British Passport application processing timelines (only)

[ChristmasMiracle]

Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 26/01/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 26/01/2025
Identity details received: 26/01/2025
Application received: 26/01/2025
Documents posted: 26/01/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:28/01/2025 10am
Documents acknowledged:29/01/2025 ( I chased for an update on the 28th and i had a call back on the 30th)
Application approved: 02/02/2025
Passport printed: 02/02/2025
Passport dispatched:03/02/2025
Passport received:04/02/2025!!!! so happy it came this quick as i have travel plans for the end of FEB.
Documents returned:Pending - documents been dispatched however still not been recieved.

Im hoping it will arrive by this week or early next week so fingers crossed the wait is not long!

overall it took 6 Working days from the date of the application! so happy the wait is now over.

[tascott]

First adult passport after naturalisation

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 23 Jan 2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 23 Jan 2025
Identity details received: 23 Jan 2025
Application received: 23Jan 2025
Documents posted: 27 Jan 2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 28 Jan 2025
Documents acknowledged: 29 Jan 2025
Application approved: 3 Feb 2025
Passport printed: 4 Feb 2025
Passport dispatched: 4 Feb 2025
Passport received: 5 Feb 2025
Documents returned: 5 Feb 2025

Very quick but was not happy with how they sent my naturalisation certificate back: in a standard A4 envelope no padding. The postie folded it into my letter box even though it says on the envelope do not bend, and it has creases throughout now.

[appleappleapple]

Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 04/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 04/02/2025
Identity details received: 04/02/2025
Application received: 04/02/2025
Documents posted: 04/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:05/02/2025 10am
Documents acknowledged:07/02/2025 ( I chased for an update through webcam and they then updated in the system)
Application approved: 11/02/2025
Passport printed: 12/02/2025
Passport dispatched:13/02/2025
Passport received:14/02/2025
Documents returned: Pending

[RiKTm]

Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 04/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 04/02/2025
Identity details received: 04/02/2025
Application received: 04/02/2025
Documents posted: 04/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:05/02/2025
Documents acknowledged: 10/02/2025 ( I chased for an update through webchat, but no extra information)
Application approved: 14/02/2025
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

[RiKTm]

Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 04/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 04/02/2025
Identity details received: 04/02/2025
Application received: 04/02/2025
Documents posted: 04/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:05/02/2025
Documents acknowledged: 10/02/2025 ( I chased for an update through webchat, but no extra information)
Application approved: 14/02/2025
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

The waiting times are ridiculous for a procedure that, in any developed country, should take no more than 15 minutes to check documents and print the passport at a desk. The waiting time should only be for getting the appointment, nothing more.

People don’t say anything, and I understand them—after such a long wait, once they finally get their passport, they forget the ordeal they went through. But these waiting times, along with the delivery and collection methods, are insane for a developed country in this day and age.

A week, 5 working days, 4, any, thats insane to get a passport.

[virol123]

Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 03/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 04/02/2025
Identity details received: 04/02/2025
Application received: 04/02/2025
Documents posted: 04/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:05/02/2025 10am
Documents acknowledged:11/02/2025 ( I chased for an update on the 28th and i had a call back on the 30th)
Application approved: 14/02/2025
Passport printed: 14/02/2025
Passport dispatched:14/02/2025
Passport received:15/02/2025
Documents received: pending

[Paramecio91]

EU-UK citizen, naturalised in Jan-23. Had heard horror stories about waiting times but was reassured by the timelines I read here and also by a friend who had the UK passport and the EU passport back in 8 days... for now it has not been a good choice and cannot really sleep until I receive back my EU passport.

First adult passport after naturalisation
Passport Office: Hemel Hempstead
Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 09/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 09/02/2025
Identity details received: 10/02/2025
Application received: 10/02/2025
Documents posted: 11/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:12/02/2025
Documents acknowledged: 13/02/2025
Sunday 16/02/2025: I got an email requesting more evidence, in particular they wanted "the passport you used to travel to the country that is now your home". Messaged them immediately through the webchat, apparently they wanted the EU passport that I used to enter the UK in 2015 (which expired in 2021). Told them that I don't have it anymore, they said an examiner is going to take a look at the case.
19/02/2025 I receive an email saying I need to book an appointment for a "routine passport interview". I call and the first appointment is on 4th of March. It's online via Microsoft Teams. The gentleman on the phone explains me that this is due to my naturalisation date being more than 12 months ago. he also says that after the interview I should receive my new passport in 7-10 working days.
I told him I need to travel to EU for work in mid-March and he said I can request my EU passport back sending an email to a certain email address which I did immediately. According to the gentleman this does not affect my application
20/02/2025 called the booking line again and managed to get the interview moved to 27/02/2025
27/02/2025 "routine passport interview" booked

to be continued....

[virol123]

Method of application: Online (Hemel Hempstead)
Application submitted: 03/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 04/02/2025
Identity details received: 04/02/2025
Application received: 04/02/2025
Documents posted: 04/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:05/02/2025 10am
Documents acknowledged:11/02/2025 ( I chased for an update on the 28th and i had a call back on the 30th)
Application approved: 14/02/2025
Passport printed: 14/02/2025
Passport dispatched:14/02/2025
Passport received:15/02/2025
Documents received: 20/02/25
My certificate came back rumpled. They could have posted it back in thick envelope like I did when posting the documents.

[paulina_wa]

Timeline:

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 12 Feb 2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 12 Feb 2025
Identity details received: 12 Feb Jan 2025
Application received: 12 Feb Jan 2025
Documents posted: 13 Feb 2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery by 1pm)
Documents delivered: 14 Feb 2025, 10:45am
Documents acknowledged: 17 Feb 2025, 9:36pm
Application approved: 19 Feb 2025, 2:17pm
Passport printed: 20 Feb 2025, 6:35am
Passport dispatched: 20 Feb 2025, 11:04am (RM notification)
Passport received: 21 Feb 2025, 11:15am
Documents dispatched: 21 Feb 2025, 8:42am (no notification, had to call HMPO to get the tracking number)
Documents returned: 22 Feb 2025

Supporting docs:

I sent in my naturalisation certificate, a colour photocopy of my foreign passport (all pages) and a cover letter explaining that I needed my passport for work. I did ask via chat if that was ok and they confirmed so.

I also sent a prepaid, self-addressed "do not bend" special delivery envelope for the return of the naturalisation cert. I specifically asked in the cover letter for them to use it.

Just in case, I paid the extra £5 for "secure delivery" of my docs at the application stage as well which backfired slightly because the numpties at HMPO packed everything I sent them in their own plastic pouch with the cert on top rather than inside the do not bend envelope... This meant the cert arrived a bit creased but not too badly.

To all of those whose certificates got damaged, a big advantage of choosing "secure delivery" is that HMPO assumes responsibility for any loss or damage. So as long as that's the option you chose you should lodge a complaint and they will ask UKVI to send you a new one (hopefully in a proper envelope!).

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... or-damaged

[StruggleNo5]

First adult passport after naturalisation as EU citizen

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 05/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 07/02/2025
Identity details received: 07/02/2025
Application received: 07/02/2025
Documents posted: 07/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 10/02/2025
Documents acknowledged: 12/02/2025
Application approved: 15/02/2025
Passport printed: 18/02/2025
Passport dispatched: 18/02/2025
Passport received: 19/02/2025
Documents returned: 22/02/2025

I did not choose the “secure delivery.”
The docs came back in a standard A4 envelope. Thankfully the naturalisation certificante wasn’t too creased.

[Balaban]

Method of application: Post Office Digital Check and Send
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 31 Jan 2025
Email sent to person confirming identity:1 Feb 2025
Identity details received: 1 Feb 2025
Application received: 1 Feb 2025
Documents posted: We gave the document on the application on 31 Jan to Post Office they sent them on 03 Jan
Documents delivered: 5 Feb 2025
Documents acknowledged: 12 Feb 2025
Photo Rejected: 19 Feb 2025
New Photo Received 23 Feb 2025
Application approved: Pending
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

Note : We have applied as a family via Post Office Digital Check and Send service. Me and my wife received our passports in 21 days. Above application is for my son. 19 days after my application they have rejected the photo and they also send an separate email that we need to send a Proof of address for my 14 years old child. Post office did not mention anything about the Proof of address and they took the photo as well.
I don’t recommend Post Office Digital Check and Send as there is no use of it.

[fler77]

First adult passport after naturalisation from EU Settled Status

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 07/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 07/02/2025
Identity details received: 07/02/2025
Application received: 07/02/2025
Documents posted: 08/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 11/02/2025
Documents acknowledged: 13/02/2025
Application approved: 15/02/2025
Passport printed: 18/02/2025
Passport dispatched: 18/02/2025
Passport received: 19/02/2025
Documents returned: 20/02/2025

[mdj00m]

First Adult passport after Naturalisation
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead

Passport and Support documents received: 26 February 2025
Passport printed: 2:18am on 25 February 2025
Application approved: 9:06am on 22 February 2025
Documents received: 11:40am on 18 February 2025 (chased after no updates on the 17th and 18th where they manually set it to "received" -- the webchat folks were, if I am honest, quite terse and borderline rude)
Royal Mail delivered: 13 Febraury 2025
Application received: 12:27pm on 12 February 2025
Identity details received: 12:27pm on 12 February 2025 (they couldn't find their passport that's why there was a delay )
Email sent to person confirming your identity: 12:15pm on 12 February 2025
Ask someone to confirm your identity: 12:10pm on 12 February 2025
Application submitted: 12:10pm on 12 February 2025

Happy it is all over and very thankful for everyone on this board! (I had to chase HO after naturalisation wasn't approved within 6 months. Wrote my MP. Also requested SAR raised a complaint (both of which took more than the 30 days they said it should take ))

[thesmith]

First adult passport after naturalisation from ILR

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 22/01/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 22/01/2025
Identity details received: 22/01/2025
Application received: 22/01/2025
Documents posted: 23/01/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 24/01/2025
Documents acknowledged: 28/01/2025
Application approved: 24/02/2025
Passport printed: 25/02/2025
Passport dispatched: 25/02/2025
Passport received: 26/02/2025
Documents returned: 27/02/2025

[Will_2021]

Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 17/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 17/02/2025
Identity details received: 17/02/2025
Application received: 17/02/2025
Documents posted: 18/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:19/02/2025
Documents acknowledged:21/02/2025
Application approved: 24/02/2025
Passport printed: 25/02/2025
Passport dispatched:25/02/2025
Passport received:26/02/2025
Documents returned: 27/02/2025

[GeorgiosLeeds]

Application Timeline, first passport after naturalisation
Passport for: Adult
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 13 Feb 25
Email sent to person confirming identity: 13 Feb 25
Identity details received: 13 Feb 25
Application received: 13 Feb 25
Documents posted: 13 Feb 25 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 14 Feb 25
Documents acknowledged: 20 Feb 25
Application approved: 23 Feb 2025
Passport printed: 25 Feb 2025
Passport dispatched: 25 Feb 2025
Passport received: 26 Feb 2025
Documents returned: 26 Feb 2025

[Paramecio91]

EU-UK citizen, naturalised in Jan-23. Had heard horror stories about waiting times but was reassured by the timelines I read here and also by a friend who had the UK passport and the EU passport back in 8 days... for now it has not been a good choice and cannot really sleep until I receive back my EU passport.

First adult passport after naturalisation
Passport Office: Hemel Hempstead
Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 09/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 09/02/2025
Identity details received: 10/02/2025
Application received: 10/02/2025
Documents posted: 11/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:12/02/2025
Documents acknowledged: 13/02/2025
Sunday 16/02/2025: I got an email requesting more evidence, in particular they wanted "the passport you used to travel to the country that is now your home". Messaged them immediately through the webchat, apparently they wanted the EU passport that I used to enter the UK in 2015 (which expired in 2021). Told them that I don't have it anymore, they said an examiner is going to take a look at the case.
19/02/2025 I receive an email saying I need to book an appointment for a "routine passport interview". I call and the first appointment is on 4th of March. It's online via Microsoft Teams. The gentleman on the phone explains me that this is due to my naturalisation date being more than 12 months ago. he also says that after the interview I should receive my new passport in 7-10 working days.
I told him I need to travel to EU for work in mid-March and he said I can request my EU passport back sending an email to a certain email address which I did immediately. According to the gentleman this does not affect my application
20/02/2025 called the booking line again and managed to get the interview moved to 27/02/2025
27/02/2025 "routine passport interview" booked

to be continued....

27/02/2025 interview done in the morning
27/02/2025 in the afternoon received an email saying I need to book an interview. Called immediately and the agent says “it’s a glitch in the system”. Left a note on my file.
28/02/2025 received an email saying I need to book an interview. Called immediately and the agent was puzzled, reiterates that I don’t need another interview.
1/03/2025 I receive my EU passport that I requested back on 19/02. End of a nightmare that should have never started.

[nuaaxiayu]

Application Timeline, first passport after naturalisation
Passport for: Adult
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 03/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 03/03/2025
Identity details received: 03/03/2025
Application received: 03/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: pending
Documents acknowledged: pending
Application approved: pending
Passport printed: pending
Passport dispatched: pending
Passport received: pending
Documents returned: pending

[nuaaxiayu]

First minor passport after registration

Passport for: child
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead (sent together with the parent's application)
Application submitted: 03/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 03/03/2025
Identity details received: 03/03/2025
Application received: 03/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: pending
Documents acknowledged: pending
Application approved: pending
Passport printed: pending
Passport dispatched: pending
Passport received: pending
Documents returned: pending

[Paramecio91]

EU-UK citizen, naturalised in Jan-23. Had heard horror stories about waiting times but was reassured by the timelines I read here and also by a friend who had the UK passport and the EU passport back in 8 days... for now it has not been a good choice and cannot really sleep until I receive back my EU passport.

First adult passport after naturalisation
Passport Office: Hemel Hempstead
Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 09/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 09/02/2025
Identity details received: 10/02/2025
Application received: 10/02/2025
Documents posted: 11/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:12/02/2025
Documents acknowledged: 13/02/2025
Sunday 16/02/2025: I got an email requesting more evidence, in particular they wanted "the passport you used to travel to the country that is now your home". Messaged them immediately through the webchat, apparently they wanted the EU passport that I used to enter the UK in 2015 (which expired in 2021). Told them that I don't have it anymore, they said an examiner is going to take a look at the case.
19/02/2025 I receive an email saying I need to book an appointment for a "routine passport interview". I call and the first appointment is on 4th of March. It's online via Microsoft Teams. The gentleman on the phone explains me that this is due to my naturalisation date being more than 12 months ago. he also says that after the interview I should receive my new passport in 7-10 working days.
I told him I need to travel to EU for work in mid-March and he said I can request my EU passport back sending an email to a certain email address which I did immediately. According to the gentleman this does not affect my application
20/02/2025 called the booking line again and managed to get the interview moved to 27/02/2025
27/02/2025 "routine passport interview" booked

to be continued....

27/02/2025 interview done in the morning
27/02/2025 in the afternoon received an email saying I need to book an interview. Called immediately and the agent says “it’s a glitch in the system”. Left a note on my file.
28/02/2025 received an email saying I need to book an interview. Called immediately and the agent was puzzled, reiterates that I don’t need another interview.
1/03/2025 I receive my EU passport that I requested back on 19/02. End of a nightmare that should have never started.

06/03/2025 received another email prompting me to book an interview. called and the lady says to ignore these email going forward. Asked for an update on my application (3 weeks since docs received, 1 week since interview) but she did not really have any, just been told to wait.

[Konfetka94]

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 19/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 19/02/2025
Identity details received: 19/02/2025
Application received: 19/02/2025
Documents posted: 19/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 23/02/2025
Documents acknowledged: 25/02/2025
Application approved: 26/02/2025
Passport printed: 27/02/2025
Passport dispatched: 27/02/2025
Passport received: 28/02/2025
Documents returned: 6/03/2025

[YakovD]

First adult passport after naturalisation

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 24/02/2025 (right after the ceremony)
Email sent to person confirming identity: 24/02/2025
Identity details received: 24/02/2025
Application received: 24/02/2025
Documents posted: 25/02/2025 (Royal Mail 24h Tracked)
Documents delivered: 26/02/2025
Documents acknowledged: 27/02/2025
Application approved: 2/03/2025 (Sunday at 8:11 )
Passport printed: 3/03/2025 (tracking shows that this was at 9pm, but likely it's late tracking before because by that point I already received a notification from Royal Mail saying they have it).
Passport dispatched: 3/03/2025
Passport received: 4/03/2025
Documents returned: 5/03/2025

The returned naturalisation certificate looks as if they chewed it and spit out (I paid for secure delivery). But overall, the whole process took just over a week, so I am happy.

[specbeb]

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 02/03/2025
Application received: 02/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025 07:58AM
Documents acknowledged: Pending
Application approved: Pending
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

[nuaaxiayu]

Application Timeline, first passport after naturalisation
Passport for: Adult
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 03/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 03/03/2025
Identity details received: 03/03/2025
Application received: 03/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 10/03/2025
Application approved: pending
Passport printed: pending
Passport dispatched: pending
Passport received: pending
Documents returned: pending

I called HMPO helpline on 10/03/2025 for update, and they asked me for my Royal Mail special delivery tracking number, then after a few moments when I checked the passport tracking website, it shows HMPO has received my posted documents.

[amos1234]

Application Timeline, first passport after naturalisation

Passport for: Adult
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 19/02/2025 (3:30 pm)
Email sent to person confirming identity: 20/02/2025 (8:06am ; the First person I asked was declined as he apparently didn't meet the requirement, even if on paper he did, and no justification was given)
Identity details received: 20/02/2025 (8:10 am)
Application received: 20/02/2025 (8:10 am)
Documents posted: 20/02/2025 (9:48 am ; Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 21/02/2025 (8:31 am)
Documents acknowledged: 24/02/2025 (8:14 am)
Application approved: pending (Passport Advice Line mentioned there was a mistake in my Certificate of Naturalisation, the examiner asked for clarification to UKVI Office on 24/02/2025, 2 weeks later they have not heard back)
Passport printed: pending
Passport dispatched: pending
Passport received: pending
Documents returned: pending (Please look at my comments below)

Request for supporting documents to be returned on 27/02/2025:
I contacted the Passport Advice Line (PAL) to return my documents as I needed to travel on 07/03/2025 due to an unplanned critical business meeting. They mentioned that this should be possible by submitting a request to CSMTupload@hmpo.gov.uk. I immediately sent the request and got an automated email saying that the request would be actioned in 2 working days, which should have been on 03/03/2025, giving me plenty of time.

After this, the CSMT (Customer Service Management Team) went silent. They acknowledge my email on 03/03/2025 in their internal system but until today (1 week later) they have not sent my documents. This is even calling twice per day to the PAL, and multiple agents messaging directly the CSMT Team saying this was urgent. PAL agents have been very helpful confirming that this is usually an easy process, but the CSMT has constantly ignored their messages.

On 05/03/2025 an agent raised an internal escalation, and the CSMT Team was supposed to call me directly that day or the following morning. I did not get the call until Friday (07/03/2025), the CSMT Agent told me that she would escalate further and ask for an immediate processing of my request. I called again and as of today (10/03/2025) at 3 pm, an agent confirmed that she can see the actioning request in the system but the documents have not yet been sent.

As you can imagine I'm incredibly frustrated as not only this should have been an easy request on paper, but given the CSMT Team inefficency, I lost a lot of money on plane tickets and further changes, not counting the fact that I have a contract at risk given my inability to travel these days. The CSMT offered a turnaround time of 2 days, and it's now more than 10 days without an answer. An agent advised me to raise an Official Complaint in the government's website, which I did last week, but they take up 15 working days to give an answer, which is useless in this situation.