Hi all,
I have just been on the phone to the Customer Service Management Team.
Apparently due to the big backlog in passports and it starting to hit the news (a few news articles today) they have realsed a new upgrade path for applications today!
If you can prove you are traveling within two weeks you are able to pay to upgrade. We got told to email a specific new upgrade team email adress stating various things and get contacted to pay and get fast tracked.
Personally we do not travel in two weeks time but I thought I would share with this fourm. Also you seem to get told 101 different things, so would be useful to know if anyone else also got told this!
The person on the phone said no doubt there will be teething problems and is not free.
If you are traveling within two weeks or about to, I would call up and ask about this serivce.
If you have any sucess please do let me know!
← Back to General Passport Application Discussion
Read-only · replies closed
Archived topic
New Passport Upgrade Service!
Travelingsoon12 · 6 Apr 2022, 15:40
Replies (1652)
first when you sent your application did you receive an automatic email confirming that the team has received the email?
if you haven't had that automatic email it means they haven't received so i would resent if i haven't received that
lmk if you have an questions regarding this
Thank you so much for your info, very helpful. I am due to travel on 9th, so a week tomorrow. It looks like they are waiting until the eleventh hour before contacting people - total nightmare! I applied by post. Thanks again for all your info!
When I called I got an email to say that the upgrade has been applied for. But nothing when I sent the email, so I called the day after to make sure the upgrade request was showing on their records, they checked and confirmed. I am praying they call tomorrow or Monday. If not I’ll show up on Thursday. Glad you got yours sorted eventually :-)
yes if you don't here anything by the 6th, on the 7th (48hours before) you MUST turn up at the HMPO make sure to arrive at around 6:45-7:00 even if the HMPO opens at 7:45 ppl que earlier
lmk if you need anything happy to answer any questions as it feel like this forum made this all possible and supported me alot
Thank you so much!! I feel slightly more confident. What an utter mess it all is! I shall keep you posted - wish me luck!!
URGENT PLEASE HELP
My flight is on the 5th 13:50
Application submitted 20th April
I applied for an Upgrade last Saturday
Received the acknowledgment email
I’ve contacted my local mp and the reply says they’re going to inquire for me
I’ve not received any call backs I’m waiting urgently to process this payment for the upgrade
Can I turn up today at the London office and expect any help if it’s the 2nd and my flight is on the 5th (my reasoning is because the 3rd being a Sunday and a non business day the 48 hour period would start on Saturday?
yes TURN UP AT THE 2nd they are closed on sunday so you would be classed according to them at 48hours before,
I REPEAT GO TODAY
go asap because ppl que way before the opening times i got seen only 4-5hours after i was in a que and i arrived at 7:15 and it opens at 7:45
please don't miss this chance go today, if it doesn't work go on monday this increases ur chances greatly
also bring all evidence flight travel evidence, ID etc
what i'm saying is if you go today and monday you have a greater chance of getting ur passport since ur 48hours before
do not wait till monday
lmk if you want to know anything else
good luck i know it's extremely stressful make sure you follow the steps correctly a lot of ppl get turnt away at the door after waiting 5-6hours and go away crying
Good morning all, daft question but are you best to wait 48hrs rather than going any earlier? Just wondering if I should go on Tuesday but don’t want to get turned away as it’s not deemed as urgent - to them at least.
Its so good to read that lots of people are receiving their passports, albeit at the last minute and having to go to a passport office, ridiculous that it comes to this. My problem is that I can't leave it until 48 hours before I travel, I need my daughter's renewal passport number to apply for an ESTA and its apparently taking up to 4 days to approve those
maybe try going earlier and explain why you need it earlier and it may be classed as urgent
you might get turnt away because they may not deem it as urgent and the HMPO is swamped with work so the only deal with the urgentest for example when i was in the que on friday a lady talked about how she got turnt away on thursday and come on the next day so that she would come under the 48hour mark, she came back on friday when she was within her sunday 48hour of travel and i think she got passport
Success story.
I fly Monday and today collected my husbands passport.
I applied for an upgrade and heard nothing. The progress team emailed Durham internally to ask for it to be expidited for compassionate reasons...heard nothing.
Yesterday I drove to my local passport office, Newport. They were so helpful and today collected the passport.
Don't go before 48 hours, they are only helping everyone who is flying in the next two days.
That’s great news about your husbands passport - well done!! Great advice from everyone, truly appreciate it!
Looking for advice, I am going to have to fast track two new child passports on Friday the 8th if nothing received as we fly on the 22nd July, only issue is we have lost reference numbers, we applied by post will We need these reference numbers to fast track or can they find the details as they have confirmed they have received the forms? getting no luck from customer service in tracing the reference numbers any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi there, I applied by post as well and didn’t take a note of the reference number, don’t know why it didn’t occur to me. Anyway, I called the customer service number and they struggled to find us but after a few searches found us and adviced the reference numbers. I would definitely say you’ll need them. Worthwhile phoning again, hopefully you’ll get better luck.
Well I'm off to Peterborough this morning as we travel on Wednesday. Fingers crossed.
Good luck! Let us know how you get on.
@wb1979 have you got an appointment or just turning up? Our closest is Peterborough but bootle have our forms can I still go to Peterborough if needed?
@lkm1990 Just turned up. In the queue now. I arrived about 7:45 and people were separated into those travelling in 48 hours and another queue. Probably 40-50 people in each queue.
@lkm1990 Also, they said if you applied online they should be able to transfer from another office but if it was by post that is more difficult.
The forum is a brilliant resource - thanks to everyone for contributing.
I have a long and boring story about my son's passport, which I will update with at a later stage (we travel next Tuesday 12th)
His old passport was stolen/lost by Royal Mail/HMPO and we only found out via an enquiry from our MP over two months after they knew! It has now been cancelled.
My question, for when I inevitably have to go in person later in the week, will I need to take countersigned photos or a paper application with countersignature (though it is an online application). I don't want to turn up without the correct documentation.
Any advice gratefully received.
Nick
I should add that it was a basic renewal - applied for on the 10 April - and the old passport was misplaced when it was sent to the Bootle office.
thanks all great info and I know what needs to be done now....
First New Child Passport
Submitted 5th May and everything was done within 24hrs, documents sent within 48hrs by recorded post.
The flying out date is 15th July.
However still waiting, was told about the 2 week process over a call, and got in touch Friday gone, we had the confirmation email of the upgrade request and evidence sent of flight details, now await the phone call, reading this forum chances are will be waiting forever, fingers crossed it is this week or early next!
But based on everything said here I will need to travel up to the Newport office on Wed 13th :(
Anyone been at newport? was you ok getting a passport printed on day?
Related topics in General Passport Application Discussion
- Signature error
- Overseas application courier tracking
- Have documents checked / scanned in person?
- Delivery to Long Croft Road, Corby
- Application for first adult passport overseas