There has recently been considerable press coverage of people
facing holiday cancellations or travel disruption due to waiting
times for passports.
There is no backlog in passport processing as a result of the
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are now seeing
unprecedented demand as more than 5 million people delayed
applying for passports during COVID-19 because of restrictions in
international travel. Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO)
anticipate 9.5 million British passport applications will be made
this year and in March 2022 alone, HMPO processed more than one
million new passport applications, the highest output on record.
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 HMPO doing to meet this increased
demand?
HMPO have prepared extensively for this surge in demand and have
increased capacity – people and systems – across all elements of
the production process. The priority is to ensure we can continue
to process as many passport applications as possible.
To do this:
- we have increased staff numbers by 500 since April 2021 and
are in the process of recruiting another 700. In total, as of 1
April 2022 there are over 4,000 staff in passport production
roles – this has helped us to handle more applications than ever
before
- additional staff are being recruited to assist with customer
queries on the Passport Adviceline which is currently run by
Teleperformance
- we have onboarded more delivery companies to ensure passports
and supporting documents are delivered on time to customers
- we have increased availability for fast-track appointments
and extended working hours across the 7 HMPO public counters –
new appointments are released daily, 3 weeks in advance
What can customers do to ensure there are no
delays?
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.
Are HMPO staff working from home and is this affecting
output?
Our dedicated staff are working tirelessly to deal with this
unprecedented demand. Working from home has no impact on HMPO’s
capacity to process passport applications.
Where you can go for more help?We advise
customers to call the Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000 if
they have a query relating to their specific passport
application.Photo guidance: Get a passport photo: Digital
photosGeneral guidance: Apply online for a UK
passportCustomers can track the progress of
their passport application online at: Track your passport
applicationFurther details about our urgent
services, available from all of HMPO’s 7 public counters across
the UK
