dfjordan

10 weeks is what the passport office recently quoted when they warned people who were planning to go abroad in the summer, that they should apply now for renewals. I believe the backlogs are caused by the large number of govt employees on wfh who slow everything down, and the various ministers dont want to get tough and tell their people to get back to the office.

Justcol

There is a very simple solution.
if the processing time is 10 weeks. Send your passport at least 10 weeks before you are going to need it....job done 👍

MidAtlantic

Here is the timeline for my renewal from the US so far:

April 16, Application submitted on-line.
April 19, Sent required documents by FedEx
April 22, Documents delivered
April 27, Website confirmed documents received
April 28, Application approved

Unless the printing part takes an excessively long time, it looks like mine will be way under 10 weeks.

Justcol

If it arrived tomorrow there will still be some on here who will say the service is terrible and continue to moan and complain.

jarv5116

I renewed my passport last month.
Took 2 weeks to process from application on line to posting my old passport back and receiving my new one recorded delivery at the house.
Even passport pics at Asda cubicals are all loaded direct from the photobooth to hm passport office and you just type in the code you get from the booth to the online application.
so simple now.

Pollyana

Very true.
I renewed mine in the middle of last year, figuring there would be a rush as soon as the borders opened. At the time they were saying it could be 3 months or more but it was back within 4 weeks. No complaints at all, thats quicker than when I renewed previously and it was dealt with within Australia!

MidAtlantic

Here is my completed timeline:
May 1 New passport printed
May 4 Courier picked up new passport
May 9 New passport received - (after being delayed in East Midlands for "regulatory reasons")
It was left on my doorstep with no signature!

So that was just over three weeks, with almost half that time taken up with transporting documents.

Justcol

I was listening to the Jonny Vaughn show on radio x from London yesterday. He said his renewal took less than a week in the UK.

There is no drama to renewing a passport. The only ones in a panic are those who probably stock up on bog roll at the slightest hint of trouble🙄

BritInParis

The delays are because no-one bothered to renew their passport during two years of lockdown so now HMPO are trying to process three times as many passports as normal.

The blank passport booklets are manufactured in Poland by Thales but personalised in the UK by HMPO.

Justcol

But that's the thing, THERE ARE NO DELAYS.
For people in the UK turnaround is a week. On the other side of the world it seems to be around 2 to 3 weeks. That's normal

BritInParis

Will my passport arrive before my holiday? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-61397814

Passport delay threatens Tamworth family's holiday https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-61397426

Families tell of agony over passport delays https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61233440

etc..

jarv5116

I renews mine about 6 weeks ago. I had no problems what so ever.
There is massive delays with some people thou. I don't know why or what the problem is. It's on the news quite alot about the delays at the passport office and families have been waiting 6 months on there passport and still haven't recieved it.

I don't know if it's all smoke and mirrors as they were talking about privatizing the HM passport office if it wasn't sorted. maybe there looking for an excuse to privatize.

Justcol

The first one is just a public information article, it relates to no one specific
The other two are no different to situations that have always occurred. It's being over sensationalized.
If you think you might need a passport renewal, get it done in PLENTY of time, that way there'll be no dramas

jarv5116

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sta...301.html%3famp

BritInParis

The average overseas renewal is taking 5-6 weeks, not 2-3, and HMPO is recommending applying 10 weeks in advance citing ‘unprecedented demand’.

https://www.passportwaitingtime.co.u...12th-may-2022/

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/p...vels-of-demand