Get through to HM Passport Office without the hold queue
Nobody rings the Passport Office unless a holiday is at risk. The advice line keeps long hours, but in spring and summer the queue is full of people in the same position, and the adviser can often only tell you the application is in progress. Still, it's the one way to get a person to look.
HM Passport Office customer service
0300 222 0000- Opening hours
- Mon to Fri 8am to 8pm, weekends and bank holidays 9am to 5:30pm
- When you ring
- Have your application reference ready.
- Worth knowing
- Long hours seven days a week, and busy at peak times. The Passport Office's webchat was out of action when we checked.
Number checked against HM Passport Office's own site on 10 October 2026. Call charges may apply if you ring it yourself.
What HoldMyCall does on a HM Passport Office call
- 1
Dials and waits
It rings 0300 222 0000, works through the menu and sits in the queue for up to an hour. You get on with your day.
- 2
Has the conversation
It introduces itself as an AI assistant calling on your behalf, gives the details you provided when asked, and keeps asking for the outcome you wanted.
- 3
Reports back
A summary, whether it got what you asked for, any reference numbers, and the full transcript and recording. If they insist on speaking to you, your phone rings and one keypress joins the live call.
Things people ask it to sort with HM Passport Office
Chase an application
“I applied for a passport renewal seven weeks ago and it's still showing as processing. I'm travelling in three weeks. Find out where it is and whether it can be expedited.”
Ask about supporting documents
“I was asked to send extra documents and posted them two weeks ago. Confirm they've been received and what happens next.”
Query a returned application
“My application was returned with a letter I don't understand. Find out what's wrong and what I need to do.”
Have these ready
Whether you ring or the assistant does, HM Passport Office will want some of these before they will talk about your account.
- Application reference number
- Applicant's full name and date of birth
- Travel date, if you have one
Save them once in Settings and every call starts with them filled in. The assistant only gives a detail when it is asked for it, and it is hard-coded to refuse payments and contract changes.
Other ways to reach HM Passport Office
You sometimes get an answer faster by another route. These are the ones HM Passport Office publishes.
- Webchat on gov.uk, same hours as the phone line, when it's working
- Online enquiry form, answered within 72 hours
- Post: HM Passport Office, PO Box 767, Southport, PR8 9PW
If HM Passport Office won't sort it
Complain by phone, the online form or post. The Passport Office replies within 15 working days, and you can then ask for a review.
Independent Examiner of Complaints. Free, within 3 months of the Passport Office's review. After that, your MP can refer it to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Let it ring HM Passport Office for you.
First 5 calls are free while we're in beta. The assistant never pretends to be human, and every word is yours to keep.