Peterborough

Anyone at Peterborough with first child passport? App received 16th Docs received 28th Processing 8th Phoned today and it’s awaiting checks by examiner. Some people at other offices seems to be getting a 2 week turnaround on first child!

Adult renewal Date applied: 22nd January 22 Date posted old passport: 25th Jan 22 Date passport signed for: 26th jan 22 Date old passport ‘received’ onto their system: 12th Feb 22 Application being processed: 28th Feb Not heard back since! Didn’t realise the ‘10 week processing time’ is actually from being received onto their system rather than when you actually post it! So I may not get this back before I’m due to go away mid April :( Anyone else have this issue? I know it’s my fault for doing it so late, but assumed seen as though I posted it before 10 weeks of needing it that I would be ok?

Hi, I seem to be having a nightmare. Currently on working day 11 of them having received my documents. I know they were signed for on the 24th of Feb as I tracked it. Had a call back yesterday saying that I needed my Royal Mail tracking number which I didn’t have on me at the time. I found it when I got home, rang them up twice to tell them this and I’m now waiting on another call back which could take over 48 hours. I’m wondering if they’ve lost the documents, but I don’t see how that should be possible if they were signed for. I’m getting very stressed now as I need this passport in 4 weeks time and I’m not sure what else I can do. I sent it off with 7 weeks before I go away and now I’m panicking that I’m not even going to get it in time :(

Adult first time after naturalisation Submitted: 26 January Docs Received: 4 February Processing: 15 February Getting really worried and frustrated now as I’m supposed to travel at the end of the month and I’ve seen others submitted 3 weeks after mine already done!

Phone them & pester them!!! Get your case sent to the examiner. It happened with me and I swear I'd still be waiting now if I hadn't chased them up. You'll be on hold for anything up to an hour but it'll be worth it.

My complete timeline. I waited 5 weeks for them just to update my 'documents recieved'. 7.5 week wait in total. Application history Passport delivered 17.40pm on 10 March 2022 Passport printed and sent 10:15pm on 7 March 2022 Application approved 10:47am on 5 March 2022 Application being processed 2:59pm on 23 February 2022 Documents received 2:20pm on 23 February 2022 Application received 4:36pm on 18 January 2022 Application submitted 4:36pm on 18 January 2022

Did they tell you why you were waiting so long for them to update the system? 5 weeks is a long time, that’s ridiculous!!

All I was told was that it 'looks as if the passport is lost somewhere in the Peterborough passport office'. I was told there was very little chance of it showing up and to sit, wait & hope that it shows up or to start a lost in transit case. 5 days after the case going to the examiner, it showed up!!

That’s so bad that they’d let it be lost like that and not even try to find it at first. Well I’m expecting a call back and if they tell me the same thing I’ll get it sent to the examiner too. Thank you, at least you got it sorted in the end.

Did you submit a lost in transit case to the examiner?

Just called for the third time and they told me their timeline starts from the processing date! So even though my application was submitted close to 7 weeks ago they only consider it to be almost 4 weeks because that’s when it started processing. Absolute joke and I’ll probably miss my holiday now.

We are 8 weeks in, already cancelled one trip and they've only just got around to telling us my husband's deed poll certificate is not acceptable because it hasn't been signed in his old name and new name. On top of the £500 we lost on last holiday we now have to pay £180 for a new deed poll certificate. They should of told us this when the first examiner looked at it 2 weeks in instead of just sending generic emails.

Do you know why yours have taken so long? It’s weird because some people’s were coming back after 3 weeks and others are taking ridiculously long. I’m getting very worried that I’m going to miss my holiday 😔

Thought I’d add what I learned from the process. Once they scan the documents onto their system it can either be automatically approved in which case it says application approved, or it needs further examination in which case it says application processing. The automatically approved ones seem to take c.3 weeks, normally 2 weeks for the docs to be scanned into the system and another few working days for it to be printed and sent. The application processing ones seem to take much longer, and previous posts seem to suggest 10 weeks from when they scan the documents into the system, longer if there is more questions or documents needed. Only thing I can suggest is to ring up and be lucky to get someone nice enough on the phone who will give Peterborough a prod. I found if you be as polite and understanding with the passport helpline employees, that’s often mirrored in their assistance to you so they may go a bit further in helping. Good luck and hope everyone makes their holidays!

Thank you Neil0945. I am thinking may need to be looked at more as we did not have original birth certificates, so had to order genuine copies, but this still may delay the process if they need to examine them to ensure they are legitimate. I’m still hoping this will not affect the time too much, as I only have 4 weeks to get this passport sorted. I’ll hopefully hear something today or Monday.

Thanks for the info! Geez I hope it doesn’t take that long! Ending my lease soon at the end of April and looking to travel for awhile so I need it all back sooner than later!

Anyone have the number for Peterborough office ?

This was the number I used to get through. 0300 123 1973

Does that actually get you through direct to Peterborough passport office? Also, are they anymore helpful if you get through to them?

Mine has been approved this morning! Applied on 26 January. So happy! Hoping others hear soon that have been waiting for awhile!

Summer910 that’s great! How long did you have to wait for your documents to be approved?

I had applied 26 January and it went into processing on 15 February. By the time I should get the passport it’ll be a bit over 7 weeks total.

That number takes you through to another team but not specifically the Peterborough office i don’t think. I was able to get through a lot quicker with that number though and the staff seemed a lot more willing to help. They put me through as urgent after calling and I was approved 2 days later

I called the same number this morning for mrs first passport. After waiting 40minutes call was answered. Guy mentioned Peterborough is processing her application even though documents sent to Liverpool. Her timeline: First Passport after Naturalisation Application Submitted: 16th Feb Documents Received: 02nd March Also, he didnt directly say but looks like there are delays in processing for Peterborough

Jax What did you say for them to put you through as urgent? I still haven’t had an update to say that my documents have been received yet, after 12 working days, and I want to try get through to them to process it quicker.