Feedback, experiences, timelines, tips and useful information from people that have recently been through the UK passport application process.
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Adult Renewal Passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
17-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
1 week turnaround time
Sent 2nd class signed for on 17th July
Documents received 20th July
Application approved 25th July
Passport printed 26th July
Passport received 27th July
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
23-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Applied for passport on Sunday night (23 July)
Sent old passport Royal Mail Tracked 24 hours (24 July)
Passport received by Passport office next day (25 July)
New passport delivered by TNT on 27 July.
brilliant service. no issues and overall extremely happy. People are quick to complain how bad the passport offices are – so thought i’d share this good experience 🙂
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
24-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Super fast, super easy. Absolutely nothing to complain about!
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
01-05-2023
Date Received:
18-07-2023
Overall Experience:
2 Star – Stressful
Comments:
Completed online renewal on 1st of May and sent old passport recorded delivery the next day. Two weeks later Royal Mail had no delivery confirmation and Corby office hadn’t notified receipt so I cancelled old passport and asked to have application transferred to a new application. After a further 6 weeks of no change in the state of my application to allow me to progress my application with a verified photo and many calls to the phone line my old passport was mysteriously marked as received on the 6th of July. Another week later the status was updated to approved/printed and two days after that it was received.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
12-07-2023
Date Received:
26-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Sent documents day after submission, confirmed received 2 days later. Passport office messaged 2 days before passport sent to confirm it was firstly being sent for printing and then a day later completed and being posted.
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
18-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
18/7/2023- application sent
18/7/2023- application received
18/7/2023- sent old passport
20/7/2023- old passport sent signed for received
26/7/2023- application approved
27/7/3023- received new passport
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
22-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Application Submitted 22/07/23
Old passport sent 22/07/23 –
Delivered to HMPO 25/07/23
Passport printed 26/07/23
New passport Delivered 27/07/23
5* very easy, couldn’t believe how quick the process was. Used digital code for
Photos from Max Spielman
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
17-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Old passport sent 18/07/2023
Type of Application:
Adult Passport Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
09-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
3 Star – Average
Comments:
Took a long time to register receipt of documents despite Royal Mail next day delivery which confirmed delivery on schedule.
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Lost or Stolen Passport Application
Type of Application:
Lost/Stolen Passport
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
18-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
1 Star – Very Stressful
Comments:
We called every day as we had a holiday booked for next week and a stolen passport. We applied via lost and stolen which meant we couldn’t fast track. The website is confusing I don’t know if we could have fast tracked? But as we had applied already they would not let us change the route. 18 July applied. Called every day to check progress. Different information was given on what we could do everytime. One woman said it will take ten weeks and that’s it, holidays are not priority even if your passport is stolen and you have a crime number. This needs to change. We didn’t plan for someone to break into our home two weeks before our holiday so why would the government penalise the victim? Anyway I don’t know if some kind person read our notes as it arrived today 27th July. Emotional rollercoaster but thankfully a quick turnaround. This site really helped me cope with the stress of it all thankyou.
1st Child Passport
Type of Application:
First Child Passport
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
16-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Application submitted 1:31pm on 16 July 2023
Ask someone to confirm your identity 1:31pm on 16 July 2023
Email sent to person confirming your identity 1:39pm on 16 July 2023
Identity details received 1:49pm on 16 July 2023
Application received 1:49pm on 16 July 2023
Documents sent 17 July 2023
Documents signed for 18 July 2023
Documents received on system 10:40am on 20 July 2023
Application approved 9:08pm on 25 July 2023
Passport printed 11:39pm on 25 July 2023
Passport received 08:30am on 27 July 2023
Child Renewal
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
17-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Easy process with no additional information or input required.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Hemel Hempstead
Submission Date:
17-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
All done online with a digital photo and online countersigning.
Type of Application:
Child Renewal
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
13-07-2023
Date Received:
26-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
13/07/23 – Online application
14/07/23 – Posted old passport
18/07/23 – They received old passport
21/07/23 – Application approved
22/7/23 – Passport Printed
26/07/23 – New passport received
27/07/23 – Old passport recived
1 Week Fast Track Application
Type of Application:
1 Week Fast Track Service
Passport Office:
Not Sure
Submission Date:
21-07-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Overseas Passport Application
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Corby
Submission Date:
04-07-2023
Date Received:
25-07-2023
Overall Experience:
4 Star – Easy
Comments:
First part – Was stressful ! So One Star – Difficult to understand the rigid photo requirements BEFORE starting the application !!!
Getting Photo-booth or Photo Shop Passport Digital Photograph with U.K Digital Code appears impossible abroad. Finally took a variety of pics at home and used online App to enhance & prep digital photo for U.K Passport requirements. Photos we thought were best, submitted during the application, were marked not good enough, but we kept trying with alternatives and finally one photo we though was not so good was accepted (Why? AI decision?) So keep some alternative photos ready during the photo submission !!!
Remember That These Comments Are for Passport Renewal From Abroad…
After the photo was accepted the rest of the application (Beta version for renewal from abroad) was EASY !!! Well made software, helpful, polite & easy to use !!!
So I give a FULL Five Stars for that… Also for the very clear & helpful emails detailing progress all through the stages & even after printing and sent…
Courier service was also excellent… All faster than expected… A very good service !!!
So I gave it 4 Stars… Max Stars minus One Star (for the difficult photo problem abroad and insufficient info BEFORE starting the application ..
The Passport Office people did a very good and efficient job !!! A guide to read the requirements before application would help a lot !!!
Type of Application:
Adult Renewal (Overseas Application)
Passport Office:
Durham
Submission Date:
29-06-2023
Date Received:
27-07-2023
Overall Experience:
5 Star – Very Easy
Comments:
Had to phone UKPO to obtain PEX #,
And chased up my application for updates on a weekly basis (as unable to track overseas application online).
Took 2 weeks from receiving the application to examiner stage,
Queries resolved quickly via email
DHL promptly delivered Passport and Supporting documents on 2 consecutive days !
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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.
