Passport application backlog

[Sysman]

Paul Pugh, head of the Identity and Passport Service, estimated in a report published on 4 July last year there would be an extra 350,000 applications to UK-based centres in 2014 (pdf). This was because of overseas embassies shutting their passport desks and transferring operations to Britain, he said.

Linky

Mine's up for renewal shortly.

The surge was caused by the closure of processing centres in Paris, Düsseldorf, Madrid, Hong Kong, Pretoria, Washington DC and Wellington. It was part of a plan to save £20m a year and bring 120 jobs to England and Northern Ireland.

Eh? They already charge double for a passport supplied outside the UK.

Anyone else affected?

A ray of hope though:

On Thursday, May told the House of Commons that she was dropping the fast-tracking fee for applications and that people renewing UK passports from overseas would be given a 12-month extension to their existing passports.

So a repeat performance next year no doubt

[scooterscot]

Anyone else affected?

A ray of hope though:



So a repeat performance next year no doubt

Was.

Application for newest addition to the family would normally have been via the Dusseldorf office but it was no longer so the application went to Liverpool.

Took 3 months and two weeks. 4 days before the flight departed.

Every single time I need to use a UK based service you must expect it to suck. I thought 3-months would have been enough given the six-weeks advertised.