Fast track passport Glasgow: Scots wait outside Glasgow HM Passport office ahead of summer holidays

Scots still face long queues awaiting to receive their passports this summer. As Glasgow is the only passport office in Scotland, many people who live outside the city have had to travel across the country to collect their documents.

The Passport Office has hired 500 additional workers, after UK Government ministers described the current performance as ‘unacceptable.’

Many frantic travellers are worried they will have to consider rescheduling holidays due to their passports not being processed in time.

A worried applicant said: “ I put my application through on March 19, I sent all my document and fees. I didn’t hear from them for a month and a half, so I had to phone them again and wait another two weeks and four days. I fly out tomorrow.

“I contacted my Local MP who has chased them up. You phone them, they tell you one thing and then you phone them again, and they tell you something else. I don’t even know if my passport is here.”

The usual wait for a passport is around five weeks, however, the lead time has been increased on the HM Passport Office website to 10 weeks.

Another anxious Scot said: “It’s frustrating and you feel helpless, there is no one you can speak to. You wait hours online, and when you do eventually get through, its automated services saying your application has been processed. There’s no human interaction, all you do is wait.”

How to get a fast track passport in Glasgow

To use the fast track service, you’ll need to book an appointment for the Glasgow passport office. This can be done online. You can book an appointment up to three weeks in advance.

You can apply for a faster service if both:

• you’re in the UK
• you need to renew or replace a passport, or get a first child passport

If you’re outside the UK, apply for an emergency travel document.

If you’re applying for a first adult passport, or you do not need a passport urgently, use the non-urgent service.

There are two ways to apply for an urgent passport - online premium and one week fast track. Online premium can be used to renw an adult passport and you’ll pick this up at your appointment, which can last up to 30 minutes. One week fast track means you’ll have a new passport delivered to your home.

You can use the one week fast track service to:

• renew an adult or child passport
• change your name on your passport (for example with a marriage certificate or deed poll)
• make changes to your personal details on your passport (for example, your gender)
• replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport
• apply for a first child passport

If you don’t have access to online services, you can phone the Passport Adviceline to book and pay.