Avoid Delays During Peak Summer Season

Peak Season For Holiday Bookings.

It is common knowledge that during the summer months there is a peak time for holiday bookings, this tends to usually fall within July, August with most travel agents and flight providers. However due to the fact that most people will opt to take advantage of the best holiday deals and peak season bookings, this surge in holidays has an impact on HM Passport Office applications.

This peak holiday season causes a high volume of applications for those who have realised that their passports may be either out of date, expiring soon or those that are lost, stolen or damaged. This means that during the months prior to this time May, June, July the applications received by the Passport Office can often double due to this high demand. It is advisable to apply for your passport as soon as possible as in previous years the passport office has added a further 2 weeks to the processing time of standard postal applications via the Post Office, which can often take 4-5 weeks during these months.

Urgent Passport Services

If you find that you need to renew your passport within these months it is recommended to use an urgent appointment service or fast-track (this service is not offered by The Post Office).

The Passport Office offer two types of urgent renewal service:

1 Day Premium Service
• Adults (16+) Renewal of a passport that is still in possession.

1 Week Fast-Track Service
• Adults (16+) Renewal of a passport that is still in possession.
• Adults (16+) Lost, stolen of damaged passports.
• Children (0-15) First time passports and renewals.

In order to book a fast track service you can use our online booking service, this service is available 24/7 365 days a year and allows you to book in advance for any date.

Is My Passport In Good Condition?

Many people will sometimes wonder if their current passport is in a fit state to use for travel, sometimes it can be minor damage or pealing pages, but please be aware that even minor damage or if your passport cover or photo page is slightly faded it can sometimes cause issues when travelling. This is further affected due to the fact that many border services will often operate independently and will have their own set of guidelines when checking passengers who are travelling, which can change drastically from country to country.

Please see our previous guide for damaged passports, and ensure that yours means the criteria for travel. If you are concerned that yours is damaged beyond reasonable wear and tear, you can book an urgent 1 week fast-track service to get it replaces prior to travelling.