Passport warning as Brits needing renewals told not to book holidays

4 May 2022, 11:43 | Updated: 4 May 2022, 11:47

People awaiting passport renewals should wait to book holidays, the government has said.

The government has urged people awaiting a passport renewal to hold off from booking holidays abroad.

As many as 9.5 million passport applications are predicted to be made this year, after millions expired during the coronavirus pandemic.

Due to the huge demand for passports, many families have been waiting much longer than the usual five-six weeks to get theirs back.

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As reported by The Sun, the government has warned the public not to book holidays until they have their new passport - as they will have different numbers.

The gov.uk website states: "It is important to stress, you should not book travel until you have a valid passport – your new passport will not have the same passport number as your old one."

The Home Office has also recommended that people leave longer than the usual 10 weeks to get their passports back due to this huge demand.

"Customers can also help to ensure there are no delays with their application, such as using a high quality photo with a digital code, applying online and applying for a new passport more than 10 weeks before they are due to travel," the website states.