Today when I logged onto the passport office website to check the status of the application, I was pleasantly welcomed by a new status: “Declaration form received, being processed“.
So it’s taken 10 days (yes, I am counting the weekends as well, because I seem to remember from the news that staff is working at weekends to clear the backlog), for the passport renewal application to go from the office “inbox”, to being opened by somebody and the data being entered in a computer (at least the application number).
Considering that the backlog is estimated at 53,000 applications, I guess that’s not too bad, it really depends how much longer it will take for the rest of the process. However I am now feeling more optimistic that half way through the 3-week target, we could still hit it.
Luca Rastello 