Brits Warned Of 10 Week Wait And Price Increase For New Passports

British tourists planning to go overseas for the summer have been warned that they could face a 10-week wait for a new passport.

The 10-week deadline was introduced back in April 2021, following a surge in applications.

Prior to April 2021, the processing time for both a renewal and new passport was just three weeks, however, Home Secretary Suella Braverman reportedly told MPs: “We expect elevated demand for passports throughout the year - and demand can be volatile - so customers should continue to allow 10 weeks. I urge people to apply in good time and not at the last minute.”

The news comes after figures that were obtained by the Liberal Democrats were shared with The Telegraph, showing that the number of passports lost by the Home Office was at a five-year high.

Wera Hobhouse, the Lib Dem MP for Bath, told the paper “These are new heights of incompetence for the Home Office. British travellers who urgently need new passports are being left high and dry by these endless delays.

“With more and more passports going missing each year, it’s no wonder people are fed up with this endless travel chaos.

“The Home Office needs to step up and take decisive action before more people are let down and lose confidence in these services.”

Travel experts have also spoken out about the long delays. Julie Lo-Bue, CEO of the Advantage Travel Partnership, voiced her opinion saying “It’s disappointing that holidaymakers will need to allow 10 weeks for new passports this summer.

“We understand that the issues last year were due to very high demand after Covid which were exceptional circumstances.

“However, there has been a dramatic improvement in Passport Office performance and this deadline is unnecessarily detrimental to people trying to travel overseas.

“Long waits for passports will inevitably put people off travelling at a time when the outbound travel industry is recovering from the hangover of the pandemic.

“Not only will this rule disrupt planned holidays, and the opportunity to make the most of last-minute deals, but these rules also put further obstacles in the place of business travellers and those visiting family abroad.

“If there is continuing high demand for passports, we would urge the Government to find a way of dealing with the problem quickly in a way that doesn’t affect British travellers and impact the outbound travel industry.”

Many Britons missed planned holidays last year, as their new passport didn’t arrive in time. It was thought that this year would be different. However, the best that the HM Passport Office can offer is that ‘only one in 20 applications takes more than 10 weeks.’

News of the continued long waits comes amid the increase of passport prices that rose on February 2, the first increase in five years.

The fee for a standard online application from within the UK rose from £75.50 to £82.50 for adults and from £49.00 to £53.50 for children. The process is also generally quicker online.

Postal applications for passports will increase from £85 to £93 for adults and from £58.50 to £64 for children.

The Home Office explained that the changes were made so that ‘costs were incurred by those using the system, rather than relying on general taxation.’

The fees will also be used to cover consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the expense of processing Brits at UK borders.

The Government stated that since January 2022, more than 95 percent of applications had in fact been processed within the 10-week window.

Sources

https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1731992/uk-new-passport-delay-how-long
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/passport-waiting-time-10-weeks-b2277518.html
https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/news/passport-warning-brits-prices-hike-29154246