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:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
07-06-2023
Date Received:
26-06-2023
Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average
Comments:
This website was extremely helpful to understand the process as the government’s own website was flippantly obscure. Thanks for your service!
Adult Renewal Passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
17-06-2023
Date Received:
26-06-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Submitted 17/06/2023
Docs rec’d 21/06/2023
Approved 22/06/2023
Printed 22/06/2023
Rec’d 26/06/2023
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
15-06-2023
Date Received:
26-06-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Super quick process, updated at every stage, I missed one delivery but it was reattempted the next working day. Great experience, stress free!
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
15-06-2023
Date Received:
24-06-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Quick service which included a name change
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
20-06-2023
Date Received:
26-06-2023
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
They received my passport Tuesday, approved it Thursday, printed it Saturday, and I got the new one Monday. Much quicker than expected! Never received an email saying it was posted but got a text on the day from tnt (but was delivered by fedex)
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
12-06-2023
Date Received:
26-06-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Passport service great. TNT delivery tracker didn’t seem to work so wasn’t sure when delivery would happen.
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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.
1st Child Passport
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
12-06-2023
Date Received:
23-06-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Ordered expecting a 10 week turn around, was really quick.
Did the whole process online and was all very easy.
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
21-04-2023
Date Received:
Not Received
Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful
Comments:
Started application in April still not received passport – due to fly 2nd July
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
26-05-2023
Date Received:
19-06-2023
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
26/05/2023- Application submitted
30/05/2023- Documents received
07/06/2023- Additional documentation requested (marriage certificate)
13/06/2023- Document sent
15/06/2023- Passport Approved
17/06/2023- Passport Printed
19/06/2023- Passport delivered
Very easy.
Only annoyance was name on my passport is different to name on baby birth certificate due to marriage.
I called passport helpline twice and was told not to send my marriage certificate and just write a cover letter explaining the difference in names.
Once they have received application and documents they then requested marriage certificate.
If this is you, just send marriage certificate in first place.
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
10-06-2023
Date Received:
23-06-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Easy process
Application submitted 10th June
Identity confirmed 12th June
Birth certificate was then sent on 13th June.
BC received at passport office 16th June
Application approved 21st June
Passport Printed 22nd June
Delivered 23rd June
Child Renewal
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
12-06-2023
Date Received:
26-06-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very easy. I had to provide proof of parental responsibility as applied as father (unmarried). It didn’t seem to delay the process.
Overseas Passport Application
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
08-06-2023
Date Received:
23-06-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Very easy, wasn’t expecting it so quickly.
Application was filed: June 8th 2023
Documents received from USA: June 14th
Application approved: June 19th
Passport printed: June 20th.
Passport received in the USA: June 23rd
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Liverpool (Bootle)
Submission Date:
31-03-2023
Date Received:
05-06-2023
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
Straightforward if a fairly long wait. Was not provided with an application number at the overseas office I applied at but when contacting HMPO they gave me it so I could track the progress.
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
06-06-2023
Date Received:
26-06-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Application Submitted and Received: June 6, 2023 (Tuesday)
Documents Received: June 15, 2023 (Thursday) (Note: I live in Japan and use the EMS [Japan Post Express Service] to mail out the documents. They were delivered to the PO Box on June 13, but registered in the system by Passport Office on June 15)
Approved: June 20, 2023 (Tuesday)
Passport Printed: June 21, 2023 (Wednesday)
Received by DHL: June 22, 2023 (Thursday)
Delivered by DHL: June 26, 2023 (Monday)
At the moment, I did not receive any notification about the mailng back of my old passport. I hope it will be fast as I have some Visas in the old passport.
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
14-03-2023
Date Received:
26-06-2023
Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful
Comments:
Awful service. After posting my old passport on 14th March (from Switzerland, where I live), and receiving confirmation from the courier that it had been delivered to HMPO in Hemel Hempstead on 28th March, they took until 12th May to acknowledge receipt (after numerous phone calls about why I was continuing to receive ‘you must send us your old passport’ emails).
I must have then made 20+ phone calls over the following 6 weeks to try to get some further information, after repeatedly being told it was ‘awaiting examination’. As I live abroad, I am apparently not eligible for any sort of accelerated service (even after waiting 10 weeks), despite paying exactly the same fee as someone living in the UK. Why? HMPO would not answer this question. On 4 separate occasions, I was told that someone would follow up/investigate and that I would be called back – it never happened. I lost count of the number of times I was told by a call agent that they would ‘make a note on the file that it was urgent’. The phone calls became laughably predictable to the point where I wondered why I was even bothering.
Only after submitting 3 separate complaints (the first two of which received generic one-line answers that didn’t address the complaint or answer my questions) did I receive a call back. On 19th June, they told me my passport was finally with an examiner, but no time frame could be provided for how much longer it would take. Shortly before this, I also managed to speak to someone in the ‘progress’ team who basically admitted that overseas applications are low priority as HMPO doesn’t make any guarantees about turnaround time (only that it may take more than 10 weeks). The delay in my application wasn’t the postal service – it was HMPO.
My passport finally arrived on 26th June – a 15-week wait. My advice if you’re applying from overseas? Book a face-to-face appointment in the UK and pay whatever you need to get there and get your passport the same day. I would have saved myself an enormous amount of time and stress had I done this. I dread the fact that I now have to go through this process all over again for my children’s passports.
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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.
