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I applied for my first British passport immediately after the ceremony the 24th of sept it reached IPS the 26th and because of travel i called them tuesday afternoon asking them to send me back my old passport before the 4th cotober as i need to travel. i thought they will do their check before sending but at my surprise i was informed that i need to send them back the passport as they didnt do any check ... they ask me to send it to "priority team" or team 18 !! what does all that means ? will it tak same time of processing next time i will send it ?

bohrasa wrote:I applied for my first British passport immediately after the ceremony the 24th of sept it reached IPS the 26th and because of travel i called them tuesday afternoon asking them to send me back my old passport before the 4th cotober as i need to travel. i thought they will do their check before sending but at my surprise i was informed that i need to send them back the passport as they didnt do any check ... they ask me to send it to "priority team" or team 18 !! what does all that means ? will it tak same time of processing next time i will send it ?

reading your post i got more question than answers. . .

Why on earth would you plan to travel 10 days after applying for brit pp is beyond me. . Can u shed some ligjt?

Never had an emergency, or, just an unforseen even in life before?.

In anycase, there is also lack of clarity on the whole process. When I submitted my passport application through Check and Send PO, I was under the impression that my original documentation (Naturalisation certs, overseas passport) would be returned within a week to 10 days, while the new British passport application would continue. I even confirmed so with the Post Office and 3 different agents told me that original documentation would be returned soon after IPS has received it.

As it happened, I also needed my passport back to apply for a visa and called IPS to check when would I received my documentation back - only then I found out that ... for a FIRST, Adult passport, IPS keeps the documentaion till the end of the passport issue process - which could take upto 6 weeks, though looking at the passport apps time line, 3 weeks is more the usual.

Since I was in a hurry, I requested if my passport could be scanned and then returned. To my amazement, having submitted through the PO on the Tuesday 20th of October, I was informed the the IPS phone line that my passports are being retured - I got the letters to arrange appointment on 28th, and got my passports back today 29th.

I guess since you only gave them 2-3 days they were unable to do any kind of check and had to return your passport, and thereby put your application in abeyance.

I got the passport back. and got a letter asking me to put another countersignatory as the one I have is student british. they need a professional. so they send me the forms to fill again. however they haven't asked me to send the passport back !!

I am assuming here that both of you have dual nationality and can travel on your original passports.

The originals are returned quite quickly but only after you have been issued an interview letter.