After people hoping to travel abroad this summer were warned to renew their passports "as soon as possible", the government has provided an update on the application process.
Before the country was struck by the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, people were advised of waits around three weeks when it came to getting a new passport. However, two years later and processing times can now take up to 10 weeks, according to HM Passport Office.
The ECHO reports that Home Office minister Kevin Foster has urged anyone heading overseas this summer to submit new passport applications and renewals as soon as possible. But he added in the House of Commons: "We are making a range of efforts - staff are working weekends, incentivised overtime - and certainly we're confident we will not need to change the 10-week target."
