I know someone's whose passport application (initial one, not renewal) is at 19 weeks plus a day or two. I doubt they're alone.
Your comments match my informant's experience. Some contradictory information given by different call centre staff is of note, but these employees cannot change 'the system'.
Given the life of a passport, don't see the point in NOT renewing. We did ours back in June and even then things were going slower than normal. Given the much longer times between application and receiving the new one, I would be interested in whether the desk jockeys took on board my suggested procedural change at that time. Particularly for folk with a few months left on the current passport, this would be well worth noting.
Passport procedural change
I forwarded the following to the passport office, I wonder if they took any notice.
My wife and I recently applied to renew our passports. I received mine in a few days, she waited WEEKS! ! As the old passports still had several months before expiry, they were still valid however in accordance with current procedure, when we went to the Post Office and submitted our documents, had new photos taken, etc. the counter officer chopped up the old passports leaving us with no valid passports.
For those folk who have access to, and can nominate their “preferred” local Post Office when completing the on-line form, when they go to that PO to submit the renewal request, etc. they must still show their current passport BUT they get to still RETAIN that document intact if it has NOT YET EXPIRED.
In this way they can still travel with the old/current passport which is being replaced and use it as a valid form of identification until the new/replacement passport is issued and collected in person from that designated post office.
To collect the replacement passport from the Post Office they must again present the document being replaced and ONLY THEN is that old passport cut up.
The added bonus, perhaps this change of practice would take some pressure off the passport office staff re duration of processing time. Anyways, hoping you find this suggestion a worthwhile change to your procedures.
By the way, I would also encourage you to replace the plastic passport sleeve you supply with an RFID proof sleeve just to ensure the document cannot be cloned, etc. while in transit and also predisposing the owner to keep their passport secure in an RFID proof sleeve.
Bob Baker
