HM Passport Office

Are there any guaranteed service standards?

The Passport Office states you can expect:

• its staff to be polite, helpful and professional.
• passports to be issued in line with published standards.
• details on your passport to be correct and your supporting documents to be returned promptly.
• registration certificates to be issued in line with published standards from the General Register Office (GRO).
• special provisions and services for people with disabilities.
• clear and helpful explanations from our staff if you are denied a British passport because of citizenship or on other grounds

How quickly will I get my passport?

The Passport Office does not give any service levels for turning around passports with the exception of its premium and fastrack services.  

Premium allows you to get a passport on the same day, from London, Liverpool, Peterborough, Glasgow, Belfast & Durham, but you do need an appointment.

Fastrack will turn your passport around in 7 days, however, it is from when they accept your application and not from when they receive the application.  You therefore need to ensure you have filled in all the information correctly.

I have not received my passport, what do I do next?

If you have submitted your passport and are still waiting for it to be returned to you then we recommend you phone the Passport Office. You can use the resolver App; this will call through and record your phone call for you.  Be persistant! 

0300 222 0000 or if call from abroad then dial +44 300 222 0000

Their opening times are

Monday to Friday: 8am to 8pm

Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays: 9am to 5.30pm

You can call through the resolver App and record your phone call.  

If my passport is delayed can I get compensation?

The Passport Offices states they "realise that sometimes our mistakes may cause you expense or financial loss. In these cases, you should write us a letter and include any documents that prove your claim (for example, a receipt to show a cancelled flight)."

They only normally offer compensation for financial loss as a result of delays in our guaranteed (Fast Track and Premium) services. However, in exceptional circumstances it is worth considering still making a claim for your financial loss that you have incurred from their delay.

Can I claim on my insurance?

Generally, the answer is no. Most insurance companies will insure you for issues relating to your passport once you are on holiday but a delayed passport is outside of your insurance policy. However, a limited number of insurance companies will provide you with cover for this issue. The best way is to check with your insurer.  

According to the Financial Ombudsman, they expect insurers to treat their customers fairly where they’ve clearly been prevented from travel by excessive delays at the passport office.  Your insurance will will need to demonstrate to us that these were clearly highlighted in the policy. If they aren’t this could be argued as being unfair.

Does the Passport Service have a complaints procedure?

A formal complaints system was introduced in 1994 and since that time it has concentrated on establishing best practice and aiming for uniformity of approach. For any complaints system to work effectively it is imperative that staff should endeavour to resolve problems when they arise rather than encouraging customers to use the formal complaints procedures to achieve a solution to the problem.