Five million British citizens may not receive their new passports in time. Getty Images
Five million British citizens may not receive their new passports in time. Getty Images
Five million British citizens may not receive their new passports in time. Getty Images
Five million British citizens may not receive their new passports in time. Getty Images

Surge in UK passport applications leads to massive delays and fears for summer holidays


Laura O'Callaghan
  • English
  • Arabic

"Unprecedented" backlogs of applications at Britain’s Passport Office are threatening to hamper summer travel plans of millions of UK citizens.

The government is urging people to file their application for a new passport “as soon as possible” to avoid disappointment as delays of up to five months were reported.

Many Britons delayed renewing their passports during the Covid-19 pandemic while travel restrictions remained in place in the UK and elsewhere. The Passport Office said as many as five million people had put off submitting applications in 2020 and 2021.

The government said it has recorded an unprecedented surge in demand for passports as millions of people plan to enjoy their first foreign trip in two years.

Under post-Brexit EU rules, a British passport must have a validity of at least three months after the date of travel to a member state.

MPs told the House of Commons on Monday that a new 10-week target for processing applications has been repeatedly missed.

They accused the Passport Office of being responsible for an “absolute shambles” and said the delays had put people’s much-anticipated travel plans at risk.

The UK government has urged people to apply for a new passport as soon as they can if their existing document is about to expire, amid delays in processing. PA
The UK government has urged people to apply for a new passport as soon as they can if their existing document is about to expire, amid delays in processing. PA

They said constituents had contacted them saying they had been forced to cancel or postpone trips and miss out on important family gatherings overseas such as funerals.

In one instance, a mother was still waiting for her daughter’s passport five months after submitting the required documents, and facing the prospect of having to cancel her holiday planned for next week.

Stuart McDonald, home affairs spokesman for the Scottish National Party (SNP), pressed the government on what action it would take to ensure the process would be expedited.

“All our constituents are having to cancel holidays, miss funerals, rearrange visits, with even a new 10-week target routinely being failed,” he said.

“What will be done to avoid this predictable mess getting worse? And can we be assured that the 10-week target will not be lengthened further as we approach the summer?”

Kevin Foster, the immigration minister, said the government did not have any intention to further extend the standard.

He said given the extended waiting time between submitting details and having a new passport issued, people should submit an application at the earliest opportunity.

“We are at the moment processing most passports well within it, but we would advise people this is a very, virtually unprecedented surge in demand, and if people are planning to travel this summer we would advise them to get their application in as soon as possible.”

Heathrow Airport chief executive John the Netherlands-Kaye called the delays in passport processing “really disappointing” and said it was vital for people to be able to enjoy a summer holiday in case travel restrictions were reintroduced in the future.

The airport also warned today that improvements were needed from the UK's Border Force to ensure smooth summer travel.

“After two years of lockdown, we need to make sure people can have a good holiday because many of them have vouchers that they’ve been saving up, they’ve got trips of a lifetime that they’ve put on hold, and we don’t know when things might get closed down again,” he told PA news agency.

In an interview with Talk TV, Mr the Netherlands-Kaye urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government to urgently address the backlog as demand for travel increases.

“It is something that the government needs to get a grip of to avoid it being an issue before the summer."

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Turkish Ladies

Various artists, Sony Music Turkey 

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs

Engine: Turbocharged four-cylinder 2.7-litre

Power: 325hp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh189,700

On sale: now

THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick

Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk

Marathon results

Men:

 1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13 

2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50 

3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25 

4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46 

5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48  

Women:

1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30 

2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01 

3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30 

4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43 

5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01  

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: April 26, 2022, 10:40 AM`