Feedback, experiences, timelines, tips and useful information from people that have recently been through the UK passport application process.
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1st Adult Passport
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
21-06-2023
Date Received:
05-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
09-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
The process was simple and fast.
It included an interview (online).
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
28-06-2023
Date Received:
07-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Great service by home office
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
28-06-2023
Date Received:
07-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Application submitted 28th June
ID verified – 28th June
Documents sent – 28th June
Documents received status update – 3rd July
Application approved – 5th July
Passport printed – 6th July
Passport delivered – 7th July
Documents returned – awaiting
Type of Application:
First UK Adult Passport
Passport Office:
Glasgow
Submission Date:
29-05-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Adult Renewal Passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
03-07-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Sent application late afternoon Monday (and posted old passport at the same time) and new passport arrived before 9.30am Thursday. I’m absolutely amazed though very pleased.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
01-07-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Submitted online on 1st July. Sent documents, tracked, on 3rd July. New passport delivered 11am on the 6th July. This was not the fast track service, amazingly quick. Texts sent to us letting us know when it was approved, printed etc.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
09-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful
Comments:
Sent to Hemel Hempstead then moved to Durham, documents lost then found
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
28-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Kept up to date by regular text messages and passport delivered much quicker than expected. Obviously they are working overtime the weekend based on timestamp of text messages.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
26-06-2023
Date Received:
04-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very easy renewed online no problems
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
29-06-2023
Date Received:
07-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Extremely quick
Kept informed of every step
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
28-06-2023
Date Received:
07-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very easy online renewal in 9 days
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
28-06-2023
Date Received:
07-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Amazing service, updated promptly by text. I had put my passport through the washing machine by mistake with holiday in 9 weeks, I can stop worrying now about the “allow 10 weeks” warning
28th June – Applied using online photo from phone
29th June – Sent passport Special delivery 1pm Royal Mail
30th June – Documents Received
6th July – Passport Approved + Passport Printed
7th July – Passport Arrived
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Lost or Stolen Passport Application
Type of Application:
Lost/Stolen Passport
Passport Office:
Glasgow
Submission Date:
24-06-2023
Date Received:
03-07-2023
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
Stressful due to my own travel plans, in hindsight would have purchased a fast track appointment to alleviate stress as I was constantly getting in touch with the passport helpline.
Susie was extremely helpful whenever I was in touch.
Type of Application:
Lost/Stolen Passport
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
29-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
Lost/Stolen Passport
Passport Office:
Newport
Submission Date:
11-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
25 days from start to finish. Application didn’t change from identity details received between 11th until the 4th July and arrived really quickly after that.
I didn’t need to send any docs or have a counter signature. All digital.
1st Child Passport
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
28-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
25-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Application submitted 11:55am on 25 June 2023
Ask someone to confirm your identity 11:55am on 25 June 2023
Email sent to person confirming your identity 12:38pm on 25 June 2023
Identity details received 2:35pm on 26 June 2023
Application received 2:36pm on 26 June 2023
Documents received 6:44am on 1 July 2023
Application approved 3:07pm on 4 July 2023
Passport printed 5:42am on 5 July 2023
Passport received 2:15pm on 6 July 2023
Child Renewal
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
20-06-2023
Date Received:
30-06-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Great experiences, easy process to follow and wonderful communication.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
26-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Kept informed throughout the process and received in 10 days, excellent service.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
30-06-2023
Date Received:
07-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Really easy. I was very stressed as I am due to fly out on 18th July and didn’t think it would come on time. Submitted on Friday 30th June, old passport sent Saturday 1st July and received 3rd July, 4th July application approved. 5th July passport scheduled for delivery and 7th July received.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
22-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
Not sure why they need to see a birth certificate again, this was the 3rd passport!
17:09 – 22 Jun 2023 | HMPO Update: Application submitted
17:09 – 22 Jun 2023 | HMPO Update: Ask someone to confirm your identity
20:50 – 22 Jun 2023 | HMPO Update: Email sent to person confirming your identity
14:49 – 23 Jun 2023 | Email confirming identity confirmation received
14:49 – 23 Jun 2023 | Email received asking to send documents
15:11 – 23 Jun 2023 | Old passport sent next day 1pm Special Delivery
14:49 – 23 Jun 2023 | HMPO Update: Identity details received
14:49 – 23 Jun 2023 | HMPO Update: Application received
09:39 – 26 Jun 2023 | Royal Mail: Delivered and Signed (Retained at recipient request 3 days)
13:48 – 27 Jun 2023 | HMPO Update: Documents received
08:37 – 29 Jun 2023 | Email received asking for proof of parental responsibility (unexpected as this is the 3rd passport and she is a British Citizen!)
12:34 – 29 Jun 2023 | Birth Certificate sent next day 1pm Special Delivery (Not sure when it was delivered, I cant find the tracking number)
08:19 – 05 Jul 2023 | HMPO Update: Application approved
23:21 – 05 Jul 2023 | HMPO Update: Passport printed
08:56 – 06 Jul 2023 | Passport hits the doormat
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
24-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Passport Delivered 6July 2023
Passport printed 7:21am on 5 July 2023
Application approved 3:41pm on 4 July 2023
Documents received 10:37am on 29 June 2023
Application received. 4:02pm on 24 June 2023
Application submitted. 4:01pm on 24 June 2023
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
27-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
Straight forward online process, but we did experience some problems getting a digital photo that the system would accept, despite reading and following the instructions very carefully. It kept saying it looked like the subject was looking to the side, but we could not see that this was the case. We tried with four different photos and then got the fourth one accepted.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
25-06-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
1 Week Fast Track Application
Type of Application:
1 Week Fast Track Service
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
01-07-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very quick an efficient managed to get replacement passport after my old one was damaged. Arrived the day before due to fly away.
Overseas Passport Application
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
11-05-2023
Date Received:
06-07-2023
Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful
Comments:
I applied in Cambodia, where a paper application is required through the service centre VFS in Phnom Penh.
There are NO automatic status updates. After a couple of weeks I filled in the online complaint form and received confirmation that my application had been received and was given a reference number.
Once you have this number you can call and get a status. Although that doesn’t help much.
Two months is too long for this routine administrative procedure. Hopefully the staff can all be replaced by AI.
The service level has dropped dramatically from when the UK Embassies were doing this.
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We have a very small favour to ask………….
We really hope this information is helpful to you and reduces stress whilst you are waiting for you passport. If you are able to make a small donation for the cost of a coffee it really helps us to maintain the site and continue to make improvements for future passport applicants.
