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Whether you’re eagerly waiting for your passport or planning to apply soon, this page offers valuable insights from others who have gone through the process.
How This Page Works
Every day, applicants like you share their passport application experiences on our site. They provide:
- Application Date: When they submitted their passport application.
- Receipt Date: When they received their new passport.
- Photo Method: How they obtained their passport photo (e.g., at home, pharmacy, professional service).
- Processing Office: The passport office or centre that handled their application so you can check to see how quick the agency you have been assigned is processing passports.
Additionally, applicants often share helpful tips and observations that can assist you in managing your application or understanding current processing trends.
Stay Informed
Monitor the latest wait times and gain a realistic expectation for when your passport might arrive based on real-world data. Knowing what to expect can ease anxieties and assist in planning your travels.
Compare Processing Times
See how different agencies and photo methods impact processing speeds. This can help you choose the best options to potentially reduce your wait time.
Learn from Others
Benefit from the experiences of fellow applicants. Many share crucial advice, like which agencies are processing faster or tips for avoiding common pitfalls.
Share Your Experience
Help us keep this page accurate and useful by submitting your own passport wait time once you receive your passport. Your contribution will assist others and contribute to a clearer picture of the current processing landscape.
1st Adult Passport
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
05-11-2025
Date Received:
13-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Super quick and easy but despite the HMPO recommending to send your documents in a ‘strong’ envelope, they return them in a normal paper envelope (apparently, they cannot reuse the envelope they receive the documents in). My citizenship certificate got a bit crumpled on the way back. Maybe, instead of using a hard envelope, it might be better to insert a strong sheet of paper into a regular envelope and ask them nicely to post it back with the documents to prevent damage…
Application submitted – 11:47am on 5 November 2025
Ask someone to confirm your identity – 11:47am on 5 November 2025
Email sent to person confirming your identity – 11:50am on 5 November 2025
Identity details received – 1:19pm on 5 November 2025
Application received – 1:19pm on 5 November 2025
Royal Mail: Documents posted – 3:06pm on 5 November 2025
Royal Mail: Documents delivered – 7:47am on 6 November 2025
Documents received – 10:48am on 7 November 2025
Application approved – 3:06pm on 10 November 2025
Passport printed – 3:47pm on 11 November 2025
Royal Mail: Returning documents posted – 4:14pm on 11 November 2025
Royal Mail: Passport posted – 10:36am on 12 November 2025
Royal Mail: Returning documents delivered – 15:07pm on 12 November 2025
Royal Mail: Passport delivered – 11:26am on 13 November 2025
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
05-11-2025
Date Received:
13-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Took me a while to post birth certificate, but when I sent it the were received next day. Didn’t ensure I was looking directly at camera so first photo was rejected.
Passport printed 1:18pm on 11 November 2025
Application approved 8:08am on 11 November 2025
New photo received 9:07pm on 10 November 2025
Photo rejected 9:24am on 10 November 2025
Documents received 7:41pm on 6 November 2025
Application received 7:36pm on 21 October 2025
Identity details received 7:36pm on 21 October 2025
Email sent to person confirming your identity 7:25pm on 21 October 2025
Ask someone to confirm your identity 7:21pm on 21 October 2025
Application submitted 7:21pm on 21 October 2025
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Used a Photo-Me photo booth
Submission Date:
03-11-2025
Date Received:
15-11-2025
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Used a Photo-Me photo booth
Submission Date:
06-11-2025
Date Received:
13-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Quite quick service.
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Used a different photo booth (Not Photo-Me)
Submission Date:
06-11-2025
Date Received:
15-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Overall, it was an excellent experience.
I sent documents to Corby office so I was a bit worried as their reviews have not been good. So I chased the updating of my documents 2 days after it was delivered by Royal mail. I got response from complaints team within the hour. An hour or two later, the section, documents received was updated.
Subsequent process was quite fast
Thank you
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Other SLR digital camera
Submission Date:
08-11-2025
Date Received:
13-11-2025
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Used a Photo-Me photo booth
Submission Date:
08-11-2025
Date Received:
18-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Adult Renewal Passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
05-11-2025
Date Received:
13-11-2025
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
10-11-2025
Date Received:
13-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
06-11-2025
Date Received:
13-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
05-11-2025
Date Received:
14-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
10-11-2025
Date Received:
15-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Other Post office Photo – ID photo pro
Submission Date:
10-11-2025
Date Received:
15-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very straight forward and quick process
Applied Monday evening, posted old passport back Tuesday, old passport received Wednesday, application approved and printed on Thursday and arrived on Saturday morning.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
10-11-2025
Date Received:
15-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Passport Delivered 15th November
Passport printed 10:13am on 14 November 2025
Application approved 12:29pm on 13 November 2025
Documents received 8:25am on 12 November 2025
Application received 11:15am on 10 November 2025
Application submitted 11:15am on 10 November 2025
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Used a Photo-Me photo booth
Submission Date:
11-11-2025
Date Received:
15-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Application Submitted and Received – 11th November 2025
Passport Posted (Royal Mail Signed For) – 11th November 2025
Passport Delivered by Royal Mail –12th November 2025
Documents marked as Received – 13th November 2025
Application Approved – 13th November 2025
Passport Printed – 14th November 2025
Passport Delivered – 15th November 2025
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Peterborough
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
07-11-2025
Date Received:
18-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Passport printed on 17 November 2025
Application approved 14 November 2025
Documents received 13 November 2025
Application received 7 November 2025
Application submitted 7 November 2025
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Used a Photo-Me photo booth
Submission Date:
05-11-2025
Date Received:
15-11-2025
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Peterborough
Photo Method
Used a Photo-Me photo booth
Submission Date:
14-11-2025
Date Received:
19-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
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Lost or Stolen Passport Application
Type of Application:
Lost/Stolen Passport
Passport Office:
Durham
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
10-11-2025
Date Received:
15-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very good excellent service and very fast turn around kept up todate daily with the process
Type of Application:
Lost/Stolen Passport
Passport Office:
Durham
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
07-11-2025
Date Received:
13-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Lost passport in house move (I think) and travelling to France 6/12. Big panic and didn’t want to pay for fast track and unable to fit an appointment in anyway.
Photo-me photo was automatically advised that it would be rejected so took one on my phone. Amazing that it has only taken 6 days to be reviewed, accepted, printed and delivered!!
Passport printed 10:33am on 12 November 2025
Application approved 8:41am on 11 November 2025
Form confirming identity received 9:09pm on 7 November 2025
Identity details received 9:09pm on 7 November 2025
Email sent to person confirming your identity 7:45pm on 7 November 2025
Ask someone to confirm your identity 5:24pm on 7 November 2025
Application submitted 5:24pm on 7 November 2025
1st Child Passport
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Other Taken professionally in a shop
Submission Date:
31-10-2025
Date Received:
11-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Overall very fast and efficient.
I applied for two first child passports, all arrived less than 2 week waiting time from start to received.
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
04-11-2025
Date Received:
15-11-2025
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
05-11-2025
Date Received:
14-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very quick turnaround, updated on my phone and email whenever application/printing moved to next stage.
Overseas Passport Application
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Photo Method
Took it myself on my phone
Submission Date:
20-10-2025
Date Received:
10-11-2025
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
The entire process once they received my old passport was just 4 days. The longest part was then recieving it from Spain
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