Experiences on Requesting Passports back from UKBA (EEA2)

zz00ee · Post by **zz00ee** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 10:07 am

flipper77 wrote:After anxiously waiting over a month, I finally received our passports back this morning!

For anyone who missed it so far, this is how I did it:

14/11/2012: Emailed RODR form to RODRequests@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
14/11/2012: Realised the email should have gone to LiverpoolEuro.PassportReturns@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk, so forwarded to that address
28/11/2012: Phoned UKBA (0151 672 5626 - actual number behind 0845 010 5200), and was told to send the request via email again
28/11/2012: Sent second email to LiverpoolEuro.PassportReturns@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
03/12/2012: After reading various posts on this forum, I decided to contact my local MP's office, to seek their assistance. They made contact with the UKBA on that day, and were told that both email requests were logged in the system and would be followed up (The MP's office then have to wait for the UKBA to come back to them)
10/12/2012: Contacted an immigration lawyer to see if they could assist. They said they would be able to, however there were no guarantees that they would be successful (didn't pursue this route)
11/12/2012: Sent a letter (Special Delivery) to the UKBA, detailing my email requests, and asking for return of the passports to allow us to travel for Christmas. I included a return Special Delivery satchel
11/12/2012: Sent a complaint to UKBACustomerComplaints@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk, explaining the contact attempted so far (yet to receive a response)
12/12/2012: Phoned UKBA again, was told once again to send another email request. I spoke to 3 different people (person who answered the phone, their supervisor, then the supervisor's supervisor) - all gave the same response - "send another email". There seems to be no route to escalate the request within the UKBA, despite them missing their 10 day "deadline" twice. Sent my third request to LiverpoolEuro.PassportReturns@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk
12/12/2012: Spoke to the MP's office again, and they were yet to hear anything from the UKBA. They then escalated their request (they seem to have their own 'relationship manager' within the UKBA) - and advised me that they would provide a response by the end of the next day.
14/12/2012: MP's office phoned to say that the UKBA had dispatched the passports the previous evening (Special Delivery Next Day) and would be with me that day - waited in, however they didn't show up (assume they were sent too late to make it "next day")
17/12/2012: Passports arrived! (Special Delivery, Saturday Guarantee - not in the satchel I provided (however Royal Mail failed to get them here on Saturday))

From reading all of the other posts in regards to requesting passports back, it definitely appears to depend on which Caseworking team your case has been allocated to, and that some Caseworking teams work slower than others.

I'd recommend to anyone who will need their passports back during the process to request them sooner rather than later.

I wish anyone luck who needs their passport back, and recommend you contact your local MP as soon as the initial 10 day period has passed.

Good News Flapper

Mine is still no where. I think I just have to give up. My traveling is tomorrow morning. I am thinking to contact Brussels to make a formal complain.

fatefull · Post by **fatefull** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:37 pm

In form they ask to fill in Case ID/Royal mail reference of fee reference.

I sent my application back in August, and didn't think of keeping the postage slip to this day, would it be okay to leave this field blank for them still to proceed with return of the passport I need?

Thank you.

flipper77 · Post by **flipper77** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 1:27 pm

fatefull,

Do you have a Case ID/number from the UKBA? I used that as well as the Royal Mail Reference.

flipper

siddiqr · Post by **siddiqr** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 4:58 pm

Here is my experience of passport return request....

I sent my application special delivery on 3rd Dec which was rec'd at HO on 4th Dec. Requested wife's EEA passport back on 10th Dec via email.

Rec'd a call this afternoon from HO Liverpool office that they cant locate my docs. I provided my Royal Mail tracking number and a lovely lady called Diane asked me to stay close to the phone and that she will call back shortly

She called me 45 mins later to advise that she has located my docs and after some checks and loading the application on the system, she will send the passport 1st things tomorrow morning in pre-paid special delivery bags i sent with my application.

Hopefully we will recieve in time for my wife to travel on Saturday evening. It has been such a pleasant surprise that i have decided to write a personal note to thank her for her help.

flipper77 · Post by **flipper77** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 6:10 pm

If only all the staff at UKBA were like Diane! Glad to hear she was able to sort it out for you - but a shame they can misplace things in the first place!

fatefull · Post by **fatefull** » Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:35 pm

flipper77 wrote:fatefull,

Do you have a Case ID/number from the UKBA? I used that as well as the Royal Mail Reference.

flipper

No, I haven't had my COA.

hellrose · Post by **hellrose** » Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:52 pm

I received my passports yesterday.

My timeline:
30/10/2012: Emailed LiverpoolEuro.PassportReturns@ukba.gsi.gov.uk without form
08/11/2012: Emailed same address again without form
21/11/2012: Phoned UKBA and was told to use the form online
21/11/2012: Sent email with form to RODRequests@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
03/12/2012: Sent another email to LiverpoolEuro.PassportReturns@ukba.gsi.gov.uk
16/12/2012: Sent another email to LiverpoolEuro.PassportReturns@ukba.gsi.gov.uk

Better late than never.. merry christmas everyone!

renu · Post by **renu** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:39 pm

hi, i am going to request my passport and my husband's passport too.is it necessary to put the royal mail tracking number coz i don't know where i put the receipt of it (maybe it is lost in my house). i am going to fill the form and email them as well. what are the other necessary info i need to put in the email, please help. thanks

renu · Post by **renu** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:46 pm

renu wrote:hi, i am going to request my passport and my husband's passport too.is it necessary to put the royal mail tracking number coz i don't know where i put the receipt of it (maybe it is lost in my house). i am going to fill the form and email them as well. what are the other necessary info i need to put in the email, please help. thanks

also when filling the form, there is question, Do you want to withdraw your.... what do i say here for this part

Post by **Jambo** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:07 pm

renu wrote: also when filling the form, there is question, Do you want to withdraw your.... what do i say here for this part

Just write "Not applicable to applications under EEA regulations".

renu · Post by **renu** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:36 pm

i just sent email with attaached return document form, hoping i will receive my passports soon.

renu · Post by **renu** » Mon Dec 31, 2012 7:38 pm

Jambo wrote:
renu wrote: also when filling the form, there is question, Do you want to withdraw your.... what do i say here for this part
Just write "Not applicable to applications under EEA regulations".

i wrote NO

renu · Post by **renu** » Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:13 pm

Hi,I have emailed ho to request my passport back on the 31/12/12.received email on 02/01/13, that the request is incomplete due to attachment was not in word document.I think I sent in rtf format from my laptop. anyway,straightway,my husband used his computer and sent the request again using word document.today,I receive email,request incomplete coz attachment not in word document.I don't know Wat to do....anyone has similar experience...

Neelze · Post by **Neelze** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 7:58 pm

Slightly delayed but better than never:

We requested my wife's passport back (by plain e-mail) on the 20th of November - 30 days before our flights on the 20th of December.

We didn't receive it within the 10 days and so we called the UKBA. They told us the passport had not been sent and we should wait.

We waited until the 13th of December and called the UKBA again. Now we were told they could not access the system with the relevant information anymore (system update) and all we could do was to send another e-mail and wait.

We contacted our local MP and our (EU-)country's embassy. Both did contact the UKBA on our behalf (the embassy did so faster than MP, but both really did - brilliant!). To them the UKBA promised to send off the passport by Monday the 17th of December.

When the passport didn't arrive on the 18th I called the UKBA. At first, the guy on the phone was uncooperative ("can't access the system anymore"), but after mentioning that the UKBA had promised to send it off by monday (I did not mention the MP or the embassy to him) the guy could miraculously access the system and confirm that "something" had been sent to our address.

On the 19th of December, a day before our flight the passports arrived.

Last but not least, our RC arrived today (Jan 4, dated Jan 2) - less than three months after our application. It seems like making noise and getting the MPs and embassies involved helps. Sad but true.

flipper77 · Post by **flipper77** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:00 pm

renu wrote:Hi,I have emailed ho to request my passport back on the 31/12/12.received email on 02/01/13, that the request is incomplete due to attachment was not in word document.I think I sent in rtf format from my laptop. anyway,straightway,my husband used his computer and sent the request again using word document.today,I receive email,request incomplete coz attachment not in word document.I don't know Wat to do....anyone has similar experience...

Hey Renu,

I didn't experience anything like this, and haven't heard of anyone else experiencing it either. I'd suggest sending a new request, and just ensure that your attachment is a .doc file.

Good luck!

pilayo · Post by **pilayo** » Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:15 am

renu wrote:Hi,I have emailed ho to request my passport back on the 31/12/12.received email on 02/01/13, that the request is incomplete due to attachment was not in word document.I think I sent in rtf format from my laptop. anyway,straightway,my husband used his computer and sent the request again using word document.today,I receive email,request incomplete coz attachment not in word document.I don't know Wat to do....anyone has similar experience...

Same here, mail sent to ROD mail on 31...mail received on 2 saying not form attached...FALSE because I forwarded the same mail to another mail acount and the form was there.....yesterday 3 I sent the mail again to ROD with the form attached, no response yet...but tomorrow I'm going to send in to the Liverpool mail too..

Seems that not really smart guys are working there .....I'm really a little bit fed up with al these EA's steps...

pilayo · Post by **pilayo** » Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:17 am

....repeated

renu · Post by **renu** » Sat Jan 05, 2013 7:01 pm

flipper77 wrote:
renu wrote:Hi,I have emailed ho to request my passport back on the 31/12/12.received email on 02/01/13, that the request is incomplete due to attachment was not in word document.I think I sent in rtf format from my laptop. anyway,straightway,my husband used his computer and sent the request again using word document.today,I receive email,request incomplete coz attachment not in word document.I don't know Wat to do....anyone has similar experience...
Hey Renu,

I didn't experience anything like this, and haven't heard of anyone else experiencing it either. I'd suggest sending a new request, and just ensure that your attachment is a .doc file.

Good luck!

Hi,sent word document again,same email came back,wrong attachment.sent again today and now waiting Monday if I will receive same email saying wrong attachment.I am a bit fed up coz a week gone since I requested and I keep getting wrong attachment.I'm sending in word document format.

pilayo · Post by **pilayo** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 4:20 pm

My updates about the passports, I have them with a few surprises:

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=122682

regards

renu · Post by **renu** » Tue Jan 08, 2013 5:58 pm

pilayo wrote:My updates about the passports, I have them with a few surprises:

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=122682

regards

Pilayo,you received ur passport,so they did get ur email sent on the 31.I'm still waiting for mine,god knows wen it will come through.I think u should complaint and ask why HO did not use ur pre paid envelop.I don't think they r professional in their work.

renu · Post by **renu** » Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:14 pm

Hi,I have received my passport and my husband passport today by special delivery( the prepaid envelop we enclosed in our application). Now,I want to know,how will they send the remaining documents n my pr? Is it by special delivery or first class.my husband doesnot want his registration card,p60.... To get lose in the post... Anyone help on this,highly appreciate..

Plum70 · Post by **Plum70** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:11 pm

Following my passport return request by letter (to Liverpool) on 6 December which has neither been acknowledged nor actioned till now, I will be making another request by email on Monday morning and want to clarify some details:

The request form says to include one's name and reference number in the subject line. What is the reference number? I have a case ID as quoted off my CoA - will this do?

Secondly, I will be requesting the return of all ID and supporting documents (husband's and mine). Has anyone successfully done this recently?

Lastly, I have included an instruction in the form for the UKBA to return my documents using the self addressed and prepaid SD envelope I provided with my application. Has anyone done this and had their wish followed?

renu · Post by **renu** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:16 pm

Plum70 wrote:Following my passport return request by letter (to Liverpool) on 6 December which has neither been acknowledged nor actioned till now, I will be making another request by email on Monday morning and want to clarify some details:

The request form says to include one's name and reference number in the subject line. What is the reference number? I have a case ID as quoted off my CoA - will this do?

Secondly, I will be requesting the return of all ID and supporting documents (husband's and mine). Has anyone successfully done this recently?

Lastly, I have included an instruction in the form for the UKBA to return my documents using the self addressed and prepaid SD envelope I provided with my application. Has anyone done this and had their wish followed?

Hi,I requested my passport using the request of document form,email address is at the bottom of the form.yes,use the reference number on ur coa,HO sent our passports using the pre paid envelop I enclosed in my application.we only requested our passports not all documents...good luck

Plum70 · Post by **Plum70** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:31 pm

renu wrote:Hi,I requested my passport using the request of document form,email address is at the bottom of the form.yes,use the reference number on ur coa,HO sent our passports using the pre paid envelop I enclosed in my application.we only requested our passports not all documents...good luck

Thanks Renu - will do. How long did it take to receive your passports from the date of your request?

renu · Post by **renu** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 11:25 pm

Plum70 wrote:
renu wrote:Hi,I requested my passport using the request of document form,email address is at the bottom of the form.yes,use the reference number on ur coa,HO sent our passports using the pre paid envelop I enclosed in my application.we only requested our passports not all documents...good luck
Thanks Renu - will do. How long did it take to receive your passports from the date of your request?

8 days,hope u will receive quicker than 8 days as its special delivery.

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Experiences on Requesting Passports back from UKBA (EEA2)

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