Foreign Passport Lost by Royal Mail

[mrsbean]

Hi guys,

So I thought my journey was over, but nothing prepared me for this.

I went to my ceremony yesterday, and right after that I posted my British passport application (complete with my original - one and only - foreign passport and naturalization certificate) to Peterborough office. I didn't use Check & Send as my application was very straightforward; so I posted it special delivery guaranteed next day by 1 pm.

It got never delivered. In fact, when I rang the post office all they could tell me is that it was in London Central Mail office at 7 pm last night... and after that it went "Poof". I was told I'd be compensated for my £6.40 fee, that's it. And they will not recognize it as lost until 10 business days have passed.

The problem is I don't have any other passport or any other way to get a new passport from my original country, Ukraine, as they require original birth certificate which my parents have lost some time ago but never bothered to replace as I haven't lived in Ukraine in the last 15 years. So I can't get new Ukrainian passport. I can get a replacement naturalization certificate I think and I still have my BRP card (as I didn't send it).

Can anyone tell me if I can somehow get a British passport without having to submit a foreign passport? I am British now, right? So
how can I get my British passport?

I am so upset - I was planning a trip in January, but now all my hopes and dreams went bust.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[MPH80]

I think the first thing to note is that, yes, it may be missing today - but it may well be on the floor of the sorting office awaiting someone to pick it up.

I wouldn't count it as gone until you've given it a couple of days.

In terms of getting a new passport from Ukraine - how did you get the last passport? Yes - you might not have lived there 15 years - but at some point during that time - you must have gotten a new passport. They also must have an option if the birth certificate is gone.

You are supposed to submit your current active passport with the application (along with the historical one) - but if it's lost - it's lost! You should, however, keep any proof that royal mail provide you of the fact it's missing and submit that with the application.

But yes - you should expect it to take longer than normal and you have Christmas to contend with in the middle.

[akhurshid]

I would agree with MPH80 on this one.
I have personally had experience with PO where they have confirmed stuff has been lost and even tried to compensate(with a book of postage stamps, I know shocking right) and stuff was delivered after all. Needless to say that it was for those big companies who postmen trust and sometimes never bother updating the status.

[mrsbean]

Hi guys,

Thanks for your replies.

To clarify - I got my first passport when I was 15 using my birth certificate, since then I only had to use my current / "expiring" passport to get the new one. In the process my parents' house in Ukraine got burgled and all our documents got stolen, they never bothered to get replacement of my birth certificate as I already had a passport at that time.

It might be true that my stuff will turn up and I am praying it will; however, I spoke with 3 different persons at Royal Mail today and they checked everything from road/traffic conditions to delivery route delays, etc. and said everything is running as normal. The truck on which my application should have been riding made its deliveries to Peterborough sorting facility on time this morning. They couldn't say anything else, except you have to wait 10 business days before it's officially lost.

I wish I used Check & Send now... so angry at myself! But now trying to see what my alternatives would be in the worst case scenario, i.e. passport and naturalization certificate are lost never to be seen again. Will ring the passport office tomorrow to see what my options are. I made copies of everything before I sent it - so I have copies of all of my passport pages, naturalization certificate, passport application, etc.

Keeping my fingers crossed it will turn up though, but have found quite a few cases on the internet where UK passport applications and documents get stolen while in Royal Mail possession for identity theft / counterfeiting activities and other illegal purposes.

Just very worried....

[akhurshid]

What made you think your application wouldn't have lost if you had used check and send? They don't even give you tracking info when you use check and send

[mrsbean]

Thanks guys!

Just wanted to update that I called Royal Mail and they got their Identity team involved (every time something goes wrong when you send identity documents, these guys get called within 48 hours). They were able to track my package to a sorting facility, where it has been misplaced by mistake due to high volumes of mail that day (that's what you get for sending your application on "cyber" Monday). They located it and sent it on its way. Phew!

Because it was Special Delivery and arrived 2 days late, RM are refunding me my postage plus giving £5 extra for my troubles (thanks! hardly a compensation for sleepless nights worrying). But hey, it got there!

Called Peterborough office yesterday but they couldn't confirm they received it (was delivered at 8 am according to the signature). Talked to someone this morning again on Passport Adviceline. AMAZING! These guys are super helpful if you are nice to them. This nice girl confirmed that my application was put on their system this morning, and about 15 min ago a case examiner picked it up and it is being processed as we speak. They gave me full timeline from the moment it was entered to the system to the time I called with various actions my passport application went through. I am very impressed by this service!

Thanks again to the contributors of this forum.

[MPH80]

Good news.