Recent UK Passport Applicant Timelines

Everything was good - including turnaround times, asking for documents, updates from HO etc until they lost my A5 birth certificate.

Quick process and good updates and tracking. Received supporting documents I sent back on same day as passport

Submitted online Friday 6th Feb, sent documents including marriage certificate to change surname sat 7th, got took by Royal Mail sat 7th Feb. Documents arrived Monday 9th Feb. Didn’t mark down on passport tracker as received until Thursday 12th Feb, application approved 7 days later, Thursday 19th Feb 11am. Passport printed Thursday 19th Feb 8pm. Friday 20th Feb Royal Mail tracking text received 10am to say passport will be delivered the following day, Saturday 21st Feb between 8 and 10am. Passport received Saturday 21st Feb around 8:30am.

Very straightforward. Required to submit original UK birth certificate and either current US passport or color photocopy of all pages including blanks (I sent the photocopies). I did write to HMPO on 11 February explaining I needed passport quickly for travel scheduled in late March. They responded no expediting was possible.

Took 3 working days after receiving documents (evidenced by tracking) to confirm they had received the documents. It then took 5 working days to approve application and 2 working days to receive new passport after that. This included a name change due to marriage.

Application submitted - 9 February 2026 Identity details confirmed - 9 February 2026 Documents submitted - 9 February 2026 Documents received - 13 February 2026 Application approved - 20 February 2026 Passport received - 24 February 2026 Supporting documents received - 24 February 2026

Firstly, stressful because I only found out about this new rule in January, and I had travel planned for May. I also saw other passports being approved within days, whereas mine seemed to take a lot longer. Stressful because my birth certificate is from Singapore British High Commission, not the UK, and I was not sure if further documentation would be required. I also got varying responses and random emails during the application process asking for me to report my old passport lost, when I had previously done so. I was initially told to submit my original Australian passport, but when I said I needed it, they told me a colour copy would suffice. I found that when I spoke to someone, they were unable to give me any specific information related to my submission.

I am changing my name on it, they asked for more documents like 2-3 times, after final round of documents were recieved, took ~20 days till approved, another 5 days to recieve

The most stressful part was having to send original father’s and my birth certs and parents’ marriage certificate because my old passport expired over 30 years ago, and the fact that it took 10 days for them to arrive in UK. Sent colour photos copies of NZ passport. Fortunately I had the certificates but it was a bit nerve wracking posting them to UK since some were over 100 years old. Once they arrived everything was processed quickly and communications from HMPO and DHL were excellent. Delays appear to be fault of NZPost. Going direct to DHL might be quicker but NZPost were very helpful with completing customs docs. Online app Jan 20 Identify confirmed by UK passport holder same day Docs posted Jan 23 International Express via NZ Post Office Docs arrived Feb 2 Docs confirmed received Feb 5 Approved Feb 14 Printed Feb16 Passport Sent via DHLfeb 17 New and old passport Arrived Feb 24 (separate envelopes) Certificates due to arrive in 2 days’ time

Documents were delivered to HMPO on the 9th February Got email inviting me to Interview on Wednesday 18th February. Approved straight after the interview Passport printed 1:42pm on 23 February 2026 Application approved 2:00pm on 21 February 2026 Documents received 6:38pm on 11 February 2026 Application received 5:18pm on 5 February 2026 Identity details received 5:18pm on 5 February 2026 Email sent to person confirming your identity 9:08am on 4 February 2026 Ask someone to confirm your identity 8:57am on 4 February 2026 Application submitted 8:57am on 4 February 2026

19th February application submitted and received. 19th February sent old passport to be delivered by 1pm. 20th February documents received and approved 23rd February passport printed. 24th February passport delivered.

It went very smoothly.

Took HMPO a week from signing for the birth certificate and old passport at their Corby office to them acknowledging it on their system - I had to chase via live chat and email with the Royal Mail special delivery tracking reference to get them to investigate as it says that documents will be acknowledged as delivered 2 working days after they receive them - this didn't happen. Passport delivered to my home 21 February 2026 Passport printed 10:55am on 20 February 2026 Application approved 9:01am on 20 February 2026 Documents finally acknowledged as received 11:01am on 13 February 2026 Documents delivered to Corby and signed for by HMPO 6 February 2026 Documents send by Royal Mail Special Delivery 5 February 2006 Application received 6:53pm on 4 February 2026 Application submitted 6:53pm on 4 February 2026

Application submitted 19/01/26 Documents received 12/02/26 Application approved 19/02/26 Passport printed 19/02/26 Received 21/02/26

Applied for 3 children's first UK passport by descent. Passport printed 1:40am on 18 February 2026 Application approved 3:48pm on 17 February 2026 Documents received 2:40pm on 3 February 2026 Application received 6:38am on 24 January 2026 Identity details received 6:38am on 24 January 2026 Email sent to person confirming your identity 6:07am on 24 January 2026 Email sent to person confirming your identity 6:06am on 24 January 2026 Ask someone to confirm your identity 4:53am on 24 January 2026 Application submitted 4:53am on 24 January 2026 The most frustrating thing was that each application requested different information. The other frustrating thing was that I spent $100 getting a document notorised plus another $100 to express ship second lot of documents but all three applications were approved with information sent for another application meaning the notorised document and express shipping was not required!!

Excellent service, can't fault it: Application submitted - 11 Feb 2026 Application received - 11 Feb 2026 Documents received (old passport) - 16 Feb 2026 Application approved - 16 Feb 2026 Passport printed - 17 Feb 2026 Passport delivered - 18 Feb 2026

Still not received after 7 week Won't get it before the deadline so can't travel to UK for sick parent Rang and they said they will note that . Been another 2 weeks and nothing

Application approved 11:45am on 13 February 2026 Documents received 2:18am on 7 February 2026 Application received 10:42am on 27 January 2026 Identity details received 10:42am on 27 January 2026 Email sent to person confirming your identity 9:21am on 27 January 2026 Ask someone to confirm your identity 9:18am on 27 January 2026 Application submitted 9:18am on 27 January 2026

Application 10 February Old passport received 13 February Approved and printed 20 February Delivered 21 February