Passport update

Readers may be interested on following the progress of a passport application by a member of staff.

The original application was made 16 May and paid for at the standard £75 rate.  The current passport, not due to end until 20 December was not sent in as it was likely a use might be made in a month or two.  See BTN 31 May.

BTN was persuaded that the warning by the Passport Office that “applications could take up to 10 weeks” was only an alert and not a statement of fact.

The passport was despatched at the local Post Office by recorded delivery Saturday 29 May, and with a Bank Holiday intervening was confirmed via the Home Office website for the application, to have arrived 11:10 Wednesday 2 June.

The question was asked.  “I need to travel soon, can I speed up my application?”

With the auto response.  “You are not eligible yet to ask for your application to be processed faster. This is because we received your old passport less than 10 weeks ago.”

However the website does point out that if you need to travel immediately for compassionate reasons they may be able to help.

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-passport-office

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Kevin Connolly, Dorset

I don't have all the exact dates but we applied online for a renewal around 8th April. Payment was taken on 14th April, old passport sent in by 1st class recorded on 15th April. New passport issued on 21st and arrived with us on the 23rd April. Maybe just lucky but we've never waited more than 3/4 weeks for the whole process to be completed.