Recently renewed UK passport? Please respond.

[DavidMavec]

Hello...

I put in my application to renew my UK passport on 3 June because there are no pages left. I was told it would take 6-9 weeks. Last time I renewed my passport (a few years ago) they told me it would take six weeks but it actually took less time, maybe 3-4 weeks.

I would like to hear from people who recently got their UK passport renewed, did it actually take 6+ weeks or did it actually take less time than they said it would?

I ask because of some travel plans/visa issues in mid-July.

Thanks for your response.

[partington]

There is a current backlog of many thousands of passport renewal applications, from 30, 000 to 90,000, depending on who you believe.

The government, after denying there was a problem, were confronted by leaked information, including a photograph of many thousands of undealt with applications in storage, and especially an internal memo which told passport office workers to relax security checks on people countersigning applications, to try to speed the whole process up .

This also created a scandal and the Home Office had to countermand this memo, because of concerns about security!

Now, admitting there is in fact a problem, they have hired another 100 people to deal with the backlogs, and apparently you can speed up your application by paying for a fast track at £55.

Currently no-one can say how long it will take the Passport Office to deal with the backlog, but the system is in an acknowledged mess.

See pictures of all the backlog of applications here:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/12/emergency-passport-measures-may

And read about hiring extra staff here:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/11/passport-office-100-more-staff-backlog

Edited June 15, 2014 by partington

[DavidMavec]

@partington Thanks for your response. I've read and heard about the backlog reports but I was looking for some "on the ground" reports. Anyone?

Something you wrote is puzzling: "apparently you can speed up your application by paying for a fast track at £55". I called the passport office in the UK last Monday to inquire about this sort of thing and they told me nothing like this existed. I will call them again tomorrow when the office is open to see if anything has changed because I would gladly pay the fee to get it sped up.

[partington]

@partington Thanks for your response. I've read and heard about the backlog reports but I was looking for some "on the ground" reports. Anyone?

Something you wrote is puzzling: "apparently you can speed up your application by paying for a fast track at £55". I called the passport office in the UK last Monday to inquire about this sort of thing and they told me nothing like this existed. I will call them again tomorrow when the office is open to see if anything has changed because I would gladly pay the fee to get it sped up.

This was from one of the articles I linked to, and I don't know anything more about it, I'm afraid.

"Cameron said that "the Home Office has been on this from the very start", but Miliband said the prime minister needed to get a grip and demanded to know when the backlog would be cleared.

Miliband said: "Tens of thousands of people are finding their holidays are being cancelled because they are not actually getting a passport."

He demanded to know why British citizens were being told that if they wanted to have their passport within the three-week target, they needed to pay £65 extra."

[wigantojapan]

My Passport took over 14 weeks and only, after i got my local MP involved,plus contacted the local English MP,plus the newspapers.

.In the end i also had to pay the privilege of them releasing my passport an extra 65 pounds.

.This was in February 2014,when it was finally issued.

[ubonjoe]

There is this 66 page topic about Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand on the other visa forum no need for another topic on this forum,

This topic