Blog

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-03

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
I submitted application online and made sure I uploaded a photo that they deemed highly suitable ( digital feedback at sunbmission stage). An unbelievably quick and efficient service for me. Hopefully for everyone else too.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-06

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Adult Renewal
Application history

TNT delivered to hand 1:34pm on 20 April 2022
TNT tracking SMS 07:04am on 20 April 2022
Passport printed 10:32am on 18 April 2022
Application approved 11:01pm on 14 April 2022
Documents received 2:19pm on 13 April 2022
Documents despatched 10:30am on 6 April 2022
(previous passport expired over 2 years ago by ordinary 1st class Royal Mail)
Application received 8:41am on 6 April 2022
Application submitted 8:40am on 6 April 2022
Photos 6:01am on 6 April 2022
(Max Spielman photo booth at local supermarket)

The process was actually quite stressful because of all the horror stories that I had read, particularly during the post-lockdown surge of applications. But objectively, I have to say that the whole thing actually went very smoothly.

The photo booth didn’t like my face, and eventually after many attempts, I simply had to instruct it to accept the picture. The passport office had no problem with the picture. I assume they have facial recognition software to validate that it’s the same person as the picture on my old passport.

I sent my old passport by Royal Mail 1st class, no signature, in an unused birthday card envelope. This didn’t cause any problems.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-28

Date Received:
2022-04-14

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Had a really easy experience. Submitted application 28th march was back by mid April. All in all took around 2 and a half weeks. This was the Bootle branch.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-26

Date Received:
2022-04-19

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Tracking system could be improved and longest part of the wait was for the old passport to be updated on the tracker which took nearly two weeks. After that we had the passport within 8 calendar days.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-23

Date Received:
2022-04-19

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Standard adult renewal which still had a couple of months validity left. Pretty easy. Longest wait was for them to acknowledge old passport rec’d (Liverpool office). Imagine passport would have been delivered a day or 2 quicker had it not been for Easter bank holiday.
Online application submitted – 23rd March
Old passport posted – 24th March
Passport signed for at Liverpool office – 28th March
Old passport marked as received – 5th April
Passport Approved – 7th April
Passport Printed – 13th April
Delivered by TNT – 19th April

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-25

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Bootle Office
Application submitted 10:59am on 25 March 2022
Application received 10:59am on 25 March 2022
Documents received 2:54pm on 8 April 2022
Application approved 10:58am on 12 April 2022
Passport printed 2:12pm on 16 April 2022
Passport received TNT 19th April
Passport delivered 20th April

Got a little worried having read some of the stories here and with a holiday coming up soon but as soon as my documents were marked as received the process was very quick, especially given the bank holiday. Only moan is that it took 2 full weeks to acknowledge my old passport had arrived despite it being signed for next day but i expect they receive hundreds a day so appreciate these things happen.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-31

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
I am due to travel in the first week of May and have been stressed this entire period about my passport arriving on time. The actual process was very smooth and not like how it has been depicted in the media. Straight forward process with updates throughout and no delays. Hope everyone’s is like this too!
assport printed 2:08pm on 16 April 2022
Application approved 9:03am on 12 April 2022
Documents received 1:34pm on 8 April 2022
Application received 6:02pm on 31 March 2022
Application submitted 6:02pm on 31 March 2022

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-26

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Passport Delivered on 20th April
Passport printed 4:00am on 14 April 2022
Application approved 6:19am on 8 April 2022
Documents received 8:12am on 7 April 2022
Application received 11:34am on 26 March 2022
Application submitted 11:34am on 26 March 2022

Very good, Cant understand why people are moaning when they are clearly not being organised in their passport renewal.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-26

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
Fairly straightforward experience. Took 10 days from documents being signed for to showing as “Documents received”.

Timeline looked like this:

Passport received at 15:00 on 20th April
Passport printed 12:52pm on 15 April 2022
Application approved 6:36pm on 11 April 2022
Documents received 8:48am on 8 April 2022
Application received 1:54pm on 26 March 2022
Application submitted 1:53pm on 26 March 2022

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-25

Date Received:
2022-04-14

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
The longest bit was waiting for the acknowledgement that my old passport had been received, after that things moved very quickly. I had to resubmit a photo but otherwise very speedy, pleasantly surprised!

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-23

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
I think it would have been quicker, but I did not realise they did not start processing your application until they received your old passport. They received my old passport on 11/04/2022.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-01

Date Received:
2022-04-13

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Despite having to retake the photo it was very quick.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-04-03

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Very straightforward and surprisingly quick.

Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-07

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Stressful experience. If they updated your tracking more information at each stage you may not be inclined to ring, then the people who really need to get through could!

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-02-17

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
Identity details did not come through until the 6th March

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-02-22

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful

Comments:
Originally said it would be 4 weeks when applied. No notification that they had even received the documents for 2 weeks, then silence for almost 4 weeks. Stressful as we needed the passport for holiday in early May.

Passport was received on 20 April 2022.

Passport printed 8:50am on 15 April 2022
Application approved 1:14pm on 11 April 2022
Application being processed 10:36am on 16 March 2022
Documents received 12:30pm on 11 March 2022
Application received 12:27pm on 22 February 2022
Identity details received 12:26pm on 22 February 2022
Email sent to person confirming your identity 11:14am on 22 February 2022
Ask someone to confirm your identity 10:40am on 22 February 2022
Application submitted 10:40am on 22 February 2022

Type of Application:
First Child Passport

Submission Date:
2022-03-13

Date Received:
2022-03-14

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
Passport did arrive within the 5 week processing time (excluding bank holidays); however, it is extremely difficult to track progress. The advice line are difficult to contact and do not appear to know more information than the online tracking. For example, I called and spoke to an agent who advised that the application had not been passed to an examiner (3 weeks after submission), I got a message later saying the application had been approved!

Application submitted – 13/3/22
Ask someone to confirm identity – 13/3/22
Identity details received – 14/3/22
Application received – 14/3/22
Documents received – 29/3/22 (Royal Mail tracking shows signed for on 15/3)
Application approved – 12/4/22
Passport printed – 18/4/22
Received – 20/4/22

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-28

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy

Comments:
1st photo rejected and took me 5 days to upload a new one due to us being away. It came very quick considering we just had the Easter Bank holidays

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-23

Date Received:
2022-04-15

Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average

Comments:
We sent off 3 application, 2 were renewals (one adult at Bottle one child at Northampton) that we received back on the 12th and 15th. the one we’re still waiting for is a first child passport.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-01

Date Received:
2022-04-09

Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful

Comments:
I’ve waited 6 weeks for the passport having been wrongly advised by HMPO’s advisors to submit a fast track application once I realised I was not going to receive the passport in time – despite then being a 5 week average wait (and failing miserably as there was an application already in the system which I just had to let progress), many sleepless nights and literally hours on the phone (including a 3 hour call) pleading with HMPO to progress and expedite the application.

Maybe I’m more fortunate than others going through a similar process, but we’ve all suffered frustration and stress. Yes, there’s been a very recent surge in passport applications, but HMPO is heavily under-resourced. For a Gvnmt body, it did not pride itself in customer care and it definitely is not efficiently run.

We’re lucky to have been able to delay our date of travel but it was at cost and it is an experience I never wish to repeat again for the sake of time wasted and the significant stress suffered.

I found this website and Twitter really helpful in answering some of my questions and easing some anxiety through others’ experiences. I found calling and speaking with the Customer Service management team slightly more helpful than the generic helpline number, and then to an advisor at TNT. I accessed the First Mile website constantly after I was notified the passport had been printed but I could not relax until I received the passport in my hands!

I still await the return of my original documents and old passport, but next time I will be leaving a clear 3 months before travel or paying the extra to fast track the applications.

Type of Application:
Child Renewal

Submission Date:
2022-03-31

Date Received:
2022-04-19

Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy

Comments:
Sent to Corby office.

Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)

Submission Date:
2022-03-07

Date Received:
2022-04-20

Overall Experience:
Please Rate out of 5

Comments:
Mailed from New York 8 March
Delivered to UK Passport Office according to UK Post Office March 16
Acknowledge as received by Passport Office April 4
Approved April 6
Printed April 12
New Passport Received in New York April 20