How long does it take to renew a passport? Update for Brits planning holidays

10 February 2023 , 14:45

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The 10-week passport wait time remains in place (Image: Getty Images)

Brits could be stuck waiting months for a new passport, a year after delays scuppered holiday plans for many.

In summer 2022 tens of thousands of Brits ended up waiting than 10 weeks for a passport in Britain’s “miserable” backlog, caused in part by people delaying renewal during the coronavirus lockdowns.

Holidaymakers had been urged since April 2021 to leave at least 10 weeks applying for a passport after a post-Covid surge, but many failed to heed the warning.

In June ministers admitted that 1.4% of applications were not being completed even within 10 weeks.

Centre for Economics and Business Research conducted in May predicted that more than a £1billion of trips could be missed last year alone due to the passport delays.

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For some the cost was more than just financial.

Rachel Brindle ended up missing the trip (Birmingham Live)

Rachel Brindle missed what could have been a dying relative's final holiday after her one-year-old daughter's passport didn't arrive in time.

The customer service manager from Sheldon, Birmingham had been due to go to Turkey with her partner and their children, aged one and three, in April, Birmingham Mail reported.

The holiday was a 60th birthday surprise for the kids' grandmother, who has terminal cancer.

Delays in receiving new passports have been an unhappy reality for British travellers over the past couple of years.

Since the summer of last year the back log has eased slightly, however the average wait is still significant.

This week the Home Secretary warned that holidaymakers must still allow around two months for their passports to arrive.

Suella Braverman told MPs on Monday that the 10-week turnaround time would remain, after it was introduced during the pandemic.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has issued a 10 week warning for new travel documents (AFP via Getty Images)

She blamed continued “elevated” and “volatile” demand which is expected to continue throughout the year.

“We expect elevated demand for passports throughout the year – and demand can be volatile – so customers should continue to allow 10 weeks. I urge people to apply in good time and not at the last minute," Ms Braverman said, the Telegraph reported.

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Holidaymakers should continue to allow 10 weeks to receive their new passports.

However, most people receive their travel documents more quickly than this.

The most recent figures show that 97.2 per cent of all applications are being completed within three weeks, compared to 75 per cent last year.

Only 0.5 per cent of all UK applications are not turned around within the 10-week deadline.

It is worth not resting on your laurels however, as a surge in applications could see the turn around time shoot up again.

Milo Boyd