London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

UK passport delays force families to cancel half-term trips

UK passport delays force families to cancel half-term trips

Processing times remain lengthy, despite ministers pledging 700 more staff to deal with backlog
Families are suffering a nailbiting, up-to-the wire wait this weekend as they face the prospect of having to cancel their half-term holiday plans as ongoing Passport Office delays put trips abroad at risk.

The summer half-term break starts on Monday for much of the UK but a backlog of passport applications has caused months of delays, with some people now set to miss their holiday bookings.

The Passport Office’s most recent advice is to allow 10 weeks to process forms because of a surge in applications after lockdown restrictions were lifted – but many people are still waiting for passports they ordered when the estimated processing period was much shorter.

Thomas Singlehurst, 44, from west London, applied on 8 April for new passports for sons Rex, 15, and Bron, 9, when the estimated processing time was five weeks.

Their half-term trip to France is now in jeopardy.

His younger son’s passport was sent within a month but his eldest son’s was only printed on Friday, with no chance of it arriving for their flight this weekend .

He said the Passport Office had been “impossible to get hold of”. “I would get the train up to Durham to pick it up but it is impossible to contact them,” he said.

“Before, it was 50:50 if you could go on holiday because of Covid tests. Now it’s because you might not have your passport.”

One company director applied for her daughter’s passport renewal on 24 March but now expects to miss the family’s flights to Italy’s Amalfi coast on Monday. The family, from Kent, have already had to abandon plans for the trip over the Easter break because of the passport delay. If they are forced to cancel for a second time, it will leave them, in total, £5,000 out of pocket.

“It beggars belief that they can operate like this,” said the woman, who is hoping to travel with her daughters, aged eight and nine..

“It is the not knowing that’s the most frustrating part of this. Obviously, I want to go on holiday but it is better to know if you’re not going to get a passport.

“This is the first holiday we have had since Covid – to add insult to injury – and it is just such a shame. It’s not fair to leave one daughter and take the other. The kids are incredibly disappointed but it is out of our hands.”

Keir Starmer highlighted the backlog issue at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, saying there are 500,000 passports waiting to be issued. “That’s potentially half a million people worrying whether they will get away this summer,” he told the House of Commons.

In response, Boris Johnson insisted that the government was “massively increasing the speed with which the Passport Office deliver”, saying “to the best of my knowledge” everyone is getting their passports within four to six weeks.

The Passport Office said that 5 million people delayed their applications due to the pandemic, leading to the delay of around 10 weeks. However, it said that passports are being received within six weeks in 90% of cases, and it is still in the process of hiring the 700 new staff members it pledged to recruit in April.

A Passport Office spokesperson said: “Since April 2021, we’ve clearly stated that people should allow up to 10 weeks when applying for their passport to factor in the increased demand, which has seen 5 million people delay their passport application due to the pandemic.

“The latest figures show that 90% were completed within six weeks. But we cannot compromise security checks, and people should apply with plenty of time prior to travelling.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
×