UK Passport Timeline (renewal and new applications) from the US, plus tips for tracking and decreasing complications/stress

I just renewed my UK passport and applied for my children’s first UK passports (eligible by descent). It was about a ten week process in total with some annoying complications and extra stress that could have been avoided with advanced knowledge. There aren’t many UK passport timelines here, so I’d like to contribute in the hopes that it helps someone else.

1. First, use a birth certificate that is on official tamper proof paper. I used the original birth certificates for two of my kids that were issued directly from the town clerk of the small town in which they were born. They are originals (around 15y old) and stamped, signed, and embossed. They were used for their US passports, registering for school, etc. Unfortunately, HMPO considered them unofficial photocopies and didn’t accept them because they were not on tamper proof paper. This added almost a month of time between arguing that the certificates were original, needing to order new copies (we don’t live in the same state anymore), and mailing them to HMPO. If your birth certificate (or any official government documentation) is not on fancy numbered, tamper proof paper, get a version that is.

2. Second, mailing documents from the US to the UK will either be fast-ish and pricey or slow and slightly less pricey. Not cheap. An envelope with DHL/FedEx/UPS will be over $100 and arrive in a bit under a week. USPS will take about 2-3 weeks, but is $30-50+, depending on the weight. I had to mail documents three times (my documents, my kids’ documents, and my kids’ second set of documents), so it can add up. It will take about 2 days from arrival at HMPO for them to upload them. If you go with USPS, they have been very spotty with tracking. They can sit in customs for a while (almost a week). Once they leave the US, track with the Royal Mail website. It’s more accurate.

3. Third, HMPO uses DHL to send your passport and supporting documents. These will require a signature and someone to be home. The delivery time is…challenging. The passports/documents arrived anywhere between 7-10 days after the applications are approved/printed. We had nine DHL envelopes and HMPO would send an email the day before or sometimes the day of delivery. No official notice before then.

4. Fourth, when you apply, use a phone number that can receive text messages. DHL will send text messages regarding your passport and supporting documents delivery. I made the mistake of using a home number for my kids’ applications, so never got the DHL texts for seven of the nine deliveries. DHL also will often deliver a day before their initial estimate. So make sure you either use an address where someone can sign for it easily or schedule a time. They only deliver on weekdays.

5. Fifth, you can get a few days advance shipping notice by looking up the DHL package via the “reference number” as instructed here: https://www.dhl.com/gb-en/home/global-forwarding/help-center/hmpo-delivery-services.html
   Use the last ten numbers after PEX (remove the spaces) in the “Shipment Reference” section and change the dates to your initial application date to the current day. This only works once DHL has your package, but better than the email that arrives the morning of the delivery…. Once you know the waybill/shipping number, you can sign up for alerts on the DHL website.

My UK PP Renewal Timing
24 Mar - applied online
25 Mar - mailed documents USPS w/ tracking
8 Apr - documents delivered
11 Apr - documents marked “received”
22 Apr - PP approved
23 Apr - PP printed
27 Apr - received a text from DHL with a tracking number
29 Apr - received email from DHL/HMPO that documents were en route, delivered that day
05 May - received email that my supporting documents were en route
07 May - DHL attempted delivery of supporting documents, wasn’t home.
11 May - rescheduled supporting documents arrived 

Kids’ UK PP Timing
2 Apr - applied online
4 Apr - identities confirmed
10 Apr - mailed supporting documents via USPS w/ tracking
13/16 Apr - documents from my renewal linked to kids’ applications
20 Apr - kids’ documents delivered (unsure when uploaded)
22 Apr - Kid 1 approved 
Multiple emails from HMPO requiring a second copy of BC for 2 kids.
2 May - second package of documents with new BCs mailed 
4 May - Kid 1 PP arrived by DHL (no email notification, no signature required??)
7 May - email that kid 1 supporting documents en route with tracking number
11 May - Kid 1 supporting documents arrived, signature required
18 May - second package of documents delivered to HMPO
19 May - kid 2 approved
20 May - Kid 3 approved and both of their PP printed
21 May - Kid 2 PP picked up by DHL, but not tracking yet
22 May - email reminder to sign PP (both kids), Kid 2 now tracking, but not Kid 3, received email with tracking info (Kid 2), PP delivered a few hours later!
28 May - Kid 3 PP delivered (and two packs of supporting documents)
and all required signatures.
29 May - Last supp documents delivered, signatures required

Otherwise, HMPO works quite well and their chat/email staff are quite responsive. I’m not looking forward to repeating this process in five years for my kids. But, at least now I (and you) know some things to help smooth out the process.