Travel tool gives Brits real-time average wait time for passport applications
The Passport Office has warned Brits to ensure they leave at least 10 weeks for their applications to be processed before going on holiday.
Enormous wait times post-pandemic meant that many people did not receive their passports in time for booked trips.
Meanwhile, some fell foul of travel rules and were turned away at the airport as their passport did not fit the criteria for travelling to certain EU countries.
READ MORE: Holiday warning for Brits who have a red passport – how to check it's still valid
Panicking holidaymakers have been left worried that they won’t receive their documents back before their planned trips.
But, an online tool may be able to quell any fears as it gives a more accurate prediction for how long passports will take in real time.
Passportwaitingtime.co.uk uses crowd sourced data to predict the average passport waiting time in the UK at the time of submission.
The website states its methodology uses its own website data as well as Twitter to “provide you with an estimate of how long you are likely to have to wait to receive your UK passport.”
Currently, on October 6 2022, it states that the average wait time for a first adult passport is just 33.23 days.
While an adult renewal is estimated to take 21.48 days and a first child passport 29.02 days.
A renewal child’s passport was predicted to take 23.16 days on average.
The website stated: “Whilst it is not a precise indication of when you will get your passport back it will certainly give you some idea of how long you may need to wait based on other people who have recently applied and received theirs.
“We calculate an average of the last 31 days of user tweets and website submissions to display a figure in days.
“We display an average for 1st Adult, Adult Renewal, 1 Week Fast Track, 1st Child, Child Renewal and Overseas applications.”
The gov.uk website states: “Allow up to 10 weeks to receive your passport.
“If you need a passport to travel urgently for medical treatment, because a friend or family member is seriously ill or has died, or for urgent government business, call the Passport Advice line.”
It's not just about the time it takes for your passport to arrive. Since Brexit there have been changes to countries' travel requirements for Brits heading abroad.
The most common of these is the requirement for passports to be under 10 years old – some have extra months of validity added.
Another was that passports need to have between six and three months left on the validity period.
Unfortunately with the recent changes, some Brits found themselves denied boarding when turning up for holidays.
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