Thanks David, for your input and advice on this and the Costa Blanca Forum. Will just have to keep our fingers crossed.
Helen

Just a quick update on this. Brother had interview this morning and despite being confused over his wife's date of birth has been told his passport will be issued in 3 or 4 working days.
Fingers crossed all will be OK for 2nd February.

That's great Helen, keep us informed.
David

Great News.

Pasport arrived today. Excellent work by the Passport Office. Application posted to Durham last Tuesday (13th), interview Glasgow on 19th and passport delivered today ,21st. Been lucky for once.

Helen

That's fantastic Helen, well done by the IPS.
You can probably put it down to some good luck and a seasonal quieter spell at the IPS. But anyone in a similar position a few weeks or months from now should not assume that they might be as lucky, as the IPS does stress that at least 6 weeks should be allowed.

I hope that your brother enjoys his first foreign holiday.

David

Excellent news Helen. I'm really please for you.

luci

I had my new passport delivered today, after a failed delivery yesterday ( i wasn't in)
It was delivered by a bloke in a car, at 4.45pm. I had to show him my old passport as proof of ID then he asked me to close my front door so he could take a photo of it then he asked me to sign for it and he handed it to me and left.
Just checked with hubby and when the bairns was delivered last week it came by normal postal delivery ( postman) and required a signature and that was it?

I tried contacting the courier but the office was closed.

Is this the norm these days.Anybody else had this???

I have had two passports delivered within the last 6 months and both were delivered by a bloke in a car . They are obviously trying to cut down on fraud which is a good thing but I didnt have any of that photo business . He just checked my name and I signed for the package in the normal way

lyn

My new passport was delivered by courier two weeks ago - I had to sign for it, but he stayed on the doorstep and didn't ask to see my old passport or anything - I had actually only just received my old passport back in the post that morning, wasn't expecting the new one so soon - I'd done Check & Send on the Mon afternoon and passport came on Fri morning
I was a bit concerned actually about what would have happened if I wasn't in (I just happened to be off work for the week when it was delivered). Still not sent off daughter's passport application (long story - at my wit's end with it all.... ) and worried about how I will be able to receive it when I'm out at work all day when the courier comes again. If it was Royal Mail they would take it back to our local sorting office and I could collect it the next day, but what happens with a courier?

Mine was taken back to courier depot, I had the choice of picking it up myself ( too far to go, not an option) so made another day delivery but they could only say between 9 and 5.
My old passport had only been returned yesterday too, so that was lucky.
Stumped as to why he took a photo of the door though

10 out of 10 for quick return though, two passports sent of and renewed within 9 days.

Maybe he would try again of an evening . It's not even as if you are given prior warning that you would need to be there in person to sign which leeds me to think maybe they want to deliver unannounced and not give the criminals the chance to get around the system.

I'd check with the depot about the photo taking - sounds very strange to me.

I have an overactive imagination at the best of times, but... are all passports now delivered by courier or is it what happens when you pay extra for a quick turnaround? If its the latter then for all you know it could be someone thinking that you're going away within the next few days and the house will be empty. Sorry if that alarms you, but I really would get it checked out as I can't think of any legitimate reason for needing a photo of your door.

Louise

lynwestie wrote:

Maybe he would try again of an evening

I would hope I'd be able to get Saturday delivery. Anytime 9-5 is no good to me, I don't get home from work till 4ish and this courier came with mine at about 11am, just lucky I was off work and at home that morning.
Am in a bit of a pickle with daughter's passport at the moment: the Check & Send lady at the Post Office said her photos would need countersigning because her appearance has changed so much since her last one 5 years ago, but we don't know anyone who can sign it - her teachers won't sign it because they won't give all that personal info on a form they're handing back to a pupil; and the GP's are being funny about it because they haven't seen her as a patient since December 2004. The Nurse at the GP's has agreed to do it but I can't get an appointment with her for another two weeks, (and we go away in four weeks) so it looks like we're going to have make a day of it in Liverpool after getting this Nurse to sign
Don't want to risk posting it and waiting for unspecific courier delivery so soon before the holiday. Would have sorted all this out a lot sooner if I'd known there'd be a problem with her photos, but I just thought it would be a straightforward renewal - mine was!

I just countersigned a passport application for a friend/colleague at work for her son. Same situation - appearance changed from his child's passport. I signed in the capacity of "family friend". This was accepted by the passport office without question and he got his passport straight away.

In the countersignatory section where you state how long you have known the person, it asks you to state in which capacity - employer, colleague, friend etc.

I know people at work who could sign it, but because they don't know my daughter and because she is 16 so it's an adult application, they can't sign and say they know an adult they have never met. If she was under 16 it would be OK for them to sign a child's application because they know me as her parent.

My husband sent his passport off last Wednesday evening via the PO check & send.
His old passport came back through the ordinary post yesterday.
His new passport came this morning - we assume by courier (because of the info on the envelope)

I say "assume" because it was just put through the letterbox - and yes, we were in, so we
know that nobody knocked on the door.

Whilst my husband was very impressed with the timescale involved, (six days in total and that included
a weekend) he was NOT impressed at how such an important document was just shoved through the letter box.

So was my husband right in thinking that his passport should have been signed for?

Last year my son's passport (and the rest of his familys) passport were just posted through the letter box. They were at home, but never heard anyone knock!! He just presumed that he hadn't heard them but maybe they didn't knock?? I agree it not very good security just to post them through the letter box..... I mean why go to all the expense of interviews and added security etc and then just post them through a letterbox without a signature?

Denny

Milly_Molly wrote:

So was my husband right in thinking that his passport should have been signed for?

denny.53 wrote:

I mean why go to all the expense of interviews and added security etc and then just post them through a letterbox without a signature?

It seems a bit strange for them to pay couriers if it's not that important whether you're home or not. And if someone was home, how would the courier know if that is the person for whom the passport is intended? (unless of course they insist on seeing old passport etc like CazzMicknTom had) The last time we had new passports (5 years ago, for the kids) they just came in the regular post, no hassle.
Anyway, good news on my current predicament with daughter's passport - an old friend (who is a teacher) has recently moved back into the area and has agreed to countersign the application when we meet for a girly catch-up this weekend, so this will give me time to do a Check & Send on Monday and still allow time for failed/re-arranged courier deliveries (hoping they can deliver on Saturdays), bearing in mind my own Check & Send application two weeks ago only took 4 days!

Anyway, good news on my current predicament with daughter's passport - an old friend (who is a teacher) has recently moved back into the area and has agreed to countersign the application when we meet for a girly catch-up this weekend

Remind her to bring her own passport with her, as she will need to enter details from it when counter-signing the application.

David