Brits face 10-week passport waits but there is fast-track for urgent renewals
Brits are being told they may have to wait two and a half months for a new passport, potentially putting holidays and trips abroad in jeopardy.
Last week the Home Office announced that the 10-week turn-around time for travel documents which was introduced during the pandemic would remain in place.
Pressure on the Passport Office partly caused by a lockdown backlog has seen the wait time increase from three weeks four years ago to ten weeks now.
While the official waiting time is ten weeks, there is a very good chance it will be much shorter than this in reality.
According to Passport Waiting Times - which tracks self-made reports of applications online - most people are waiting 17 days for their travel documents to arrive.
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There are two ways to get your passport quickly (Getty Images)If this is still too long, or you don't want to risk it being longer, then there are things you can do to speed up the process.
According to the government's website, you can pay to get your passport sooner if you’ve not already applied and you think the standard service will take too long.
You'll need to book a passport office appointment and pay online for fast-track, with appointments bookable up to three weeks in advance.
If you need a passport to travel urgently for medical treatment or because a friend or family member is seriously ill or has died, call the Passport Advice line instead.
You cannot apply for a fast track passport if you’re outside the UK, in which case you should apply for an emergency travel document instead.
If you’re applying for a first adult passport, the government recommends that you use the standard service.
However, if you’ve already applied for a passport and have not received it yet, do not pay for an urgent passport - you will not get your passport sooner.
You might be able to upgrade your existing application instead.
There are two ways to apply for an urgent passport:
Online Premium allows you to get your new passport at your appointment at a passport office, with appointments lasting up to 30 minutes.
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You can use this service to renew an adult passport, and it is the fastest way to get a new passport.
The earliest you can book an appointment is two days from when you book it.
It costs £193.50 (or £204.50 for a 50 page frequent traveller passport) and appointments go quick in busy times, so you'll need a bit of luck.
It is possible to get a new passport in two days (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)You can only use Online Premium to renew an adult passport that was issued after 31 December 2001.
One week Fast Track means your new passport will be delivered to your home within one week of your appointment at a passport office.
It costs £155 for an adult passport (or £166 for a 50 page frequent traveller passport), and £126 for a child passport (or £137 for a 50 page frequent traveller passport).
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.
Earlier this month the cost of renewing a passport changed.
From February 2, Home Office bosses changed the fee for a standard online application submitted from within the UK will rise from £75.50 to £82.50 for adults and £49 to £53.50 for children.
Postal applications have also risen from £85 to £93 for adults and £58.50 to £64 for children.
"The new fees will help the Home Office move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation," the government writes on its website.
"The Government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.
"The fees will also contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.
"The increase will also help enable the Government to continue improving its services."
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