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!
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New Passport Upgrade Service!
Travelingsoon12 · 6 Apr 2022, 15:40
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That is probably the same decision I will have to make (if I get that far). London is easier / quicker by train for me but I can drive to Hemel..
Which station would you get into? there are a few tube stations near - it won't be difficult just a bit more expensive.
You'll have nicer places to wait in London if you need to hang around haha
I’m not sure what station I would need to use 🤯 I’m absolutely useless when it comes to getting on trains in London 😂 I’m a lot more comfortable driving, plus I’m 28 weeks pregnant so don’t fancy squeezing onto busy trains 🙈
Has anyone had any luck with walking into either London or Hemel Hempstead? 🤞
Hi all - we are due to fly on the 17th June for a week in Crete and realized today that my sons passport expires on 5th July 22.
Im reading this forum for tips and advice really so its really useful to know this might be a very stressful month or so ahead!
The 1 week fast track service was down most of today - its up as we speak now but no appointments until 20th May and they are in London - Im in Swansea and Newport isnt even listed at the moment.
So Ive had to do something today so submitted my online renewal for him today. I will post his passport tomorrow by Special Delivery and then hope for the best.
Thanks for any tips - I can see this going down to the wire and have already priced up how much this will cost to cancel the trip altogether
Just hope they can do it!
Good luck hopefully you can get yours back quick 🤞 online application seems to be 10 times faster than paper 🙌 I highly regret doing paper application 🤦♀️
You should be fine recent applications seem to be going through quickly and you have plenty of time.
No guarantee obviously :)
Some guidance from the forum please... Submitted for a child passport renewal. Was told to send documents, which the Post Office tracking service shows were received by HMPO over a week ago, but the status on the HMPO website tracking service still says send in your documents to Hemel Hempstead office. I'm expecting to have to use the upgrade service, as we're due to travel on 29th May, but I have no idea which office will be processing my application. Should I call the general advice line or my local passport office? Any guidance appreciated?
@jessicab hope your passport arrives before Friday 🤞
I’m still waiting to hear from upgrade team. It’s horrible that they leave it for a few days before you fly
@amber9514 I applied online back in February for my son’s passport so it wasn’t quicker then
Paper. I think it’s just luck of the draw. Received mine back in 4 weeks so not sure why my sons have taken so long
Can this service be used for first time adult passports does anyone know?
I’ve been promised a call back for 3 days now and each time I’ve called back after not receiving one they advised I was never on the call back list! Also advised today when I called that I was being put through to the upgrade team and waited 45 minutes to be told I’d been put through to a different agent and that they couldn’t pass people through it had to be a call back. The agent on the phone was really nice and really apologetic about all the false promises and said he’d sent an email and marked it as urgent as we are within the 2 week period. We fly May 19th can anyone advise if there is anything further I can try both passport applications are with Durham?? Please help
I’m losing the will to live don’t know what more I can do to try and get someone to call me from the upgrade team lol
I went down to the London passport office this morning having had no luck on the phone. The lady was from the upgrade team and actually quite sweet, she assured me that I would receive my passport before my flight next Thursday and to follow up on Saturday morning and she gave me her name to quote in the email too. Still seriously nervous about it but left feeling a bit better and less tense. I was also expecting the queue to be around the block for people with enquiries but there were maybe 10 people.
@mayashan is your application being processed at the London office? I’m due to go away on the 15th and my daughters is being processed in Durham which is the other end of the country for me, just wanted to see whether it’s worth me going into the London office to chase it up as heard nothing from the upgrade department yet 😩
@mayashan is your application being processed at the London office? I’m due to go away on the 15th and my daughters is being processed in Durham which is the other end of the country for me, just wanted to see whether it’s worth me going into the London office to chase it up as heard nothing from the upgrade department yet 😩
Hi How do you know which passport office is dealing with your application? Also is there an email for this upgrade team? I've been trying to call all day and keep getting cut off.
When you speak on the phone to them they can tell you where it’s at and also give you the details for the upgrade, as far as I’m aware they have to apply for the upgrade on there end aswell but don’t no how true that is as every time I speak to someone from hmpo they say something differnt 🙄 try this number 01633 285419
I spoke with someone this morning who advised they had sent another email to the upgrade team to get someone to contact me as we fly 2 weeks today but so far nothing and I’ve been expecting the call for 3 days. They agent was lovely but I’m just getting the same information over and over again with no call backs
I spoke to someone just now who advised the application isn't on the system yet (docs received 25 April) so they can't upgrade it yet :(
Anyone know how long the upgrade can take? I'm due to fly 24 May. Or can you cancel application and book an appointment?
Thanks!
The upgrade can be applied for 14 days before travel, so you would be allowed to from the 10th of May, hopefully by then they will have yours on the system 🤞 looks like they call back 48 hours before travel so I wouldn’t worry if you can upgrade until the week before as it doesn’t seem to make a difference how early you apply for upgrade it just goes on date of travel.
That makes me feel a bit better thanks! The woman was really nice but seemed to think it would take 2 weeks for the upgrade too which made me worried if its not on the system by the 10th then its not happening!
Hello all,
I travel on the 17th May.
I called earlier to organise and upgrade and the guy told me I should expect a call back today or at the latest by the end of tomorrow. Weather this happens though is another question.
I didn’t contact them on the main number though, I contacted on the Newport office number
What’s the Newport number you got mate?
The Newport number is 01633285419, I got through in about 5 mins and it doesn’t cut you off after a certain time like the main number
Just spoke to them on that number myself. Got "put through" a number of times to the upgrade team before cutting out after 2 hours on hold (twice). to then be told the third time that they can't put you through
Applied for upgrade last thursday, travel next thursday. Getting quite anxious about it all now
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