Praise for Passport Office

Bigphil1474

Me and the OH did our passport renewals last year. We took photos on our smart phones, uploaded everything on line, and passports arrived in good time. No real need to pay for photos or get someone else to do your application. The tricky bit was getting a photo that was acceptable but we found one place in the house that if you stand against during the day time with no lights, you can get a good pic without shadows. 

poppystar

Passport now approved and should be with me in under two weeks from start to finish! Wish all government departments could learn from the passport office. Being kept informed along the line is brilliant and saves them having to answer telephone queries too. Win win.

mr_stripey

mr_stripey said:

mr_stripey said:

I sent my passport back last Friday. It arrived at the passport office on Monday
Had a text today saying passport has been printed and will be despatched today

Pretty quick turnaround time

update on my passport - just arrived right now, delivered by DHL

TImeline was:

Thurs 12th Jan - had photo taken by local photographer and applied for renenwal online
Fri 13th Jan - posted old passport back
Mon 16th Jan - passport arrived at Corby office
Tue 17th Jan - had email saying passport was appoved
Wed 18th Jan - had email saying passport printed
Thu 19th Jan - had email saying passport would be despatched soon
Fri 20th Jan - passport arrived hand delivred by DHL

Just an final closure on this one - my "old" passport (complete with corner cut off) arrived by DHL yesterday. Didn't realise they sent the old one back and not sure why? Do some people just like to keep the old passport for posterity or is there any actual reason to retain it?

So my experience was a total of 1 week from applying to receiving the new passport and an additional few days to receive the old one back.

poppystar

mr_stripey said:

mr_stripey said:"

mr_stripey said:

I sent my passport back last Friday. It arrived at the passport office on Monday
Had a text today saying passport has been printed and will be despatched today

Pretty quick turnaround time

update on my passport - just arrived right now, delivered by DHL

TImeline was:

Thurs 12th Jan - had photo taken by local photographer and applied for renenwal online
Fri 13th Jan - posted old passport back
Mon 16th Jan - passport arrived at Corby office
Tue 17th Jan - had email saying passport was appoved
Wed 18th Jan - had email saying passport printed
Thu 19th Jan - had email saying passport would be despatched soon
Fri 20th Jan - passport arrived hand delivred by DHL

Just an final closure on this one - my "old" passport (complete with corner cut off) arrived by DHL yesterday. Didn't realise they sent the old one back and not sure why? Do some people just like to keep the old passport for posterity or is there any actual reason to retain it?

So my experience was a total of 1 week from applying to receiving the new passport and an additional few days to receive the old one back.

I have all my old ones still (yes I hoard!). When I notified them of my father’s death they asked if I’d like his passport back and sent it back with a note saying if I changed my mind I should return it to them to be securely destroyed. I don’t think there is any reason, besides sentimentality to keep them and given they want them ‘securely destroyed’ I’m not sure why they are happy to return them. I know you can use out of dates ones to prove identity but if they’ve been returned to you it means you have a new, up to date one anyway that you could use.  

Having said all that I do have some very nice visas and entry exit stamps in my very early passports from the days when I travelled more and stamping the passport was a done thing. My last passport had no stamps in it at all. 

baser999

Week turnaround here as well; used photo-booth pictures and sent off signed, tracked as advised on the application

db3745

I have been pleasantly amazed by all aspects of the service from HM Passport Office. I'd let mine expire during Covid, and listened to the horror stories of delays last year. My new passport arrived today, 14 days after sending my old one, and applying online. Having my photo taken at home by iPhone was much easier and cost-effective than using a supermarket booth like I did for driving licence - customer service staff weren't interested as it's a third-party franchise arrangement. Also applying online means you are told instantly if your photo will pass - mine was just "fair" but OK.

howryoo

mr_stripey said:

mr_stripey said:

I sent my passport back last Friday. It arrived at the passport office on Monday
Had a text today saying passport has been printed and will be despatched today

Pretty quick turnaround time

update on my passport - just arrived right now, delivered by DHL

TImeline was:

Thurs 12th Jan - had photo taken by local photographer and applied for renenwal online
Fri 13th Jan - posted old passport back
Mon 16th Jan - passport arrived at Corby office
Tue 17th Jan - had email saying passport was appoved
Wed 18th Jan - had email saying passport printed
Thu 19th Jan - had email saying passport would be despatched soon
Fri 20th Jan - passport arrived hand delivred by DHL

To anyone who've renewed their passport in the past week or two, I assume it wasn't as smooth as mr_stripey's experience?

I guess there'll be a few days delays, perhaps due to the increased applications pre price increase on 1st Feb?

Also, if you've chosen to have your old passport sent back through normal post, I assume there's no need to sign for it?

smudge56

howryoo said:

mr_stripey said:

mr_stripey said:

I sent my passport back last Friday. It arrived at the passport office on Monday
Had a text today saying passport has been printed and will be despatched today

Pretty quick turnaround time

update on my passport - just arrived right now, delivered by DHL

TImeline was:

Thurs 12th Jan - had photo taken by local photographer and applied for renenwal online
Fri 13th Jan - posted old passport back
Mon 16th Jan - passport arrived at Corby office
Tue 17th Jan - had email saying passport was appoved
Wed 18th Jan - had email saying passport printed
Thu 19th Jan - had email saying passport would be despatched soon
Fri 20th Jan - passport arrived hand delivred by DHL

To anyone who've renewed their passport in the past week or two, I assume it wasn't as smooth as mr_stripey's experience?

Should be quite straightforward as not busy at the moment

I guess there'll be a few days delays, perhaps due to the increased applications pre price increase on 1st Feb?

There was a bit of a surge due to the price increase but that has passed 

Also, if you've chosen to have your old passport sent back through normal post, I assume there's no need to sign for it?

No requirement to sign for either new passport or return of the old passport.  

   

Old passport is returned by Royal Mail 2nd class post and the new passport is returned by courier who will post through the letterbox if you have one. 

howryoo

Thanks smudge56

So you reckon the quickest timeline could still be:

Day 1 - apply for online renewal (passing photo check - incidentally, what's the best grading; good?)

Day 2 - send old passport back using next day signed / SD

Day 3 - HMPO confirms receipt of old passport

Day 4 - HMPO approves application

Day 5 - print passport

Day 6 - dispatch passport

Day 7 - Applicant receives passport

smudge56

howryoo said:

Thanks smudge56

So you reckon the quickest timeline could still be:

Day 1 - apply for online renewal (passing photo check - incidentally, what's the best grading; good?)

Day 2 - send old passport back using next day signed / SD

Day 3 - HMPO confirms receipt of old passport

Day 4 - HMPO approves application

Day 5 - print passport

Day 6 - dispatch passport

Day 7 - Applicant receives passport

The official waiting time is still 10 weeks. But as it is not busy just now it just how quickly the application is scanned on.  Once you get the text to say your passport has been received -if everything is ok - it should be approved within a day or so and 48 hours for delivery.
As long as the photo has a light plain background and your features can be seen clearly, the photo should be accepted.