Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Coronavirus: Passport renewals to be fast-tracked amid backlog

Coronavirus: Passport renewals to be fast-tracked amid backlog

UK passport applications delayed by a backlog caused by the coronavirus pandemic will be expedited if people are due to go on holiday within two weeks, the Home Office has said.
Passport renewals will be delivered within five days for people waiting more than four weeks who produce evidence they are to about to travel.

More than 400,000 documents are still being processed because of fewer staff.

Officials say they will also continue to prioritise emergency cases.

They said more than 6,500 passports had been issued to individuals on compassionate and emergency grounds during the lockdown.

The Passport Office said it recognised an increasing number of people who did not meet the "urgent and compassionate criteria" would want their passport more quickly as international travel restrictions continued to ease, "particularly those with pre-existing bookings".

It comes after the UK government said more than 50 countries - including many popular holiday spots - now posed ''a reduced risk'' from coronavirus.

But people who want to go on holiday abroad are being warned not to book trips unless they have an up-to-date passport. Those who do not need to renew their passports yet are being urged to wait until after the summer.

Earlier this week the Home Office revealed that passport staff were working through 126,000 applications, with a further 284,000 still to be processed.

Ministers said the backlog had built up because passport offices had fewer workers due to social distancing rules.

The Passport Office said security checks meant the process would take longer for people applying for a passport for the first time but staff were "working hard to ensure that anyone with pre-planned travel does not miss out if their passport application has been submitted correctly and in good time".

It added that overseas applicants who had experienced delays and had to apply to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for emergency travel documents would be able to claim refunds.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
×