British Passport application processing timelines (only)

[specbeb]

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 02/03/2025
Application received: 02/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025 07:58AM
Documents acknowledged: 07/03/2025 ( Only got updated on the tracker after I reached out to the webchat agent asking for an update. I provided my RM tracking number after which it got acknowledged on the tracker but no email )
Application approved: Pending
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

On 10/03/2025 I got an automated email saying "we are waiting for your documents" !! and saying they will withdraw application by end of April if they don't get it. Checking with the webchat agent again she said the documents are in an "other department" awaiting to be sent to the officer to scan it to the application ,after which I should get a notification. Still waiting, nerve-racking experiance !

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 02/03/2025
Application received: 02/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025 07:58AM
Documents acknowledged: Pending
Application approved: Pending
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

[karthick9500]

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 26/02/2025
Application received: 26/02/2025
Documents posted: 26/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 27/03/2025 07:02AM
Documents acknowledged: 05/03/2025 ( Manually updated instantly while chatting with support person )
Application approved: Pending
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

They scanned only conterpart signature form as of yet. other documents are yet to be scanned through the system before the caseworker start to work on it. terrible experience for me.
Initially they told me like they coudnt locate my other documents at all.

[Paramecio91]

EU-UK citizen, naturalised in Jan-23. Had heard horror stories about waiting times but was reassured by the timelines I read here and also by a friend who had the UK passport and the EU passport back in 8 days... for now it has not been a good choice and cannot really sleep until I receive back my EU passport.

First adult passport after naturalisation
Passport Office: Hemel Hempstead
Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 09/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 09/02/2025
Identity details received: 10/02/2025
Application received: 10/02/2025
Documents posted: 11/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered:12/02/2025
Documents acknowledged: 13/02/2025
Sunday 16/02/2025: I got an email requesting more evidence, in particular they wanted "the passport you used to travel to the country that is now your home". Messaged them immediately through the webchat, apparently they wanted the EU passport that I used to enter the UK in 2015 (which expired in 2021). Told them that I don't have it anymore, they said an examiner is going to take a look at the case.
19/02/2025 I receive an email saying I need to book an appointment for a "routine passport interview". I call and the first appointment is on 4th of March. It's online via Microsoft Teams. The gentleman on the phone explains me that this is due to my naturalisation date being more than 12 months ago. he also says that after the interview I should receive my new passport in 7-10 working days.
I told him I need to travel to EU for work in mid-March and he said I can request my EU passport back sending an email to a certain email address which I did immediately. According to the gentleman this does not affect my application
20/02/2025 called the booking line again and managed to get the interview moved to 27/02/2025
27/02/2025 "routine passport interview" booked

to be continued....

27/02/2025 interview done in the morning
27/02/2025 in the afternoon received an email saying I need to book an interview. Called immediately and the agent says “it’s a glitch in the system”. Left a note on my file.
28/02/2025 received an email saying I need to book an interview. Called immediately and the agent was puzzled, reiterates that I don’t need another interview.
1/03/2025 I receive my EU passport that I requested back on 19/02. End of a nightmare that should have never started.

06/03/2025 received another email prompting me to book an interview. called and the lady says to ignore these email going forward. Asked for an update on my application (3 weeks since docs received, 1 week since interview) but she did not really have any, just been told to wait.

07/03/2025 got a call from HMPO. The agent seemed more important than the others, said that she “unblocked” my application as the system kept asking for an intw and did not allow my application to go further. Lol I did not know whether to laugh or cry thinking about all taxes we pay to this circus.
07/03/2025 at 8pm application approved
10/03/2025 passport printed and shipped
11/03/2025 passport delivered
Now only missing the naturalisation certificate.

Honestly the whole process is grotesque. Will leave it here so that other people might think twice before sending their EU passport into this black hole.

[jrmaciel]

Application Timeline, first passport after naturalisation
Passport for: Adult
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 16 Feb 25
Email sent to person confirming identity: 17 Feb 25
Identity details received: 17 Feb 25
Application received: 17 Feb 25

[pause in process as needed non-UK passport to travel]

Documents posted: 04 Mar 25 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 05 Mar 25
Documents acknowledged: 06 Mar 25
Application approved: 08 Mar 25
Passport printed: 11 Mar 25
Passport dispatched: 11 Mar 25
Passport received: 12 Mar 25
Documents returned: 13 Mar 25

Really speedy after I came back from abroad!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone on this forum.

[nuaaxiayu]

First minor passport after registration

Passport for: child
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead (sent together with the parent's application)
Application submitted: 03/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 03/03/2025
Identity details received: 03/03/2025
Application received: 03/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 10/03/2025
Application approved: 11/03/2025
Passport printed: 12/03/2025
Passport dispatched: 12/03/2025
Passport received: 13/03/2025
Documents returned: pending

[Zad93]

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 28/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 28/02/2025
Identity details received: 28/02/2025
Application received: 28/02/2025
Documents posted: 02/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery by 1pm)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 11/03/2025
Application approved: 13/03/2025
Passport printed: 14/03/2025
Passport received: 15/03/2025
Documents returned: 15/03/2025

[harry_11]

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 11/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 12/03/2025
Identity details received: 12/03/2025
Application received: 12/03/2025
Documents posted: 13/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery by 1pm)
Documents delivered: 14/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: Pending
Application approved: Pending
Passport printed: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

[nuaaxiayu]

Application Timeline, first adult passport after naturalisation
Passport for: Adult
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 03/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 03/03/2025
Identity details received: 03/03/2025
Application received: 03/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 10/03/2025
Application approved: 14/03/2025
Passport printed: 15/03/2025
Passport dispatched: 17/03/2025
Passport received: 18/03/2025
Documents returned: 18/03/2025

[nuaaxiayu]

First minor passport after registration

Passport for: child
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead (sent together with the parent's application)
Application submitted: 03/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 03/03/2025
Identity details received: 03/03/2025
Application received: 03/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 10/03/2025
Application approved: 11/03/2025
Passport printed: 12/03/2025
Passport dispatched: 12/03/2025
Passport received: 13/03/2025
Documents returned: 18/03/2025

[jwhite888]

First adult passport after naturalisation as EU citizen

Application submitted: 10 March 2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 10 March 2025
Identity details received: 11 March 2025
Application received: 11 March 2025
Documents posted: 12 March 2025 (Royal Mail 24h tracked)
Documents delivered: 13 March 2025
Documents acknowledged: 14 March 2025
Application approved: 19 March 2025
Passport printed: pending
Passport dispatched: pending
Passport received: pending
Documents returned: pending

[specbeb]

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 02/03/2025
Application received: 02/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025 07:58AM
Documents acknowledged: 07/03/2025 ( Only got updated on the tracker after I reached out to the webchat agent asking for an update. I provided my RM tracking number after which it got acknowledged on the tracker but no email )
Application approved: 13/03/2025
Passport printed: 14/03/2025
Passport dispatched: 14/03/2025
Passport received: 15/03/2025
Documents returned: 19/03/2025

On 13/03/2025 The documents were still not scanned onto the application. We used the online enquiry form instead of the webchat, with a clear and urgent message specifying our travel dates and requesting immediate escalation to have them scanned. We received a response the same day, the issue was escalated, and the documents were finally scanned into the application.

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 02/03/2025
Application received: 02/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025 07:58AM
Documents acknowledged: 07/03/2025 ( Only got updated on the tracker after I reached out to the webchat agent asking for an update. I provided my RM tracking number after which it got acknowledged on the tracker but no email )
Application approved: Pending
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

On 10/03/2025 I got an automated email saying "we are waiting for your documents" !! and saying they will withdraw application by end of April if they don't get it. Checking with the webchat agent again she said the documents are in an "other department" awaiting to be sent to the officer to scan it to the application ,after which I should get a notification. Still waiting, nerve-racking experiance !

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 02/03/2025
Application received: 02/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025 07:58AM
Documents acknowledged: Pending
Application approved: Pending
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

[allbirds]

Application Timeline, first adult passport after naturalisation
Passport for: Adult
Method of application: Online
Application submitted: 28/02/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 28/02/2025
Identity details received: 03/03/2025
Application received: 03/03/2025
Documents posted: 03/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special delivery)
Documents delivered: 04/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 06/03/2025
Application approved: 08/03/2025
Passport printed: 10/03/2025
Passport dispatched: 10/03/2025
Passport received: 11/03/2025
Documents returned: 13/03/2025

[hornedhippo]

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 24/02/2025
Application received: 24/02/2025
Documents posted: 28/02/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 03/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 05/03/2025
Application approved: 07/03/2025
Passport printed: 10/03/2025
Passport dispatched: 10/03/2025
Passport received: 11/03/2025
Documents returned: 13/03/2025

[viniciusmdc]

Method of application: Online (First Adult Passport after naturalisation)
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 12/03/2025 (Wednesday)
Email sent to person confirming identity: 13/03/2025 (Thursday)
Identity details received: 13/03/2025 (Thursday)
Application received: 13/03/2025 (Thursday)
Documents posted: 14/03/2025 (Friday)
Documents delivered: 17/03/2025 (Monday)
Documents acknowledged: 18/03/2025 (Tuesday)
Application approved: 21/03/2025 (Friday)
Passport printed: 24/03/2025 (Monday)
Passport received: 25/03/2025 (Tuesday)
Documents returned: 25/03/2025 (Tuesday)

A pretty straightforward process, to be fair.

[harry_11]

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 11/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 12/03/2025
Identity details received: 12/03/2025
Application received: 12/03/2025
Documents posted: 13/03/2025
Documents delivered: 14/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 19/03/2025
Application approved: 23/03/2025
Passport printed: 24/03/2025
Passport received: 26/03/2025
Documents returned: 27/03/2025

[mm90]

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 05 Feb 2025
Application received: 05 Feb 2025
Documents received: 13 Feb 2025
First email received: 17th Feb 2025, requested a renewed foreign passport due to a name mismatch.
Talked to the advice line, explaining that there is no name mismatch. Instead, first and last names are printed under Given Name. and a foreign passport cannot be renewed since they do not support dual citizenship. Then the customer agent advised submitting a 'Change of Name by Deed' document.
After that I haven't received any response/acknowledgment.
Documents acknowledged: Pending
Application approved: Pending
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

[LucidDreamer]

Method of application: Online (First Adult post Naturalisation)
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 15/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 15/03/2025
Identity details received: 16/03/2025
Application received: 16/03/2025
Documents posted: 17/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery by 1pm)
Documents delivered: 18/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 21/03/2025 (after checking via webchat)
Application approved: 27/03/2025
Passport printed: 28/03/2025
Passport received: 29/03/2025
Documents returned: 29/03/2025

[Sylvie]

Application Timeline

Method of application: Online (First Adult post Naturalisation)
Application submitted: 18/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 19/03/2025
Identity details received: 19/03/2025
Application received: 19/03/2025
Documents posted: 20/03/2025
- (I sent a full copy of my passport because another user was able to do this due to work travels)
Documents delivered: 21/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 24/03/2025

Received email from HMPO: 27/03/2025 - I received an email requesting for the original foreign passport which I will not be able to do so until my work assignment completes end of May. I am required to travel frequently for work so can't imagine parking my passport for a 3-8 week processing time.

Original passport sent:
Original passport delivered:
Original passport acknowledged:
Application approved:
Passport printed:
Passport received:
Documents returned:

[itsmeaizasl]

Method of application: Online (First Adult post Naturalisation)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 18/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 18/03/2025
Identity details received: 18/03/2025
Application received: 18/03/2025
Documents posted: 19/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery by 1pm)
Documents delivered: 20/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 24/03/2025
Application approved: 27/03/2025
Passport printed: 27/03/2025
Passport received: 29/03/2025
Documents returned: 29/03/2025

All the best to everyone! All my UK Visa applications all the way to passport receipt have been smooth sailing.

[nuaaxiayu]

First Adult Passport after Naturalisation

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 31/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 31/03/2025
Identity details received: 31/03/2025
Application received: 31/03/2025
Documents posted: 31/03/2025 (Royal Mail Tracked 24)
Documents delivered: pending
Documents acknowledged: pending
Application approved: pending
Passport printed: pending
Passport received: pending
Documents returned: pending

[smarty_pants]

Method of application: Online (First Adult)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 24/03/2025
Application received: 24/03/2025
Documents posted: 24/03/2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery)
Documents delivered: 25/03/2025
Documents acknowledged: 27/03/2025
Application approved: 01/04/2025
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

On 31/03/25 I also got a message that my patronymic name got mistranslated (they missed a letter but noticed the error and wanted to double-check). The automated email was confusing, so I called the Passport Office directly and sorted everything out over the phone (the person on the line was super-nice).

This forum is a gem for everyone on their immigration journey, well done folks!

[nuaaxiayu]

First Adult Passport after Naturalisation

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 31/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 31/03/2025
Identity details received: 31/03/2025
Application received: 31/03/2025
Documents posted: 31/03/2025 (Royal Mail Tracked 24)
Documents delivered: 02/04/2025
Documents acknowledged: pending
Application approved: pending
Passport printed: pending
Passport received: pending
Documents returned: pending

[Jaune08]

Application Timeline

Method of application: Online (First Adult Passport after Naturalisation)
Passport office: Hemel Hempstead
Application submitted: 31/03/2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 31/03/2025
Identity details received: 02/04/2025
Application received: 02/04/2025
Documents posted: 02/04/2025 (Royal Mail Tracked 24)
Documents delivered: pending
Documents acknowledged: pending
Application approved: pending
Passport printed: pending
Passport received: pending
Documents returned: pending

Regarding documents posted, I sent current foreign passport + passport used to enter the UK + certificate of naturalisation. I'll keep you posted once I get more info.

[mm90]

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 05 Feb 2025
Application received: 05 Feb 2025
Documents received: 13 Feb 2025
First email received: 17th Feb 2025, requested a renewed foreign passport due to a name mismatch.
Talked to the advice line, explaining that there is no name mismatch. Instead, first and last names are printed under Given Name. and a foreign passport cannot be renewed since they do not support dual citizenship. Then the customer agent advised submitting a 'Change of Name by Deed' document.
After that I haven't received any response/acknowledgment.
Documents acknowledged: Pending
Application approved: 04 April 2025 (after raising complaint, reaching out through Local MP and making multiple calls for over past 40 days)
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

[smarty_pants]

Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 05 Feb 2025
Application received: 05 Feb 2025
Documents received: 13 Feb 2025
First email received: 17th Feb 2025, requested a renewed foreign passport due to a name mismatch.
Talked to the advice line, explaining that there is no name mismatch. Instead, first and last names are printed under Given Name. and a foreign passport cannot be renewed since they do not support dual citizenship. Then the customer agent advised submitting a 'Change of Name by Deed' document.
After that I haven't received any response/acknowledgment.
Documents acknowledged: Pending
Application approved: 04 April 2025 (after raising complaint, reaching out through Local MP and making multiple calls for over past 40 days)
Passport printed: Pending
Passport dispatched: Pending
Passport received: Pending
Documents returned: Pending

Oh man this is horrible! but congrats on finally getting it approved! hopefully it will be smooth sailing from here on!