Helpful hints for family life Ensure prompt passport approval

Thousands of Brits face the prospect of not being able to reach check-in gates due to lengthy delays for passport applications.

A combination of staff shortages and a surge in postCovid travel are to blame.

So, if you want to get ahead of the game and make sure your passport is secured long before take-off, here are a few considerations to take on board.

Give yourself plenty of time To cope with the influx, HMPO has increased the advised time for making applications to 10 weeks. Most countries require at least six months on a passport and two full pages. So if you’ve almost filled your passport, or if you have less than nine months remaining, it’s probably worth applying now.

Apply for fast-track service

If 10 weeks is far too long to wait – or you’ve only just discovered your passport is missing – there are options for faster services, but be prepared to pay and make a journey to either Belfast, Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport or Peterborough.

The ‘1 Week Fast Track’ service is available to adults renewing or replacing a passport, and for children requesting their first passport. (For first time adult passports, the only option is to use the 10 week ‘non-urgent’ service.)

The only snag here is that applications must be made on a paper form available from the Post Office.

Get a bigger passport Frequent travellers should consider applying for a 50-page passport. The same process applies but you’ll pay on average £10 more.

Make sure you have all the correct paperwork.

Human error is one of the main reasons so many passport applications are stalled. When filling out forms, double check the correct name spelling and date of birth have been given. Also, follow guidelines for passport pictures to ensure yours isn’t rejected.