Passport application from overseas

Hello Willhkg, was this for a straight forward renewal?...mine hasn't even got past the "documents received" stage.

Yep adult renewal

OMG. I have just been speaking to someone on the customer services line today and they said that for overseas applicants...it can take up to 10 weeks from when the documents are received until the passport is approved (depends on which HMPO is examining and the number queuing infront)!!! If anyone reading this post thinks this may not be the case then please let me know!!...

OMG, I hope not. that is absolutely unacceptable

I am afraid there are lengthy delays. We have applications in for 2 first adult passports - they should be straightforward but HMPO have decided not. Husband (born in Scotland, emigrated with parents to Australia as a child) applied for first UK passport 18 Feb and has been in processing since 14 April. Son's was put in a couple of days later, also in processing since 14 April and needs dad's birth certificate for eligibility. There is no question of eligibility (our daughter got her passport with a 2 week turnaround in 2019 using same documentation as her father and brother!) but someone has decided to raise issues where there should be none, with documents they have previously accepted. Hopefully you might have better luck. We are yet to hear whether an interview will even be required for either application, as they are busy quibbling about documents - problem is also the length of time it takes for documents to be processed in the mailroom, our initial documents sat there for 4 weeks. I am of course wishing my husband had applied for his passport ages ago like his sister did, instead we are dealing with a bureaucratic mess.