How long do UK passport application and renewals take? How will the strike affect waiting times? Are there ways to speed up the process? Everything you need to know explained
- Travellers may need to wait longer than usual for new passports to arrive
- MailOnline shares how you may be able to get a passport more quickly
More than 1,000 Passport Office staff began a five-week strike on Monday, 3 April, 2023 at the busiest time of year for renewals.
Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) at eight sites went on strike in an escalation of the long-running row over jobs, pay, pensions and conditions – and waiting times for travel documents are set to surge as a result.
PCS staff announced a strike for five weeks between Monday, 3 April, 2023 and Friday, 5 May, 2023. This means travellers may need to wait longer than usual for their passport to arrive.
So, how long do UK passport application and renewals take? How will the strike affect waiting times? Are there ways to speed up the process?
Read on below for everything you need to know about UK passport applications and how the PCS strikes will affect them.
You must make sure to renew your passport before you travel, either if it has expired or if you do not have enough time left on it. Otherwise, you run the risk of not being able to travel abroad [File image]
Do I need a new passport?
You must make sure to renew your passport before you travel, either if it has expired or if you do not have enough time left on it. Otherwise, you run the risk of not being able to travel abroad.
How much time you need to have left on your passport depends on the entry requirements of where you are travelling to.
For example, some countries say your passport must be valid up until your stay in that country ends.
Others stipulate it must have at least six months remaining from the day you leave that country.
Rules vary from country to country, so it is best to check the government website to ensure you meet all the required regulations of any countries you visit.
There are different rules if your passport has been lost, damaged or stolen.
How do I get a new passport?
To apply for a new passport, you must visit the Government website, where you can either renew it online or by sending in a paper application form.
You can collect your passport from one of seven passport offices across Britain [File image]
How long does it take to get a new passport?
Official guidance from the Government states that it takes up to 10 weeks to get a passport.
In the wake of the PCS strikes, the Home Office insisted there would be no plans to change the above time frame in an effort to meet increased demand.
Due to the strikes, travellers may not receive any passports they have ordered as quickly as usual.
How can I get a passport quickly?
Passport office staff are on strike between Monday, 3 April, 2023 and Friday, 5 May, 2023 in Glasgow, Durham, Liverpool, Southport, Peterborough, London, Belfast and Newport in Wales.
The Government offers a Fast Track service if you need to urgently renew or obtain a passport. Only those with exceptional cases are expected to be given priority throughout the strikes.
Why are staff at passport offices going on strike?
The latest strike by PCS staff comes after the union voted to reject the latest pay offer by the Government.
An agreement was unable to be reached over a dispute concerning jobs, pay, pensions and conditions.
PCS General secretary Mark Serwotka said: ‘In my opinion there will be huge delays in the already ten weeks that people are supposed to apply for passports, and there will be huge disruption on the fast-track service that people can use when they want to get a passport quicker.
‘The Government says it has got contingency measures in place so we’ll see how that works out over the next few days and weeks, but I would expect there to be delays.’
He said there has been ‘radio silence’ from the Government without even ‘one minute’ of negotiations since strikes began.
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