Timeline:
Method of application: Online
Passport office: Corby
Application submitted: 12 Feb 2025
Email sent to person confirming identity: 12 Feb 2025
Identity details received: 12 Feb Jan 2025
Application received: 12 Feb Jan 2025
Documents posted: 13 Feb 2025 (Royal Mail Special Delivery by 1pm)
Documents delivered: 14 Feb 2025, 10:45am
Documents acknowledged: 17 Feb 2025, 9:36pm
Application approved: 19 Feb 2025, 2:17pm
Passport printed: 20 Feb 2025, 6:35am
Passport dispatched: 20 Feb 2025, 11:04am (RM notification)
Passport received: 21 Feb 2025, 11:15am
Documents dispatched: 21 Feb 2025, 8:42am (no notification, had to call HMPO to get the tracking number)
Documents returned: 22 Feb 2025
Supporting docs:
I sent in my naturalisation certificate, a colour photocopy of my foreign passport (all pages) and a cover letter explaining that I needed my passport for work. I did ask via chat if that was ok and they confirmed so.
I also sent a prepaid, self-addressed "do not bend" special delivery envelope for the return of the naturalisation cert. I specifically asked in the cover letter for them to use it.
Just in case, I paid the extra £5 for "secure delivery" of my docs at the application stage as well which backfired slightly because the numpties at HMPO packed everything I sent them in their own plastic pouch with the cert on top rather than inside the do not bend envelope... This meant the cert arrived a bit creased but not too badly.
To all of those whose certificates got damaged, a big advantage of choosing "secure delivery" is that HMPO assumes responsibility for any loss or damage. So as long as that's the option you chose you should lodge a complaint and they will ask UKVI to send you a new one (hopefully in a proper envelope!).
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... or-damaged
