Passport needs renewing for a trip in 4 weeks, fast track?

[Matt..]

I am going on a Europe trip in 4 weeks and need my passport renewed. Most people I speak to that have recently renewed had a new passport in a week or two, do I take this approach or fast track? I'm tempted to go fast track to make it more likely I won't have an issue.

Thanks

[VeeReihenmotor6]

I renewed my passport earlier this year - my experience was

3/01/24 - submitted online application and sent my old passport back to them.

4/01/24 - they emailed to say they rec'd my passport

5/01/24 - emailed back to say password was being printed

6/01/24 - passport was delivered to my house


I paid for the 82.50 service and also needed a passport for a trip i took on the 28th of Jan

I considered the fast track service but it meant having to travel to a passport office and with the time slots available it would have been a slower process than normal service.

[VeeReihenmotor6]

that's the email traffic - i got it back on the 6th of Jan

[Crudeoink]

As above, I got mine back within a few days using the standard service.
Started the application, uploaded a selfie, posted passport all on the first day. Received the new one back about 3 or 4 days later. Genuinely impressed with how quick it was

[zoomy]

The Mrs. got hers back last week. Only took a week on standard service. Very good. As above they email you all the way through. Excellent service.

[MattS5]

I think you're likely getting the jist of this by now, but i also went trhu the renewal process a fortnight ago and had my new passport back in 7 days.
I used a photo booth image, with the code they provide, to ensure no issues with the required image etc.

I just used the standard service, £82 something, and was genuinely surprised by the time frames.

[Scabutz]

Another one, or two, we renewed the kids passports and they were both done in a week, just over on one because someone had to counter sign the photo.

[CheesecakeRunner]

VeeReihenmotor6 said:

I renewed my passport earlier this year - my experience was

3/01/24 - submitted online application and sent my old passport back to them.

4/01/24 - they emailed to say they rec'd my passport

5/01/24 - emailed back to say password was being printed

6/01/24 - passport was delivered to my house

This was our experience with my wife’s passport last week. No more than a week between electronic submission with a new photo for renewal and getting the new passport in the post.

Even our kids ones that were first passports have only taken a little longer, they’re due to arrive this week.

[Venisonpie]

And another, 4 days from application to new one arriving. Standard service.

[Matt..]

Thanks everyone. It just seems risky, but it does appear that the service is good at the moment so perhaps the gamble makes sense.

The passport office is a 25 min drive away so I don't have problems with going there if I needed to.

[Pedro25]

As others I had no problem renewing mine, 6 working days start to finish, they should move the Passport personnel over to the HMRC imo!

[Matt..]

I applied and it was fast as you all said. It took 1 week.

I suspect I'll be applying for another passport soon enough given the extremely questionable quality of these new passports!

Edited by Matt.. on Thursday 29th February 14:02