Recent UK Passport Applicant Timelines

Very stressful experience, poor service from those working with the passport office. The answer to all your questions is ‘I don’t know’ or ‘that is outside my remit’. The wait times are getting longer so if plan ahead if you can.

Additional documents requested (utility bill) and interview required (invited 10th March with earliest available date of 24 March - called repeatedly to get an earlier time slot and got interview on 12 March which would give a misleading view of a normal timeline)

Passport office notified I needed to resend documents stating "We cannot continue with your passport application because the birth certificate you sent does not show your parent details". However, this was incorrect. After a telephone call to clarify what was the real issue, the service operator could not resolve the issue as they could not actually confirm the problem was. But they did raise a "ticket" for the reviewing officer. I assumed that my old birth certificate was the problem so I ordered a new certificate with priority payment. It was received and posted the day before I was advised that actually my passport was approved. So the phone call probably helped - just additional stress and cost that wasn't needed. Still awaiting for this certificate to be returned.

2 February Application submitted 3 February Identity details received 12 February Documents posted from Australia 18 February Documents delivered! 23 February Documents received 6 March Application approved 10.25am 6 March Passport printed 6.32pm 10 March Passport posted 17 March Passport received

Application submitted and identity confirmation on 23 February. Documents received on 1 March. Application approved on 10 March. Passport printed on 11 March. Passport arrived on 12 March.

Corby - First UK adult passport. Passport printed 8:27am on 12 March 2026 Application approved 1:38pm on 11 March 2026 Documents received 7:10pm on 2 March 2026 Application received 12:52pm on 27 February 2026 Identity details received 12:52pm on 27 February 2026 Email sent to person confirming your identity 12:38pm on 27 February 2026 Ask someone to confirm your identity 12:33pm on 27 February 2026 Application submitted 12:33pm on 27 February 2026

Only required to send birth certificate (born in UK), colour photocopy of full Canadian passport, and expired UK passport (2006). Had to give parents' birth dates and wedding date. Locations unknown so none put in the online form, just UK. Note that the applicant is a senior over 70. Sent by DHL to the UK and passport sent to us via DHL.

Very quick was a renew

Very quick was a renew

The process was straightforward but it would have been great to see a status update such as "In queue for review" between the documents received (23 Feb) and application approved (5 Mar) statuses.

It was stressful because of having to apply at very short notice after finding out about the new and ineptly communicated dual citizen regulations. It was not, however, a make or break situation since I had a Plan B, namely bring along an old expired passport. The passport arrived at the end of the day on a Friday and my flight leaves on Sunday (DHL does not deliver on weekends). Talk about the 11th hour! This said, I was favourably impressed with the processing speed and the communication about each step. I don't know if the processing time was average for a renewal of a recently expired passport or if someone kindly fasttracked the application. I did include a nice note explaining my predicament.

Application submitted 28/02 Documents sent 28/02 Documents arrived 03/03 Documents acknowledged 03/03 Approved 12/03 Printed 12/03 Royal Mail received 13/03 Delivered 14/03

Application date: 15/2/26 Documents sent: 16/2/26 Delivered: 2/24/26 Marked as received: 2/25/26 Approved: 3/7/26 Printed: 3/9/26 Sent: 3/9/26 Arrived: 3/12/26

Application submitted: 18.02.26 Identity confirmed: 19.02.26 Documents RMail signed: 20.02.26 Documents received: 25.02.26 Additional documents requested: 05.03.26 Additional documents RMail signed: 06.03.26 Application approved: 10.03.26 Passport printed: 11.03.26 Passport received: 12.03.26

Followed the timeline I expected from seeing others. It took them 4 days to mark documents as received (delivered 24th Feb not uploaded and acknowledged as received until 28th Feb) passport was then approved after 9 days. And delivered 3 days after it was approved (2 days after printing). Returned documents arrived the day before the passport did

:Application submitted 4:58pm on 25 feb 2026 :Docs received 9.54pm 27 feb 26 :photo rejected 1pm 9th March : new photo submitted 2.33pm 9th March : Application approved 2.34pm 9th March : passport printed 6.25pm 10th March : passport delivered 1.30pm 12th March

It was fine but they could communicate much more clearly. Also had to provide proof of residence after the application and I don't understand why this was required

Application was quite clear in what documents to send. Taking the picture ourselves wasn't easy so we went to a local photographer, they only charged 10 euro and then we were sure it was the right quality photo. Applied on 14/02, documents sent on 16/02 (monday), arrived in the UK on 19/02 - Application was approved on 05/03, passports printed next day, arrived on the 10/03. Haven't recieved the documents back yet that we sent along, but that's luckily not an issue . All in all, very smooth and quick process, especially since they must be busy ATM with the recent clarification about the ETA/dual nationality rules.

All smoothly done