Keep refreshing the site. I picked up my form today from the post office and booked an appointment on the 3rd attempt tonight. I could have had tomorrow for my appointment but I don't have time to get it all filled in before then so opted for an appointment next week. I've got 5 weeks until I'm going away but with another bank holiday I didn't want to risk it.
Today's UK Government Farce - Passports
- Thread starter mid_gen
- Start date
I was quite surprised, I had a great experience. Passport sent back to the Glasgow Passport Office, confirmation of receipt a few days after delivery. Then it moved through the process with a text at each stage over the next 8 days and I've received it today, all done in 2 weeks.
In contrast, my brother was assigned the Liverpool office, nothing apart from being able to confirm via Royal Mail it was successfully delivered. I also know a friend who is still waiting on the Glasgow office and is over 4 weeks into the process. I've obviously been super lucky here but the contrasting experiences are just mad to me.
In contrast, my brother was assigned the Liverpool office, nothing apart from being able to confirm via Royal Mail it was successfully delivered. I also know a friend who is still waiting on the Glasgow office and is over 4 weeks into the process. I've obviously been super lucky here but the contrasting experiences are just mad to me.
Reading your subsequent replies I won't waste any more of my time.
Soldato
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- 5 Aug 2003
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- Essex
Still impossible to get hold of the passport office on the phone. There's a new Web form you can fill out for them to contact you. https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outreach/Passport_Enquiries.ofml
Hopefully they do a and I can finally get my kids passports, its been 12 weeks now.
Hopefully they do a and I can finally get my kids passports, its been 12 weeks now.
I applied for a second passport priority service. It took over 1 month to get the second passport and then a bit longer to get my original passport.
Then 1 month later after I get both my passports I get a letter saying they need to arrange an interview before they can issue the passport!
I’m trying to get them to refund me the priority fee.
Then 1 month later after I get both my passports I get a letter saying they need to arrange an interview before they can issue the passport!
I’m trying to get them to refund me the priority fee.
Just entering the joy of this disaster. Needed both kids passports done so I filled in the form and sent the old ones off on the same day to two different processing centres.
Both old passports sent the same day, both signed for delivery the next day (26th April). My son's new passport that was done by the processing centre in Bootle will be delivered today, so a bit less than 2 weeks end to end. In the same time they haven't even acknowledged delivery of my daughter's old passport at the processing centre in Hemel Hempsted!
Both old passports sent the same day, both signed for delivery the next day (26th April). My son's new passport that was done by the processing centre in Bootle will be delivered today, so a bit less than 2 weeks end to end. In the same time they haven't even acknowledged delivery of my daughter's old passport at the processing centre in Hemel Hempsted!
Associate
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- 26 Sep 2021
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- 106
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- England
My old passport was delivered to the Liverpool centre 9 days ago and the tracking page says they are still waiting for me to send it.
I sent off my little one’s passport application at the beginning of April and received the passport this week. It was delayed as I had to send in a birth certificate but this wasn’t requested when I applied, they only wanted the old passport.
Permabanned
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- 23 Apr 2014
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- Hertfordshire
Ordered online 27th April, just been printed, says will be shipped shortly. 
Mine was delivered to Durham on Monday, tracking also saying waiting for me to send it.
I know this is slightly off topic but thought it was interesting.
I was born in South Africa and moved away when I was 20. I lost my South African citizenship/passport as I didn't get permission before getting my UK passport.
I'm now 36 and decided I would like to get my South African passport while on holiday in South Africa.
Booked an appointment online for the next day which was a Tuesday. Went to the office of home affairs. Didn't need to fill in a form and they took photos there for free. Paid equivalent of £20 for my passport. Was in and out in an hour. On Friday I had a text to say my passport was ready to pickup.
I actually couldn't believe that a 3rd world country could manage this.
I was born in South Africa and moved away when I was 20. I lost my South African citizenship/passport as I didn't get permission before getting my UK passport.
I'm now 36 and decided I would like to get my South African passport while on holiday in South Africa.
Booked an appointment online for the next day which was a Tuesday. Went to the office of home affairs. Didn't need to fill in a form and they took photos there for free. Paid equivalent of £20 for my passport. Was in and out in an hour. On Friday I had a text to say my passport was ready to pickup.
I actually couldn't believe that a 3rd world country could manage this.
That’s incredible. I’ve been fighting with them for over 2 years because they got one letter wrong on my son’s birth certificate
Soldato
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- 21 Oct 2011
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- ST4
That's because documents are entered onto the system manually. So your Royal Mail tracking will show it as being delivered and signed for but it can then take a week or so for the passport office tracking to update because the office monkeys check it and update the system manually.
That’s incredible. I’ve been fighting with them for over 2 years because they got one letter wrong on my son’s birth certificate
This is the luck of the draw over here, I applied at the same time for my ID card and haven't received that. This was almost 2 weeks ago and still waiting. Also people are waiting for months/years for their driving licenses as South Africa only had one machine to print them and it broke down. Had to be sent to Germany for repair so it means there is a huge backlog.
Load shedding most nights, potholes everywhere and traffic lights not working. South Africa is definitely backwards which is why I was shocked at the turn around of the passport.
Just had my fast track appointment today, in and out before my actual appointment time. I had to wait a week for my appointment as I was offered a next day one but couldn't get the form and photos countersigned by then. Hoping the rest goes smoothly and it turns up within the week
Soldato
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- 5 Aug 2003
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- 8,495
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- Essex
Has anyone waiting on a passport successfully got hold of the passport office on the phone or via the contact form on their website? I've been trying for a couple of weeks now and nothing.
Call the main number and use option 4, 2, 1 to get a callback. You can then ask for the progress team or potentially apply to fast track. Seemed to work for us. We didn’t fast track in the end as the application was approved around the time that we started to get worried and called.