More than 9 million people are expected to apply for a passport this year.
The Passport Office said it was seeing "unprecedented demand" as more than 5 million people delayed applying for passports during the pandemic. The eyewatering figure was revealed as it responded to "considerable press coverage of people facing holiday cancellations or travel disruption due to waiting times for passports".
Publishing a statement online, the Passport Office said: "there is no backlog in passport processing as a result of the coronavirus". It also said it anticipates 9.5 million British passport applications will be made this year, and that in March alone staff had processed more than one million new passport applications - the highest output on record.
READ MORE: Four key things to check on your UK passport ahead of travelling
Since April 2021, people have been advised to allow up to 10 weeks when applying for their British passport, and that advice remains the same today.
In its statement, Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) said: "In preparation for the demand for international travel returning, since April 2021 HMPO have been advising people to allow up to 10 weeks when applying for their British passport. This remains the case.
"The vast majority of all passport applications are being dealt with well within 10 weeks. However, a passport can only be issued once all the checks have been completed satisfactorily and will take longer if applications are submitted with missing or incomplete information."
What is being done to tackle the increased demand in passports?
HMPO has said it prepared extensively for this surge in demand and has increased capacity – people and systems – across all elements of the production process. It said: "The priority is to ensure we can continue to process as many passport applications as possible."
Staff numbers have already been increased by 500 since April 2021 and HMPO is currently in the process of recruiting another 700. In total, as of April 1, 2022, there are over 4,000 staff in passport production roles. Additional staff are also being recruited to assist with customer queries on the Passport Adviceline which is currently run by Teleperformance.
HMP has onboarded more delivery companies to ensure passports and supporting documents are delivered on time to customers and has increased availability for fast-track appointments and extended working hours across the seven HMPO public counters. New appointments are released daily, three weeks in advance.
What can you do to ensure there are no delays?
HMPO said: "We urge people who need a new passport to apply for one as soon as possible to ensure their passport arrives in time for the peak summer season. We do offer urgent services for applicants who need a passport more quickly. However, in busy periods these are booked quickly.
"Customers can also help to ensure there are no delays with their application, such as using a high quality photo with a digital code, applying online and applying for a new passport more than 10 weeks before they are due to travel.
"And it is important to stress, you should not book travel until you have a valid passport – your new passport will not have the same passport number as your old one."
Where can you go for more help?
Customers can call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 if they have a query relating to their specific passport application.
For photo guidance you can visit: Get a passport photo: Digital photos
For general guidance you can visit: Apply online for a UK passport
If you need to track your passport's application status, you can do so here: Track your passport application
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