Families should now apply for passes before the summer holidays

FAMILIES planning holidays abroad this summer have been warned to renew their passports NOW as the strike is likely to cause delays.

Almost 1,800 passport office employees are on strike for the next five weeks.

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Up to 600,000 passport renewal applications are expected during the five-week strike.

And Brits are now being warned that this is likely to affect passport renewals ahead of the busy summer holidays.

A union source said the I that there is a “build-up of backlogs” exacerbated by Covid and the busy Easter holidays and made worse by the strikes.

They said: “People should give as much time as possible and submit their applications as soon as possible as we cannot predict how long this will add to the deadlines.

“If someone wants a passport before the summer because it’s about to expire, I would recommend they come in earlier so the department can look at it. The sooner the better.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which represents workers, said it was “inevitable” that there would be delays.

The UK government is currently advising Britons to wait up to 10 weeks to get their passport back.

This means that if you applied today, you would get it back by mid-June at the latest.

They said 99 percent of applications were processed within that time and that they were preparing to meet demand.

A spokesman said: “We are working to manage the impact of this strike action while ensuring we continue to provide essential services to the public through our comprehensive contingency plans.

“There are currently no plans to change our guidance, which says customers should allow up to 10 weeks to obtain a passport.”

You may need a new passport without realizing it due to new passport rules since the UK left the EU.

passports must not be older than 10 months – earlier rules let you roll in up to nine additional months.

And if you’re going to Europe, you’ll need at least three months for your passport, while some countries require six months.

How to get fast passport renewal.

However, make sure you apply online – it costs more to apply in person.

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