Recent UK Passport Applicant Timelines

First identity provider was refused. Found a friend with a UK passport and that went well. The documents asked for included a birth certificate showing parents details. My original UK birth certificate was short form so I sent a full one I obtained fromGRO. I had an old UK passport from 1975 which expired in 1985 which I sent with my documents. All requested documents were sent to the Corby office as requested. The passport office then sent an email saying that, Because this passport was issued before the date of the birth certificate I sent, they required my original birth certificate. This request came via an automated emailed letter and I was directed to send the second document to Hemel Hempstead. I thought it was odd but I checked and it was an official address so off that went. The following day I got another letter asking me to send the birth certificate to the Corby office! Too late, it was gone. Then nothing happened until I started getting emails and letters saying I hadn’t sent the documents requested and threatening to cancel the application. I corresponded by email and eventually they managed to locate my birth certificate and add it to my file. Within a day it was approved and printed. I received the passport and a day or so later the first lot of documents but the second birth certificate did not come. I waited a couple of weeks and then emailed again. The passport office said my file was marked all documents returned and I would have to call a certain phone number if I wanted this escalated. I don’t have international calling so had to make arrangements which took several days. Then suddenly I received a notification that my documents had been lodged with DHL for return. My certificate was returned to me with a letter saying it had been despatched to the wrong person in error but that person had returned it to the HMPO so they were able to send it back to me. I count my lucky stars given the size of this operation and the chances of my one lonely piece of paper, issued in 1958, being lost, found, and returned. Compared to some I had an easy run but it was highly distressing for me, it is not as though we can just pop down the road to see them and get things sorted. Sending your original identification documents out into the world is terrifying. Not getting them back … doesn't bear thinking about.

Application history Passport printed 9:39pm on 23 April 2026 Application approved 3:45pm on 22 April 2026 Documents received 7:19pm on 16 April 2026 [Royal mail marked documents received on 15 April 2026 at 9:47am] Application received 8:15pm on 6 April 2026 Application submitted 8:15pm on 6 April 2026 Once the passport is printed, you can enter your Application reference 'PEX XXX XXX XXXX' into and obtain delivery tracking number. Passport dispatched on 24 April 2026 Passport received on 25 April 2026

Applied - 1st April Identity confirmed - 2nd April Documents received- 14th April Interview - 22nd April Approved - 22nd April Printed - 24th April Received - 25th April

Submitted my application online on the Monday, and visited the passport office in Newport at 9am on the Wednesday. The passport arrived on the Friday morning. Very fast and straightforward!

Sent old passport tracked 24 with signature on the day of submitting; tracking confirmed delivery 14/04 at 8.24am. New passsport received 23/04. Dates below. Passport printed: 9:54am on 22 April 2026 Application approved: 1:47pm on 21 April 2026 Documents received: 4:49pm on 15 April 2026 Application received: 4:02pm on 13 April 2026 Application submitted: 4:01pm on 13 April 2026

Great experience, very fast turn around and excellent comnunication at each stage

Referee rejected, no reason why. Request of more documents at an additional $87 to send. No follow up information. Phone call to find out if new documents were received. Once approved went quite quick.

Very good. It took a long time for the “documents received” to happen but otherwise seemed fairly well inline with my own previous experience and following everyone’s journey on this page helped.

Submitted documents March 18th. Sent Registered Mail Canada Post March 23rd. Documents arrived March 27th. Documents Accepted March 31st. Called Web Chat as submission had not moved on April 14th. Was informed I was waiting for an examiner. April 15th approved. April 16th posted. Notice from DHL passport at Heathrow April 20th. Delivered April 22nd

I had sent my marriage certificate and my parents marriage certificate but was told these were ceremonial so had to spend another £150 to get offical documents and post from Australia to UK. If this information was clearer at time of application that time would have not had to be wasted.

I used Snappy snaps to take a photo and provide the code to upload. Very straightforward.

Passport received - Royal Mail on 21 April 2026 Passport printed 7:22pm on 17 April 2026 Application approved 2:55pm on 16 April 2026 Documents received 12:35pm on 9 April 2026 Application received 9:17pm on 1 April 2026 Identity details received 9:17pm on 1 April 2026 Email sent to person confirming your identity 1:22pm on 1 April 2026 Ask someone to confirm your identity 1:06pm on 1 April 2026 Application submitted 1:06pm on 1 April 2026

Passport delivered 21 April 2026 Passport printed 20 April 2026 Application approved 17 April 2026 Documents received 10 April 2026 Document sent 7 April 2026 Application received 4 April 2026 Application submitted 4 April 2026

Friday 17 April 2026 09:21 Delivered by Sherburn DO 07:10 Due to be delivered today by Sherburn DO 03:43 Item Received Leeds MC Thursday 16 April 2026 12:29 Item Received Southampton MC 11:19 Sender has despatched item Passport printed 10:56am on 16 April 2026 Application approved 2:38pm on 15 April 2026 Documents received 6:08pm on 9 April 2026 Application received 11:35am on 6 April 2026 Application submitted 11:34am on 6 April 2026 Wednesday 08 April 2026 15:52 Delivered and Signed Corby DO Tuesday 07 April 2026 14:39 Accepted at Parcelshop Sherburn-in-Elmet Post Office [LS25 6BG]

Verification took the majority of the time