Finding out that your passport is out of date is annoying at the best of times, but making the discovery in the run-up to the peak holiday season is a double blow. There was much frustration last year due to delays in passport renewal, but just how long does it take to get your passport renewed now - and how can you get your passport faster?
The backlog at Her Majesty's Passport Office, which marred the 2022 holiday season, has been well documented. A huge spike in demand for overseas travel following the coronavirus pandemic meant that tens of thousands of holidaymakers were left waiting longer than 10 weeks to receive a new UK passport.
Has the situation improved? Well, according to website passportwaitingtime.co.uk, which tracks passport processing times via a crowd-sourcing method, on average the majority of passport applicants are receiving their passports within the 10-week timeframe quoted on the HMPO website.
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The organisation says that the current wait time for a first UK adult passport currently stands at 16.81 days on average. Adult passport renewal takes an average of 13.69 days, while a first child passport takes 17.67 days and child passport renewal takes 14.38 days.
But if time is really of the essence, you may need to fast-track your application through HMPO's Fast Track or Premium services - though you will have to pay extra. For comparison, a standard adult passport with 34 pages costs £82.50 if you apply online and £93 if you apply by paper form. Using the one-week fast track service, you'll pay £155 for an adult passport.
How do you feel about the waiting time for Passports? Tell us in the comments section.
How to Fast Track your passport
If the non-urgent service is going to take too long, then you can fast-track your application. However, you will need to book an appointment at a passport office and pay online at the time of booking.
The nearest passport office to Nottingham is Peterborough - around 56 miles from Nottingham city centre - but there are also offices in Belfast, Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Newport.
Be aware that you may not be able to get an appointment straight away so don't delay is accessing the service if you are in a hurry.
Who can apply
You can apply for a faster service if both of the following apply:
- you’re in the UK
- you need to renew or replace a passport, or get a first child passport
If you’re outside the UK, apply for an emergency travel document.
How to apply
There are two ways to apply for an urgent passport: either through the online premium service or the one-week fast-track service. You'll pay a premium over the non-urgent service in each case.
Online Premium
You get your new passport at your appointment, which will last up to 30 minutes. You can use this service to renew an adult passport. The cost of this service is £193.50 (or £204.50 for a 50-page frequent traveller passport). Apply for this service and details of what you'll need to bring to the appointment are on the Government website.
One-week Fast Track
With the fast-track option, your new passport is delivered to your home within one week of your appointment. Be aware that someone might need to be in to sign for it. Again, it is going to cost you more than a non-urgent passport - £155 for an adult passport (£166 for a 50 page frequent traveller passport) and £126 for a child passport (£137 for a 50 page frequent traveller passport).
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You can use this service to:
- renew an adult or child passport
- change your name on your passport (for example with a marriage certificate or deed poll)
- make changes to your personal details on your passport (for example, your gender)
- replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport
- apply for a first child passport
If you decide to use this service you'll need to get a paper application form from the Post Office, which you take with you tot he appointment, book an appointment online (you'll need to pay the fee at this point) and fill in your application form and gather your documents before your appointment. All the details and appointment booking can be done on the government website.
If you can't use the online service, you can book an appointment and pay over the phone. Call the Passport Adviceline to book and pay on 0300 222 0000.
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