SHALL NOT PASS
Passport warning – website CRASHES as desperate Brits risk losing their holidays due to huge delays
FAMILIES trying to fast-track their passport applications fear they may have to cancel their holidays after the website CRASHED.
It comes as thousands of Brits are being forced to wait more than 10 weeks to get their passports back due to a surge in applications.
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The government was forced to change the recommended wait time from five weeks to 10 earlier this year, after more than five million passports expired during the pandemic, leading to a boom in applications.
However, many desperate holidaymakers who have attempted to fast track their passports are unable to after the website keeps crashing.
Anyone trying to use the website is met with a page saying: "Sorry, we're experiencing high demand for this service at the moment and the system is busy. Please try again later."
The fast track service costs almost double the normal service - with it being £142 for a passport, rather than £75.50.
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But frantic families have been attempting to use the faster service as they fear they may have to cancel their holidays.
One woman wrote on Twitter: "We travel to Greece on 1st June and can’t even get a fast track appointment to replace my 15 year old daughter’s passport, expires 17th July. We are stuffed."
Many already have been affected - one woman told Sun Online Travel she had to cancel her £2,200 holiday to Spain because of the delays while others have had to pay to move their holidays to later in the year.
Boris Johnson has since threatened to "privatise the a**e" off the Passport Office if they fail to offer a good service.
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And Transport Secretary Grant Shapps yesterday vowed to lean on industry chiefs to iron out the problems.
He told Times Radio: "We need to get reliability back into the system again."
Last night Heathrow Airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye said it was vital the Passport Office turned things around.
"If it's not resolved, it is going to mean that people can't get away,” he warned.
Many Brits are also being forced to renew their passport early due to new rules that require at least three months left on them.
One family had to miss their £3,000 holiday to Portgual after only being told at the airport.
Read More on The Sun
And earlier this month, mum Ana Tiganescu was forced to leave her son at a Ryanair check-in after the confusing passport rule ruined their holiday.
Here's what to do if your passport doesn't arrive in time.
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