husband's passport is in the queue to be printed and that standard post would be 2nd class. We asked to pay for next day delivery but they haven't called us to organise it. We're due to fly out on Monday and with not knowing if it has been printed or posted yet, I don't think 2nd class post will make it in time.

Hi @StephieC thanks. Good stuff. That's exactly what they said to expect to me ie to hear from them 2 days before we travel. Accept not guaranteed but I'm confident. Belfast too so I was keen to check. Enjoy your holiday, if you're still travelling today!? Cheers

@passportpls I, like most others I think, have been told not to expect to hear back re uograde until perhaps two days before travelling. We're travelling 2nd so expecting to hear next week. If I haven't by Thurs, I'm going to head down to local office (not Belfast, where our app went) first thing Fri AM. All stories I hear offer confidence that it might take a while but I'll leave with the passport. :)

SUCCESSFUL UPDATE We went to Liverpool passport office today, really helpful. straight away they ask when your flying, we fly Sunday so got seen. anyone who is flying Monday had to come back tomorrow. We got there at 7:45 and go into the office at about 8:30 got seen at about 10 and then had to come back at 11 for something else. As we were over 10 weeks we didn’t have to pay but people under 10 weeks are paying £101. Then we collected the passport at 2:30. 100% recommend finding out where your documents are and travelling 48hours before your flight.

Thanks, @holly1234_, your info is very helpful, just a clarification? I have to go where the application is or to the nearest office, the closest one is Liverpool for me but the application is up to Durham, as I am heading tomorrow morning to the passport office but not decided where, flying on Sunday, also.

Hi@holly1234_ did you make an appointment or did you just turn up? I would appreciate any help thanks

Can anyone confirm, do the passport office count 10 weeks from submitting application? Or from when they change status to documents received as the web page seems to say for upgrade options? Our tracked and signed showed signed for 2 days after delivery, but received status wasn’t for approx 10 days. Status has been set to being processed but gone back to doves received now. I’m waiting on 3 passport renewals. We applied 11 weeks before travel, but docs received date takes me only to 9 weeks till travel.

Hi @travel2022, I am going tomorrow without an appointment to Durham, I haven't received any updates after several emails and 3 weeks of phone calls, I will update you tomorrow, my flight is on Sunday.

Applied beginning of may for daughters passport. all got processed and printed and all was good until the currier decided to ignore signes not to use the letter box and to use the mail box next to the door. He fed the brand new passport to our dogs and we were back to square only only this time 4 weeks later. Applied 27th May, old damaged passport received 3rd june, nothing since. fly to mexico in exactly 2 weeks time, currently trying to get through on phone to management team. very worried.