[News] The National Embarrassment That Is . . . HM Passport Office.

[Dave the OAP]

Last "used" a passport back in 2013 for a charity trip to Uganda/Kenya/South Africa and it expired in Feb 2020

Does anyone know how long a passport can be expired before a renewal is not an option and it becomes a new application?
e.g. I'm now >2 years past expiry so do I have to apply for a new passport or does a renewal option still exists?

You are Lenny Henry and I claim my 5 rand

 

[dolphins]

Technically no - as NI is in the common travel area - but they advise taking a passport and you should have some form of photo I'd so the plane company can validate who you are. I used to travel regularly to NI with just my driving licence but that was a long while ago. Guidance below.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ireland/entry-requirements

I would also check (try to get something in writing) with the airline you'd be looking to use. You won't want hassle at the gate with some officious person who doesn't necessarily know the current rules/requirements of their airline.

 

[SeagullDubai]

I’m also having a nightmare trying to renew my passport. Have signed this petition for what it’s worth. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/608931


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[SeagullDubai]

Does anyone know how you escalate a problem when you are just receiving canned replies from Customer Service?


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[Notters]

Sent three off in April to three different passport offices
1 adult replacement due to damage
1 child renewal
1 child first passport.

All received within three-four weeks.

Appreciate this doesn't help for those having problems, but it does seem to be sporadic?

But renewals are generally still fairly quick I think - make sure you use a photo service linked to the passport office as that helps.

Took the photos for all three with my phone. Only one was rejected, I took another there and then and it was accepted within a few hours.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Does anyone know how you escalate a problem when you are just receiving canned replies from Customer Service?


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It’s a complete lottery as to who you speak to, I’ve been calling relentlessly desperately trying to get an update and get some progress. I’ve been given numerous quotes ranging from £66 to £170 to ‘Fast Track’ my application, I’ve been told that service is available after 8 weeks, that was then changed to 14 days prior to travel, that’s now been moved to 10 weeks. There’s a complete disconnect going on somewhere. Today I was on the phone for 1hr17 minutes chasing our passports. Mrs DFP received a text this morning advising that DFP Jr’s was ready and would arrive in a few days. It was on the mat when we got home. Mine has been with the examiner for 2 days now, I was given the email address for the Peterborough branch so I could send them proof of travel booking, yet just received an email from the Liverpool branch requesting the details. It’s all a bit mad. The goal posts have been moved so many times, the prices have changed dramatically.
My advice, you’ve got to keep pestering. If you get through to someone who’s clearly useless hang up and start again. I was on an emergency call back, I could hear the operator pressing buttons on the keypad and then the call dropped. She never rang back.
So far I’ve spoken to call centre staff in Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow, Leeds, Birmingham and a few who were actually in a call centre and not working from home.

 

[jackanada]

Managed to snag a fast track appointment to sort the boy out on a Tuesday afternoon. New passport arrived Friday.

 

[Weststander]

Get your passport applications/renewals in a.s.a.p.

A 5 week strike starts in April.

 

[Titanic]

We renewed our passports last month. Both received within 10 days. Seems quite a decent service to me.

 

[hart's shirt]

We renewed our passports last month. Both received within 10 days. Seems quite a decent service to me.

Renewed mine at the end of 2022 down in Kemp Town.

Paid £16 for the Digital Check and Send with them taking the photo there and then as I didn't want a back and forward scenario in the event that the photo wasn't acceptable. Probably just as well as it took 3 attempts on the iPad to get it right.

That said, it was renewed and back to me in 10 days. Very happy with the speed and simplicity and would recommend.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Have Passport Office sourced a reliable courier now? Last time I renewed it was some scumbag lowest-bid crap company called something like Special Delivery Services that got the gig. They were SO shit it was laughable - right up to the point where you needed your passport delivered

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

My main gripe with new passport was not so much the speed of its receipt but more the speed it gets me back in to the country. Just doesn’t work at automated passport gates at Gatwick. I did ask and was told it was something to do with my surname. I knew Halfa Escobar would catch me out one day.

 

[METALMICKY]

When I saw the headlines this morning I breathed a smug sigh of relief. I renewed mine about 2 weeks ago and the website advised it could currently take up to 10 weeks. In reality I got it back in 10 days!

 

[Albion 4ever]

How can anyone go 5 weeks without pay?!

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Sent three off in April to three different passport offices
1 adult replacement due to damage
1 child renewal
1 child first passport.

All received within three-four weeks.

Appreciate this doesn't help for those having problems, but it does seem to be sporadic?



Took the photos for all three with my phone. Only one was rejected, I took another there and then and it was accepted within a few hours.

You’re not the only one. My wife recently renewed and received back within a few weeks. No problem.

 

[Berty23]

Let’s hope we don’t end up with the shambles last year when they tried to contract out the work rather than pay their own staff properly and it led to carnage. I had months and months trying to get hold of one for my daughter. Ended up a in Newport. What a place!

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

How can anyone go 5 weeks without pay?!

PCS union have accrued very sizeable strike funds. All members‘ subs went up earlier this year. Targeted approach much more effective in Central Government than mass strike days.

 

[BN41Albion]

Try sorting a french passport out from their government website and you'll soon realise how relatively easy it is to apply/receive a new passport in this country

 

[Weststander]

How can anyone go 5 weeks without pay?!

Covered on R5. Union putting them on full strike pay. It’s a massive union, they can fund it because they think they’ve discovered an achilles heel of passport delays p-ing off the public, which will pressurise the government into giving the entire civil service the pay rise they seek.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

My son sent his last year, they lost it, they admitted they lost it, they then said he'd have to pay again and that he'd have to go through the process to claim the money back. This was the track and trace service. He's still waiting.