Pot Luck Delay in Renewing Passports

[simonhill]

In case anyone is thinking of renewing their passport but have been put off by the doom and gloom reports of long delays, worry not - well for straight renewals anyway, I can't speak for new or amended passports.

My old passport was due to expire in Jan 2021, so I would shortly have needed a new one for the 6 month rule that many non EU country impose (and EU will after Jan). Having read reports in the press and warnings from Martin Lewis, about long delays, I decided to apply and at least be in the queue. A 1 or 2 month wait would have been OK.

The online application was very straightforward and had a number of warnings of delay. In the application, there were a number of options re urgency (family emergency, business, etc), but I told the truth and just said I wanted a simple renewal. I applied online last Thursday (2/7) and posted my old passport that afternoon by normal first class mail. There were email confirmations at all stages and a text this morning that it was being delivered by courier (apparantly Royal Mail proved untrustworthy). Got it this afternoon (10/7).

A shiny new blue one, although the blue is darker than my Lycra shorts and not what I would call blue. Also no early renewal time added anymore, so I 'lost' 6½ months.

Let's hope I can use it sometime soon.

[toontra]

Good to know, Simon - thanks.

Where are you hoping to travel to next? There can't be many places left you haven't been! I'm hoping to get a tour in Vietnam (north to south) next spring but who knows. If I do no doubt I'll be asking you for tips

[francovendee]

Must be luck of the draw. My wife sent her's on the 11th June and is still waiting. Message from passport office that they'd received the old passport on the 3rd July. We know from the tracking it was delivered 3 days after posting.
I'd advise anyone not to leave it til the last minute.

[simonhill]

Wow, that is a big difference Franconvee. did she apply online? Also any changes, eg address or marked difference in appearance? It may well matter which office is chosen for you. I was asked to send to Glasgow, which as I live in Essex is probably the furthest away from me. I was indeed lucky, I hope your wife gets it back soon.

Toontra: No firm plans yet, until it all gets a bit clearer travel wise. My pre Covid plan was Japan at the end of Sept and then the rest of the winter in SEA. I want to re-explore the coastline of Thailand for one trip and maybe overland on a more obscure route from Vn to Thai. I had to cut short my last trip to Vietnam (got out on last but 2 planes). Happy to help with any questions about Vn. I've done a couple of top to bottoms, glad to see you're going N > S you'll have the NE Monsoon wind on your back. My last trip was a slow exploration of the coastline down from Da Nang to The Delta seeing things it's easy to whizz past on a longer trip.

I have a fall back plan of maybe somewhere like Portugal for a couple of months Oct > Dec if worldwide not open.

[francovendee]

She did it all on line. We do live in France and allowed for some delays in returning the passport in the post, but it got there very quickly.
Maybe there are extra checks as we live abroad but don't know.
I renewed mine 2 years ago, again on line and I'd received my new passport in just over 2 weeks.
My son applied for a new passport a week after my wife and he's still waiting.
Maybe the new colour is slowing things down.

[simonhill]

I have amended the title and changed No Delay to Pot Luck Delay.

What I thought was a good news story isn't for everyone.

[djb]

Here in Canada for a while we've had the option to get ten year renewals in addition to the standard five year.
Is that the case in the UK?
Rather convenient I find, and I'm sure saved the govt agency a lot of money.

[simonhill]

UK's standard length is 10 years. Has been for as long as I can remember. Five years for under 16s.

Many years ago we had a quicky at the Post Office which was for only one year. It was more like an id card and not valid for worldwide travel. People often got them for day trips to France.

[PDQ Mobile]

The real and important question is why is it so slow?
What possible reason?

There are some checks to be made I guess ,though what exactly they are is something of a mystery.

A blacklist check is, in the digital age, a procedure that takes a couple of mouse clicks
A criminal record is no bar to holding a passport, by and large.
Nor do issues with the taxman preclude traveling in most cases.

The OP renewed early and unfairly lost several months of validity. He should get what it "says on the tin" a ten year Passport.
It's a bloody scam at that money.
Most renewals take less than an hour to complete.

Why should someone who needs to travel regularly have to play a lottery of uncertainty. Or someone needing to travel unexpectedly for earnest family reasons be faced with such an infringement of their liberty to do so?

It all smacks of incompetence and poor organization.
It'll be pay more to jump the queue next! (Or does that exist already?!)

It should be a simple right of any honest citizen to hold and renew a passport in a day or so.
Local offices could provide a (practically) over the counter service after making an appointment; "Go and have a cup of tea sir, and your passport will then be ready".

We are becoming too used to accepting poor service and second best admin, IMHO.

Meanwhile "EU Border Controls" are getting more money (£705 million) -announced by that Gove fella today.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-53375713

[nirakaro]

The real and important question is why is it so slow?
What possible reason?

It's part of the Home Office. What more do you need to know.

[PDQ Mobile]

The real and important question is why is it so slow?
What possible reason?

It's part of the Home Office. What more do you need to know.

Sounds like you've given up expecting the Govt to attempt some service and responsibility to it's citizens (and paymasters).
It's an ever more common and apathetic attitude, sadly.

(This is not personal criticism just an observation.)

[mercalia]

I always pay extra for the quick route

[PDQ Mobile]

I always pay extra for the quick route

Which presumably slows things down for those that don't!
Two tier system then, one rule for the rich and another for the rest.
It's just a simple passport for goodness sake.
Personally I can't see what costs so much money anyway for a simple renewal.

[LittleGreyCat]

You certainly used to be able to apply in person.

I have vague memories of there being an office in Chelmsford back in the 1960s.
There also used to be an office in Theale in the early part of this century.

However given that banks are closing branches nationwide and forcing people to use electronic means for most things I assume that this might apply to passports as well.

You used to be able to renew in Peterborough if you were prepared to wait.

However see https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently which says that the usual fast track routes are closed due to Covid-19.

[mjr]

Backlog hits 400'000 says https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53494998