British Passport application processing timelines (only)

daniel212 · Post by **daniel212** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 5:10 pm

I will be posting my application in the next few days.
I live in newcastle, hence Durham Passport office is closer to me.
But seen from some posts saying '' Don't send to Durham as it takes too long b4 sending interview letter,
Quick question... Peterbrough or Durham- Which is quicker in processing 1st Adult passport applications.
Thanks

Aujla · Post by **Aujla** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 5:19 pm

Kb_puth wrote:Hi InUkOnHsmp,

As per gov website, Fast track option will take around 3 week time to get an appointment so I thought check and send was the best option. My friend who applied recently for his daughter received passport in a week so I had hopes. I called PO to upgrade my application to fast track but they told that service not available for first passport application

Already suffered long 3 month wait with citizenship application which messed up my holiday plans..

Hi. I m in the same situation guys. I sent my baby's passport application more than 3 weeks ago but still waiting. And unfortunately I don't have barcode number also. When I phone them they say that they can't do anything without barcode number . I sent by special delivery.

psychecat · Post by **psychecat** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 6:24 pm

psychecat wrote:Passport for: Adult
Application Type: New
Method of application: Post Office Check & Send
Date of application: 10/03/2014
Date of sms: None (Called the passport office, they received the application on 12/03/2014)
Date of return of documents: 29/03/2014
Date of receipt of interview letter: 26/03/2014 dated 24/03/2014
Date of Passport Appointment: 29/03/2014 Luton PO
Date of Passport Receipt: 31/03/2014

Desert Storm · Post by **Desert Storm** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 8:03 pm

Method of Application: Self Post Next Day special delivery
Date of Application: 17/03/2014
Date of Application Received by IPS: 18/03/14
Date of SMS Received: 21/03/14
Date of Fees deduction: 21/03/14
Date of Receipt of Interview Letter: 03.04.14 dated 01.04.14
Date of Return of Documents: 03/04/14
Date of Interview booked: 09.04.14 @ Reading
Date of Passport Receipt: Waiting

pinkunicorn · Post by **pinkunicorn** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 8:07 pm

I figured I'd send this in since it'd have been useful to me if others in my shoes had.

Method of Application: First Adult Passport (British Citizen by Descent), applied from US
Date of Application: 23/11/13
Date of Application Received by IPS: 26/11/13
Date of SMS Received: None from HM Passport Office
Date of Fees deduction: 27/11/13 (SMS from bank)
Date of Receipt of Interview Letter: N/A
Date of Return of Documents: 15/01/14
Date of Interview booked: N/A
Date of Passport Receipt: 13/01/14

The delay was due to my failure to enclose a copy of the info page from my countersignatory's US passport. Once he got the letter requesting this, it was only about two weeks including time to post that to them. Their letter took three weeks for him to receive, however. Presumably due to high mail volume right before Christmas.

Overseas applicants do not require an interview.

dial2all · Post by **dial2all** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 9:25 pm

Passport for: Adult
Application Type: New
Method of application: Online ( payment by debit card online)
Date of application: 03/04/2014 (Countersignatures and declaration paper sent out same day by special delivery to Liverpool passport office)
Date of sms:
Date of return of documents:
Date of receipt of interview letter:
Date of Passport Appointment:
Date of Passport Receipt:

Kb_puth · Post by **Kb_puth** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 10:16 pm

abiegirl32 wrote:
Kb_puth wrote:How long does it take for first child passport? Child is born in UK.. Already been 2 week (check and send service). It's really frustrating to wait.. I had travel plans for next week
Am in the same situation as you and it's now 2 weeks I sent off my child application. There was no appointment available for a fast track application until after 3 weeks, so I had no option than to post it myself. Now we have to travel next week urgently . The guy I spoke to on the phone today spoilt my day by telling to allow up to 4 weeks for a postal application. I will be on the phone with them again tomorrow.

Even I keep calling PO and Dx secure daily.
The guy I spoke yesterday told me it might take more than 4 weeks

.. I should hv tried for fast track

my maternity leave will end soon ...

InUkOnHsmp · Post by **InUkOnHsmp** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 6:56 am

daniel212 wrote:I will be posting my application in the next few days.
I live in newcastle, hence Durham Passport office is closer to me.
But seen from some posts saying '' Don't send to Durham as it takes too long b4 sending interview letter,
Quick question... Peterbrough or Durham- Which is quicker in processing 1st Adult passport applications.
Thanks

Peterborough.

NOG · Post by **NOG** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 7:54 am

The passport application guide states -
"We may check you live at the address you give. If you don’t, it may delay your application unless you explain the circumstances in section 8 of the application form. We will not normally return your passport to an address that is different from your current address. If you want it delivered to a different address, please explain why you want us to do this and give the other address in section 8."

From experience, has the address ever been checked for an individual's passport application? If so, how, HM Passport Office visiting the address?

dadageer · Post by **dadageer** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:39 am

update:

Passport for: Adult
Application Type: New, first adult passport
Method of application: Special Delivery
Date of application: 02.04.2014
Date application received by IPS: 8am 03.04.2014 (Royal Mail Proof)
Date SMS Received: 04.04.2014
Date of deduction of fees: Pending
Date of return of documents: Pending
Date of receipt of interview letter: Pending
Date of Passport Appointment: Pending
Date of Passport Receipt: Pending

collipu · Post by **collipu** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 8:53 am

Has anyone tried calling the passport office? I tried but was given very weird replies ranging from my application could not be traced to first time applications take a minimum of 6 weeks!

tobeukcitizen · Post by **tobeukcitizen** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 9:34 am

tobeukcitizen wrote:
tobeukcitizen wrote:Application Timeline

Passport for: Adult
Application Type: New (By Naturalization)
Method of application: By Post (to Durham)
Date application sent : 05-MAR-2014 (By Special Delivery)
Date of receipt of application by IPS : 06-03-2014
Date of deduction of fees : 11-06-2014
Date of receipt of interview letter : 26-3-2014
Date of interview appointment : 1-4-2014 (in Reading)
Date of return of documents : 27-3-3014
Date of receipt of passport :3-4-2014

Thanks all for being part of my Naturalisation application journey. All your timelines were really helpful to keep track of when I might expect my next update tentatively. Wish you all a good luck.

My interview experience: It was a typical interview as posted by lot others in this forum. It lasted for 8 minutes. My interview was at 8:45, but I arrived early at 8:10 and I was out by 8:46.

I was not sure how parking will be near the Passport office which is why I arrived early. But, parking spaces on the King's Road at that time of the day was not that busy. I took the ticket for 1hr 40 mins paying £2.60, but used it only for 1 hr.

While I waited in the Ground floor reception in the Kings Reach building, the receptionist/security was rude,making his own rules, asking me not to speak on my mobile phone(even though I spoke very softly) , but he spoke so loudly that it could have be heard to people in all the floors of that building. There were no notice displayed regarding mobile phones.

Kb_puth · Post by **Kb_puth** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 10:10 am

collipu wrote:Has anyone tried calling the passport office? I tried but was given very weird replies ranging from my application could not be traced to first time applications take a minimum of 6 weeks!

They give stupid replies.. Once they told my application is in Peterborough and sometimes they say its in glasgow., now I stopped calling them..

collipu · Post by **collipu** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 10:30 am

Kb_puth wrote:
collipu wrote:Has anyone tried calling the passport office? I tried but was given very weird replies ranging from my application could not be traced to first time applications take a minimum of 6 weeks!
They give stupid replies.. Once they told my application is in Peterborough and sometimes they say its in glasgow., now I stopped calling them..

Good to hear that I am not alone is these respones!

Anyone else waiting for the interview letter who applied in March?

itsahmedawan · Post by **itsahmedawan** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 10:50 am

collipu wrote:
Kb_puth wrote:
collipu wrote:Has anyone tried calling the passport office? I tried but was given very weird replies ranging from my application could not be traced to first time applications take a minimum of 6 weeks!
They give stupid replies.. Once they told my application is in Peterborough and sometimes they say its in glasgow., now I stopped calling them..
Good to hear that I am not alone is these respones!

Anyone else waiting for the interview letter who applied in March?

i applied non 17 march through check and send service and they received on 19 march and they give 20 march for examination after that i called then to check status and lady asking me some silly questions that r u traveling, did u send on ur own application and then nothing.
i m still waiting for interview letter r my suporting documents.

collipu · Post by **collipu** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 11:09 am

itsahmedawan wrote:
Anyone else waiting for the interview letter who applied in March?

i applied non 17 march through check and send service and they received on 19 march and they give 20 march for examination after that i called then to check status and lady asking me some silly questions that r u traveling, did u send on ur own application and then nothing.
i m still waiting for interview letter r my suporting documents.[/quote][/quote]

They asked me too when I was travelling? Pretty sure he couldn't see anything on the system, just making up stuff.

cooby · Post by **cooby** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 11:21 am

Type: First Adult
Sent: March 6th, 2014
Received: March 10th, 2014
Interview letter: waiting
Interview date: waiting
Passport Receipt: waiting

It's been almost 4 weeks and I've heard nothing. My passport application is w/ the Durham office, and they started handling it on the 22nd, apparently (12 days after they received it). I've been here on an extended holiday (American, but British by descent) and am required to leave the country by the beginning of May (6-month visa). I've called the office several times and I've been getting completely different answers. One woman said that my passport was waiting to be printed, another said to call back April 17th to get my status, and the rest just tell me it's being processed. I actually had one guy tell me that I've checked the status of my application 3 times and for me to stop calling. I was promised a call back from the Durham office within 24-hours, two days later IPS finally calls me back..but it's the call-center! And she wouldn't xfer me to the Durham office. The customer service has been pretty horrible and I just want my American passport back. Anybody had any similar experiences??

collipu · Post by **collipu** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 11:31 am

cooby wrote:Type: First Adult
Sent: March 6th, 2014
Received: March 10th, 2014
Interview letter: waiting
Interview date: waiting
Passport Receipt: waiting

It's been almost 4 weeks and I've heard nothing. My passport application is w/ the Durham office, and they started handling it on the 22nd, apparently (12 days after they received it). I've been here on an extended holiday (American, but British by descent) and am required to leave the country by the beginning of May (6-month visa). I've called the office several times and I've been getting completely different answers. One woman said that my passport was waiting to be printed, another said to call back April 17th to get my status, and the rest just tell me it's being processed. I actually had one guy tell me that I've checked the status of my application 3 times and for me to stop calling. I was promised a call back from the Durham office within 24-hours, two days later IPS finally calls me back..but it's the call-center! And she wouldn't xfer me to the Durham office. The customer service has been pretty horrible and I just want my American passport back. Anybody had any similar experiences??

You just get transferred to a call centre, they have no clue. Will make a complaint soon!

kris79 · Post by **kris79** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 11:59 am

Passport for: 2 Adults and 1 child
Application Type: first passport
Method of application: PO check and send
Date of application: 20.03.2014
Date application received by IPS: --
Date SMS Received: 24.03.2014
Date of deduction of fees: Paid with application
Date of return of documents: Pending
Date of receipt of interview letter: Pending
Date of Passport Appointment: Pending
Date of Passport Receipt: Pending

Nothing heard yet.

I am just wondering if they send us a text msg or something to let us know tht our passport or documents are on our way??

collipu · Post by **collipu** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 1:25 pm

Looking at the previous posts, SMS is very random.

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British Passport application processing timelines (only)

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