New Passport

[18hunts]

My better half's passport was due to expire 15 Feb so last Sunday went to Tesco and had passport photo taken. This comes with a code.
Go back home, complete online form inserting code. Few seconds delay and photo appears on form. Make payment and send.
Our local Post office is open on Sunday so returned old passport to Peterborough Passport Office.
Would not have been collected till Monday. Tuesday they acknowledged receipt.Wednesday they emailed to say everything OK and was processing new Passport.
Friday it arrived.

We recently moved and needed to update our driving licences. Did this online and received new ones in a week.

How can this be, our Government is dysfunctional?

 

[Broch Hunter]

I have had a similar very positive experience this week. On Monday I went into my local post office where they processed renewals for both my driving licence and passport. A very simple process with no form filling where my photo was taken for each application and an on screen signature for the driving licence. The driving licence arrived yesterday and the passport today.
An excellent service.

 

[Gary&Heather]

We recently moved and needed to update our driving licences. Did this online and received new ones in a week.

How can this be, our Government is dysfunctional?

I think you'll find it's the politicians that are dysfunctional not the actual man behind the scenes

 

[Jontymo]

That’s because we now have a functioning government now that the democratic public have spoken!

Ignore my gibberish, ‘twas not meant to offend

 

[18hunts]

I question it being democracy, it feels moor like an abusive relationship where one slightly larger person drags a slightly smaller person in a direction they don't want to go.

 

[bigmac77]

The big question must be, is it blue?

 

[RodCouncil]

That’s because we now have a functioning government now that the democratic public have spoken!

Nothing useful to say....button it.

As for the passport processs, positive experience with 24hr in person process at Liverpool, super nice system and worth the extra cash.

 

[stephen watson]

I've just applied for a new passport as well and am wondering if I'll get a blue or burgundy one. The website says they are in the middle of changing over. What colour did you get?

 

[Broch Hunter]

I've just applied for a new passport as well and am wondering if I'll get a blue or burgundy one. The website says they are in the middle of changing over. What colour did you get?

A burgundy one arrived for me yesterday. Blue or Burgundy didn’t bother me in the slightest, I simply needed a renewed passport.

 

[stephen watson]

That's interesting. It all seems a bit random - I'm sure I've read of some getting blue ones. I wonder how they decide?

 

[18hunts]

Envelope arrived, clearly was my wife's new passport, gave it to her. Just asked what colour it was and she said 'didn't look, just signed it'!
I just think it ironic that it could have come from France.

 

[18hunts]

Colour I think depends on whether it's old stock or new.

 

[stephen watson]

Maybe they are giving burgundy one's to us Remoaners - marking us out as troublemakers in the future!

 

[Jontymo]

Nothing useful to say....button it.

As for the passport processs, positive experience with 24hr in person process at Liverpool, super nice system and worth the extra cash.

Why button it! my reply was about the comment of our so called dysfunctional government and was not meant as a dig at the poster!
Enjoy Sweden!

 

[GrannyJen]

My experience with Gov.uk has been incredibly positive for 20 years. I have found passports, driving licenses, new birth certificates, NHI numbers etc efficient and painless. I don't know why we keep putting ourselves down.

 

[steve_b]

applied online for myself and daughter's passports on 2nd Jan, using the normal online service. Arrived in the post on the 10th, happy days. Burgundy, if anyone cares.

Oddly two applications went to two different offices - mine to Liverpool and the little one's to Durham. Shrug

 

[Ryemslie]

If applying online do you have to send off your old passport before they will start the process of issuing you with the new one?

 

[Wongo]

That’s because we now have a functioning government now that the democratic public have spoken!

Its nothing to do with politicians, its about technology

 

[Jontymo]

Its nothing to do with politicians, its about technology

I know it is!!

 

[steve_b]

If applying online do you have to send off your old passport before they will start the process of issuing you with the new one?

you can apply online but then the next instruction is "send us your old one" and the process halts until that is received.

However from receipt it only took a couple of days before I got the new one back (even taking into account I had to re-upload a photo of me as the one I sent was deemed not adequate...)

 

[steve_b]

Here's my timeline as they send you emails at every step:

Passport printed and sent	7:38pm on 8 January 2020
Application approved	11:39am on 8 January 2020
New photo received	11:32am on 8 January 2020
Photo rejected	10:58am on 8 January 2020
Documents received	10:11am on 7 January 2020
Application received	12:15pm on 2 January 2020
Application submitted	12:15pm on 2 January 2020

Once the application is submitted it then goes on hold until your old passport is received (documents received state). That was the longest part of the process, we had the new one back on the 10th and the old one on the 11th

 

[Velma's Dad]

Impressive. But real progress will be when I can order one on Amazon Prime.

 

[Broch Hunter]

This is the timeline for mine using the post office service. The timing started in the post office when my photo was taken and the details taken off my old passport. My new passport was delivered on Saturday 11 Feb. (I assume the old one will reappear in the next day or so)

Passport printed and sent	7:39pm on 8 January 2020
Application approved	12:13pm on 8 January 2020
Documents received	9:57am on 8 January 2020
Application received	11:10am on 6 January 2020
Application submitted	11:09am on 6 January 2020