Passport renewal delays

I applied this summer and got my passport back in 8 days.

We renewed our passports online in May, for identification purposes really as we aren't planning a trip of any kind. Despite them not liking Mr P's photo & rejecting it both pports were received in about 10 days.

There are supposedly delays with Driving Licences too so when I lost my old green one and had to apply for a photo one last March, I was expecting a long delay but I got it back in three weeks.

@nipsmum why does your granddaughter have to wait 5 months to sit her theory test before starting her driving lessons? From what I understand you have the driving lessons, take the theory test and then have your driving test? Or have things changed (although in my day we didn't have a theory test - only lessons then the driving test)

nipsmum

My daughter has waited 6 months to renew her driving licence and is still waiting. My granddaughter also waited 5 months for a provisional driving licence. Now. She has to wait another 5 months for an appointment to sit her theory test and that's all before she can commece her driving lessons.

You can have driving lessons before taking your theory test, however you can't take the practical test without having passed the theory test. Waiting for the theory test doesn't stop you getting on with having lessons.

The last time we needed to renew passports we were staying not too far from Newport so decided despite the higher cost it was worth going in person - you need to be able to get there during the morning as you need an appointment to do the interview type bit and then go back four hours later to collect the passport. It does work but you pay quite heavily for doing that.

My son applied for a new passport thinking it would take weeks. It was back within 10 days.

A standard online driving licence renewal for the over 70's should go through okay, but beware if you have any medical conditions. DH applied mid June thinking that was enough time for September's car hire. As the weeks rolled by he had no acknowledgement that the application had even been received. Hanging on the phone for hours resulted in eventually being cut off. Online advice was that it was no use even asking until 10 weeks had gone by. At the beginning of August I contacted DVLA via Twitter, who gave me a different number to ring. Waiting till 6.30 pm as advised, that was eventually answered. DH was told that a letter was in the post to him, saying that there was no space for the vision test he would have to take in the near future. That took a further 5 days to arrive. But the lady he spoke to had said she would try and expedite things, and in the same post was a letter telling him he had to book an appointment with Specsavers within a week! We are living in hope...

nipsmum

My daughter has waited 6 months to renew her driving licence and is still waiting. My granddaughter also waited 5 months for a provisional driving licence. Now. She has to wait another 5 months for an appointment to sit her theory test and that's all before she can commece her driving lessons.

My husband recently renewed his driving licence because it was due to expire in a few months time and got the new one in about a week. He did it online, perhaps that makes a difference? I assume your daughter has checked that it hasn't got lost in the system or in the post?

DD and her family recently renewed their passports plus a new one for the 3 year old and it only took 3 weeks. Honestly the constant scaremongering is doing my head in!

My daughter has waited 6 months to renew her driving licence and is still waiting. My granddaughter also waited 5 months for a provisional driving licence. Now. She has to wait another 5 months for an appointment to sit her theory test and that's all before she can commece her driving lessons.

DH went to Photo booth in Asda, had photo done for passport, it issues a code, add that to the on line form. It was accepted instantly, he sent old one back, which crossed with new one arriving within 4 - 5 days. Absolutely no problem

ALANaV

I renewed my passport at the Post Office directly ....they take your digital photo, upload it, fill in the details on the form, send it digitally and I received mine back within 5 days (it was expensive, but was secure and saved time !)....you would need to find a post office near you that provides this service ...easy if you look under Post Office near..........proving digital passport applications.....good luck !

Also perfectly easy to do oneself online (as is your Driving Licence renewal) - well it must be easy if I could do it!
My only problem was finding a plain background for tge passport photo which was also light enough, because with white hair and a fair complexion, all my “subtle Farrow and Ball” walls were deemed too close to my own colouring and I have so many paintings it was almost impossible to find an adequate wall space!
But anything is easier than a paper form IMO and it went through very smoothly.

My passport ran out in 2012. I have no wish to renew it....

I renewed my passport at the Post Office directly ....they take your digital photo, upload it, fill in the details on the form, send it digitally and I received mine back within 5 days (it was expensive, but was secure and saved time !)....you would need to find a post office near you that provides this service ...easy if you look under Post Office near..........proving digital passport applications.....good luck !

The crunch came after Brexit - Europe would not accept passports over ten years old and required 6 months on the passport. My passport expired at the end of July this year but because it was issued in January 2011 and had had extra months added it was no good for travel since January - not a problem as I was not going anywhere. I applied on line back in June for a new one and my new style blue passport arrived 8 working days later.

I renewed my passport a few weeks ago expecting a long delay. The new one arrived less than 2 weeks later. Perhaps the delay is more for first applications?

I renewed my passport very recently online and it took ten days .

It’s worth checking driving licences too, another backlog.

My passport is due for renewal. I suppose I’ll have to, though I resent the cost. I’m not going anywhere, but I don’t have a driving license so I need the passport for identification purposes.

MawBe

Rosie51

MawBe

Your point being...?

My point being that I'd have liked the government to justify why there was this rule change and why that wasn't highly publicised. You didn't know about the rule change but made the irrelevant point it wasn't a recent change as if that somehow made it OK. I really don't know why you're being so snippy, I agreed with your first post

Sorry didn’t mean to sound snippy but I wasn’t aware of it because it didn’t apply to me when I last renewed my passport.
Being economical with information is par for the course for the Civil Service .
Social Media does a pretty good job of disseminating information, but the bottom line is that it is down to the general public to find things out for themselves - TG for te internet.

MawBe thanks, maybe I was a bit sensitive It's wrong though isn't it that we have to find out about rule changes when we don't know the rules have changed so don't know we need to find out? Does that convoluted sentence even make sense, I know what I mean? Too much is sneaked in under the radar, all rule changes should be widely publicised. Yes TG for the internet, and for being able to afford a computer and internet connection. For those who can't it must be much harder.

Rosie51

MawBe

Your point being...?

My point being that I'd have liked the government to justify why there was this rule change and why that wasn't highly publicised. You didn't know about the rule change but made the irrelevant point it wasn't a recent change as if that somehow made it OK. I really don't know why you're being so snippy, I agreed with your first post

Sorry didn’t mean to sound snippy but I wasn’t aware of it because it didn’t apply to me when I last renewed my passport.
Being economical with information is par for the course for the Civil Service .
Social Media does a pretty good job of disseminating information, but the bottom line is that it is down to the general public to find things out for themselves - TG for te internet.

The wonderful passport office in Ireland actually called me to tell me roughly how long it would take, they didn’t want me to book a holiday and be disappointed.

MawBe

Your point being...?

My point being that I'd have liked the government to justify why there was this rule change and why that wasn't highly publicised. You didn't know about the rule change but made the irrelevant point it wasn't a recent change as if that somehow made it OK. I really don't know why you're being so snippy, I agreed with your first post

I recently applied online for a passport and received my new one in about two weeks.
My old passport didn't run out until April next year but, knowing that you need six months left on a passport before you can visit most countries, I decided to renew early.
I also knew that the extra months are not added on anymore.
Hopefully I may get to use the new passport next May when we are booked to stay in France.