Turning 16 while waiting for child passport renewal

I am in the same situation. The application has just been placed in processing so I understand this to be the manual rather than digital route. Reviewing the forum this does not seem good news time wise. We travel on 7th July. Does anyone know if they will issue the child passport as the application was accepted more than 3 weeks before they turned 16? Does anyone have experience of how you access the upgrade service if we get to the two week prior to travel mark?

I'm also in a similar position and will follow the thread with interest. We applied in mid-April but my daughter turned 16 in mid-May. We travel on 12 July and are getting concerned over the delay. It has been in the status of 'being processed' since 16 May. I am also concerned that they will now say that she is now not eligible for a childs passport and will ask us to resubmit an adult application. Is that the case? Both my other childen applied for their first adult passports and received them in about 25 days, no problems at all.

I've been called back twice and on both occasions they've told me to wait for a letter asking me to pay the difference for an adult passport. They insist that letter will be send in the post and that they can't send the letter out themselves and it must wait for an examiner to send the letter out. Meanwhile it's getting ever closer to 8th July. And they tell me there's nothing I can do to hurry it along other than phone them again if I don't get a letter in the post. Sometimes they approve a child renewal even once the child has turned 16 but there is no consistency in their approach and it's luck of the draw. That's all I know right now. Let me know you find out anything useful yourself.

I have completed a web chat where they said I needed to pay extra to make it an adult passport but I needed to call the assistance line as they couldn't arrange this. I didn't feel the person on the chat was that knowledgeable. I called the number and got through to someone who said as long as the application was received on a date that was at least three weeks prior to my daughter turning 16 it would progress as a child passport as that was the cut off. He seemed more knowledgeable and sent an email to the 'progression team' to explain the situation and I presume escalate it. I haven't heard back and it is well outside the 48 hour - 72 hour commitment to respond back. I have submitted an online form raising the question but am not hopeful. If anyone has any further advice on how to achieve contact with someone who can take the query forwards it would be very gratefully received.

And I received a call back twice and was twice told to wait for a form to be sent in the post to convert the application to an adult renewal. So it's very inconsistent. I asked if I could pay online and the said no - must wait for post!!!! So ridiculous. Why can't they have one policy and stick with it?!

Just a short update. I received an email from the customer management team from an email enquiry I sent. This response said my daughter will need to complete a new form for an adult passport and someone will be in touch. Sadly, they had noted the wrong date of application and also called my daughter by another name in the email. This is now the third conflicting piece of information we have received about what is meant to happen. I hope we can help each other through this by sharing the information and hopefully how we get a solution :(

I sent off 4 applications - 3 adult and 1 child renewal and just wondered if you have heard anything more as I think I might be in same situation. It’s annoying that it accepts over 3 weeks before 16th birthday when you apply but ends up being under due to delays. Can’t believe they don’t accept all the ones prior to 3 weeks!

I didn’t even think they wouldn’t, it’s crazy!

Hi, I have spoken to them a couple of times now as we went into upgrade on Sunday. The last two people said someone from the upgrade team will call and ask for additional payment, which they can take over the phone. They said they will then change it to an adult passport. I have been rather skeptical and pressed that I thought there must be more to it than that and both times they said it would just be the extra payment needed. The two people I’ve spoken to are a level above the initial call team and web chat team and seemed to be quite sure this was all that was needed. I think they are ‘gatekeeping’ the upgrade team to stop them being bombarded with incoming calls so they can manage the outgoing calls. Still waiting even though I have been told someone will contact in 48 and 24 hours.

Thanks for the info, it’s so frustrating. I just wish the information was a bit clearer. I’m hoping if my daughters needs to be upgraded to an adults we are able to do over phone. I hope you get sorted soon and get the call back.

Just spoken to the upgrade team on 0300 105 0850 who said that as my daughter is now 16 they cannot issue a child's passport, even though we applied more than 3 weeks before she turned 16. Rang at 8.00 exactly but had to wait for 30 minutes before I spoke to someone. They said that a letter was sent in the post on 15th June to request a payment to upgrade the application to an adults passport. Let's hope this arrives soon and if not I will be back on the phone again. Starting to panic now as we fly on 12 July but hopefully things are now moving.

Same situation and I’ve been told today that a child passport will be issued but will only be valid until my daughter turns 18 and then I will need to apply for an adult passport. Think I would prefer the option to pay the extra now. Applied 27th April, went to processing on 30/05 and now reverted back to documents received.

That’s practically the same timelines as our application. Very interesting that you have been told something completely different and great that they seem to be saying they will progress it. At this stage I’d take anything they offered, we are 7 days from flights and nothing back from them at all. Applied to Newport but apparently the application is with Liverpool now.

As they promised, I received a letter from HMPO asking to pay the difference between a child and adult passport of £26.50 and for my daughter to sign a declaration. Helpfully the payment was taken over the phone and we could scan and send the signed letter to an email address which should (hopefully) speed the process up. I'm now more hopeful that things are moving forward.

Pleased to hear you received your letter, hopefully things will move quickly for you. I’d happily pay the extra if it meant we’d get the passport back quicker. What I don’t understand is why they don’t just issue when you apply prior to the 3weeks cut off for an adult passport or at least give you a warning that it may be rejected and option to upgrade there and then!

Another update, not sure if it is helpful. I called again Sunday and got through to progression. They told me a form had been sent 15th June (received 21st), it was just another application form for an adult passport. She advised not to send it back oddly but wait until the upgrade team called - interestingly she said the upgrade team don't work on Sundays so I couldn't be put through. She put an 'Alert' on my records and someone did actually call on Monday from Liverpool upgrade (first time having been called). They refused to take a scanned copy of the form and said they needed new passport photos as well as the other ones were digital and they couldn't access them!? I was advised to get an application form from the post office (as the form they posted to me hadn't arrived at this stage), which we did and sent recorded guaranteed next day before 1 to the Liverpool address they gave. Guess what... Royal Mail still have it in the depot 24 hours after the guaranteed delivery time. Seriously losing hope - 72 hours out from the flight now. They also said they couldn't take payment for the upgrade over the phone until they got the form. I can't understand why the processes sound different? Any advice gratefully received.

I received a text from HM Passport this morning and was hopeful before I read it, it was just exactly the same info as previously stating old passport received- o don’t understand how can have for weeks and then re said same text and email. no change to tracker. I’m hoping it means they are looking at it but she’s 16 on Monday!! I hope there has been some positive outcomes for others on thread, it’s just so frustrating

We did receive the passport through the upgrade service in time for the flight. The Royal Mail delivered the adult application and photos on Wednesday morning and I received a call from the Liverpool office early afternoon. They pushed the application through and it was printed the next day in Newport, collected in the afternoon. Very stressful process when you are heading into flights and holidays being cancelled knowing there is a fairly complex issue with your application i.e. needing to restart from the beginning! A few observations from the process: I spoke to four seemingly knowledgeable and understanding people who all said they had put my case through for an urgent call back from thee upgrade team. The only time actually I received an a call back was when the last person putting me for a call back confirmed that they had added my flight date on the system (noting she was surprised her previous colleagues hadn't done this) - even though it has been discussed on every call with each of them. I would check this is being completed when you speak to the customer management teams or progression teams. I have to add that by the time I spoke with this final customer management lady I was getting upset (shaky voice and only just about holding it together not to cry!) and she did say she had put an 'alert' on the case as she could tell it was causing distress. I think there is something in this 'alert' for unlocking access to the upgrade team, other people on the forum have reported similar and there have been references to it in other discussions I had with the progression teams. Another point of note, I only received an automated response to my upgrade email sent to Liverpool when I was 72 hours away from the flight. I very specifically only wrote 'Flight 25th June'. I am not sure if it was the 72 hours element or the simple title of the email but I had never received one until that point. They are definitely using some sort of screening via the email titles with use of capitals or not/flight date so I would suggest following exactly what you are told to write. Once you do get a call back from upgrade, reviewing the forum, I would say they do on the whole get your passport sorted but would suggest escalating hard at five days before flight to give yourself the best chance heading into the 72/48 hours prior with as much on your system as possible. Happy to advise on anything else from my experience if needed.

Oh and forgot to add they took payment for the conversion to adult (£26.50) and the upgrade service (£125) over the phone! Cannot deny that a cynical thought crossed my mind as to whether this is all an additional revenue generating scam!

I definitely think you are right, glad it’s sorted for you but ridiculous that has cost so much more! I managed to get on chat today and before he cut me off, this was said!!! Where an applicant turns 16 mid- applications, you will be contacted for next steps - which should require submission of a new form and payment (to scale up the application to a full 10 year passport and adult application). As no queries have been raised to resolve I will need to advise to allow time for the office to raise this and then contact you on how to resolve this. I honestly wish I’d waited until she was 16 now as my older daughters has been back well over 2 weeks and this one is just stuck!!

We have had a letter stating need to upgrade to adult passport and pay the difference! But no contact details to pay the difference. Has anyone got any telephone numbers please. Getting close to our holiday dates.

We also got that letter to pay the £26.50 difference. The number to pay by credit card is 0300 222 1111 and is open from 8am to 8pm (Mon to Fri) and 9am to 5.30pm weekends. The person on that number takes the details and another person then calls you back to take the actual payment which could be up to 48 hours later, although it was within the hour for me so pretty good. Once the signed letter was sent back and the payment made, the passport was approved within a couple of days and we received it within a week. Good luck.

That’s great to hear, it does give a little bit of hope after I received an email back today stating that my daughters application was received on a different date and sent to a different office which is a little bit concerning as I think they’ve sent me details for someone else. Just wondered what dates the passport office received applications for those who have now received a letter and paid the extra £26.50, trying to work out how much longer it could be before we get passport back. Many thanks 🙂