Applications for new and renewed passports are being delayed as staff have been diverted to deal with visa for refugees fleeing Ukraine, according to reports. The Mirror says anyone who needs a new passport for a holiday this summer should apply as soon as possible if they want a chance of getting it in time.
An estimated 4.5million people in the UK will need to apply for a passport if they want to travel this summer, and processing could take as long as 10 weeks.The hold-ups are being blamed on a backlog of Covid applications as people are allowed to travel again and a shortage of passport workers because of the Ukraine War.
An insider said: “Many of our staff have been seconded to deal with visas for Ukrainians. Processing those is now our top priority so we can get as many as we can to safety.”
The Passport Office deals with seven million applications during a normal year but that dropped to four million at the height of the pandemic when travel was banned.
Now officials are bracing themselves for a sudden influx of five million applications from 2020 and 2021 before the summer.
The Passport Office is also warning that availability for in-person appointments for last-minute travel will be limited. Passport Director General Abi Tierney said: “Many people are leaving applying for a passport too late.
“Summer holidays are fast approaching so if you need a new passport we urge you to apply now.”
Last month new passports were being turned around in six weeks and renewals in five but now that looks set to double. A spokesperson for the Association of British Travel Agents said: “We are encouraging people to renew or apply as early as possible so they have their passport in good time for their trip.”
There were also warnings of 10-week delays at the height of the pandemic.
