There could be £1.1billion in cancelled holidays this summer thanks to passport processing delays, it is claimed. As international travel returns to pre-pandemic levels, the number of travellers submitting their forms has spiked in recent months.
And the resulting backlog could leave hundreds of thousands of families with no option but to cancel their planned getaways. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) estimated there is only a 50 percent probability of "successful and timely" passport renewal for travellers based on current reports.
Using VisitBritain figures to come to its estimate the thinktank explained that more than two in five of us are planning an overseas trip in the coming 12 months. However, with the number of valid UK passports falling by 2.6 million in the last two years or so, the Passport Office has advised travellers to apply to renew theirs a good 10 weeks in advance of setting off abroad.
Read more: Four essential things you need to check on your UK passport before travelling
It has blamed any delays in turnaround on "unprecedented demand" from Britons who put off obtaining new passports because of the restrictions placed on international travel by the global spread of Covid-19. To make matters worse, the rules are also more complicated because, since Brexit, Brits can no longer travel to the EU on a passport that's about to expire.
Under Schengen area rules, your passport must be less than 10-years-old on the day you enter, and valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. That said, the three-month rule does not apply to Ireland but does apply to some non-EU countries, such as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City.
Nevertheless, The Home Office has branded the CEBR research "completely ridiculous," adding that the figures were "bogus." It said in a statement: "These are unverified and nonsensical figures which are not grounded in reality and to treat them as credible is completely ridiculous."
More than 90 percent of applications made in the period from January to March this year were processed in six weeks, it added. "The vast majority of passport applications are being processed within the 10-week service standard we have had in place, and clearly advertised, since April 2021.
“Anyone who needs to renew their passport ahead of the summer, is encouraged to do so now." For advice, call the Passport Office's helpline on 0300 222 0000.
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