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looks like we are going on holiday!
yesterday my passport arrived despite the HMPO website still saying its being printed!
here is my time line but the key facts are
from application to having it in my hand was 36 days or over 5 weeks. with only 10 days till holiday.
using wayback machine and at the time of applying the lead time was 4 weeks so not too late but the lack of reporting on the tracking and media news made this feel far worse than it actually was.
top tip… allow 10 weeks despite whatever the website estimation says i.e. 4 weeks/5 weeks.yes royal mail can track it as delivered for next day, but HMPO don’t start the clock until its received, and they don’t consider it received until they start work on it. so yes its delivered but HMPO don’t acknowledge it. so don’t treat next day delivery as a given day in the process as it was 11 days for us.
06/03/2022 Application Submitted
06/03/2022 Ask someone to confirm Identity
07/03/2022 email sent to person confirming ID
07/03/2022 identity details received
07/03/2022 Application Received
23/03/2022 Documents Received
31/03/2022 Application Approved
06/04/2022 Passport Printed
11/04/2022 Passport Receivedhope its smoother for all of you folk. this is probably my last post so have a good holiday! if you get it in time.
OK I hope this is of use.
Child’s first passport.
First tip if your going to pull your application and go fast track don’t dither as I did because whilst waiting for your appointment if its approved you can’t withdraw your original passport application as technically the passport exists albeit not printed and has to be processed as a lost passport first which adds more delay.
Once printed google “hmpo tnt” and input your pex no and postcode. It may say error tracking code invalid. But I kept doing it every day and last night it appeared it would be delivered today, even though the hmpo still just says passport printed. Hence my below dates being incomplete.
11/04/22 passport arrives
10/04/22 tracking appears on hmpo/tnt website (still not on hmpo site)
I checked hmpo/tnt website every day from p6/04/22
HMPO STOPPED REPORTING AT PASSPORT PRINTED
Passport printed 6 April 2022
Application approved 31 March 2022
Documents received 23 March 2022
Application received 7 March 2022
Identity details received 7 March 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 7 March 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 6 March 2022
Application submitted 6 March 2022This has been stressful but it has arrived with a few days to go before we fly on holiday as a family.
Top tips continued.
To anyone using HMPO service, they are clearly stretched and I would take strong notice of the 10 week allowance and add 2 weeks for good measure, its been a stressful time for us, if you can’t accommodate 12 weeks, consider using the fast track.Advice varies depending on who you talk to, told we could switch to fast track then told we couldn’t
The clock starts from when they recieve your documents. You have no control over this. Royal mail may have delivered it in record time, but until hmpo open your docs… they are not recieved in the eyes of hmpo, even if they have signed for it. Yes you will believe your docs may have been signed for by a neighbour who has forgotten to pop round because “hmpo was out” but this isn’t the case, they have it…. they just don’t know they have it. If that makes sense.
Adios, and hope it all goes well. It takes a long time, but hmpo are clearly stretched and struggling so bare with them.
If its any help mine was approved on the 31st March and I got a text last night (06/04/22) saying passport printed. I go on holiday on the 22nd so it’s still not in my hand and tnt have reported s massive backlog so I’m still not out of the woods yet by a long shot.
I’ve learnt my lesson the hard way possibly tp the tune of £1600, allow 10 weeks or don’t book unless you already have a passport, will not be leaving it late again.
Text message recieved that mine has been printed late last night. But until its in my hand I’m not out of the woods yet. Holiday fast approaching!
There are rumours in another part of the forum that the backlog is starting to hit the press and they are not offering it but if you ask then there’s a super fast track service where you can pay a fee and prove you’re travelling within the next 14 days. Not sure how true it is but maybe worth a shot to anyone flying soon and desperate.it took 16 days for our documents to be acknowledged and then 8 days for the application to be approved.
once approved you cannot use fast track as the passport technically exists even if it isnt printed.
when i booked fast track the application was pending, following day from booking the appointment the application was approved. mildy annoying as it is not refundable but at least it was progressing.cmckenzie444 – yeah i had a fast track appointment but since booking it I’ve been told that as the application has been accepted technically the passport exists even if it hasn’t been printed yet. so i can no longer apply for fast track.
so, I’m in the lap of the gods right now!
I haven’t rang them for progress as its not beyond 10 weeks and reading on here it appears that phoning before 10 weeks for progress updates gets you nowhere.
I’m tempted do call – will leave it until Friday.
this is so stressful.
