- The relaxation of Foreign Office guidance on non-essential overseas travel and quarantine rules paves way for foreign holidays to Spain, Germany, France and Italy
By Andrew Atkinson
Over 400,000 passport applications are waiting to be dealt with amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Home Office Minister Baroness Williams citing a reduction in staff to allow social distancing which has led to forms taking longer to process.
In a written Parliamentary answer about the backlog, Baroness Williams said the Passport Office continues to operate at reduced staffing levels – so its people can continue to socially distance.
“It is therefore taking longer than usual to process passport applications.
“As part of its contingency arrangements, HM Passport Office is rapidly increasing its capacity for processing passport applications, in line with public health guidance, which will help to ensure it continues to meet the travel needs of its customers,” said Baroness Williams.
Steps are being taken to increase capacity – after travel restrictions were eased on June 21 – but those applying may have to wait longer than the usual three weeks.
The Passport Office is advising only people going away before September – or those travelling on compassionate grounds – to apply now for a passport.
As of July 7, work was underway on approximately 126,000 passport applications. 31% higher than at the same period in 2019.
An additional 284,000 applications would need to be worked through in the coming weeks, once initial documentation has been received and allocated, an increase of 172% from 2019.
Baroness Williams disclosed the scale of the passport backlog in a response to a question by Labour over the delays.
The relaxation of Foreign Office guidance on non-essential overseas travel and quarantine rules earlier this month has paved the way for foreign holidays to destinations including Spain, Germany, France and Italy.
Those applying for new passports will be among the first to receive a blue version, introduced from April after 30 years, following the UK’s departure from the European Union.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Breakfast: “It’s not quite my area”, saying the Home Office was working hard to clear it.
