** ALL ** Passport Queries take.two. **! Mod-note in post#1288

I think you're right that it's anyone's guess as to the difference between the processing stages. I can't work out why documents wouldn't actually be verified until stage 4 when stage 3 is described as "we are verifying your documents."

Well, my application moved to stage 4 on Wednesday and my husband's has moved to stage 4 today......but I can see now that that, in itself, is not a cause for celebration or assumption that all is well!🤨

Our estimated date was 13 April and we’re still waiting for it to be sent to print. They’ve had our documents 9 weeks. Others seem to have had better luck. Our son’s application has been selected for a spot check and has just been left sitting there for a week.🤯

Good luck🤞

The total lack of consistency is what is extremely frustrating. You applied almost a month later than we did. We were also an online application, Irish born child to Irish born parents. Nothing had to be resubmitted.

It finally got sent to print today so hopefully we’ll have it soon. Tho I see some people got stuck in the printing stage for a while. So amazingly more torture could be a possibility.

Hope you have a lovely holiday and Bindyboo I very much hope you get sorted too

Does the progress bar on the tracker actually mean anything? Mine is moving (slowly) daily but no change to the actual status.

I have no idea. My husband's and my applications went in online on 9th March. The tracker moved to Alert: you need to send in your documents on 10th March. On the 18th of March it moved to stage 3, called "Processing Application: we have received and are verifying your documents" and then on last Wednesday, I think it was, the 6th April it moved to stage 4, also called "Processing Application:Your application is being processed."

The progress bar has been moving steadily but, to be honest, I think it's an automatic computer programme which moves along according to what date they have set as the estimated issue date - which in our case is the 4th of May. I read on here the other day where someone's application got to stage 4 and then they got an email asking them for some documentary proof as they weren't satisfied with the proof the applicant had sent in with all their other documents. Also, someone said their's had got to stage 4 but they knew that their referee - the person who verified their application - hadn't yet been contacted. In my naivety, I had assumed that that kind of thing would've been done at Stage 3, where the description of stage 3 would lead you to believe they'd be doing all the checks/verifying of the documents. I imagined that stage 4 would be them putting the relevant data onto their computer programme ready for the printing stage. But now I think none of it means much until such time as you actually get a message saying your printed passport has been dispatched.

One thing I have learned from reading these boards, and the dfa passport twitter page, is never to send off an existing passport as proof of identity as they'll likely keep it for months. Once it's in their system there seems to be no way of getting it back. We got a solicitor to make certified copies of our passports/driving licence to send off as we didn't want to be without the actual documents for dear knows how long. Hopefully they will accept the certified copies.

I'll come back on here once we actually receive the passports!

Is it possible that you may have inadvertently sent a photocopy rather than the original Birth Certificate?

I can't explain it so. It would have been impossible for you to get a "short form" birth certificate for a three year old child.

A short form birth cert would have just given the name and surname, sex, date of birth, and place of birth.

A long form birth cert gives all those details plus the parents names, and their addresses and occupations. If these details are on yours then it should be acceptable.

i applied for my daughters first Irish passport on 14 January. All my tracker has is this:

11/04/2022Processing application

Your application is being processed

2 months 3 weeks 6 days ago 

14/01/2022Alert

We have received your application. You must submit your supporting documents to proceed with the application.

everyone else seems to have a couple more stages such as ‘we have received your documents’ and ‘we are verifying your documents’. Is anyone else similar to me where is went straight to ‘Processing’?

i have called them and spoken to them on the chat and each time all they have said is ‘it’s in one of the final stages of processing, we can flag this and note your travel date’. Estimated issue was 4th April which has obviously now passed. I have a holiday booked for 3rd May. How likely am I to receive this in time?

Have you contacted your TD? Someone on here applied nearly 6 weeks after you and already has theirs. It just depends whose desk you land on unfortunately.

We weren’t particularly lucky either so I sympathise. We contacted our TD and our witness was contacted that same day. Possibly a coincidence 🤷‍♀️ . It was still a further week until they sent it to print as we got selected for a spot check 🙄.

maybe get cracking on making a bit of noise. That said the fact that your status updated yesterday might mean they are finally looking at your application. Some people have gone from turning to processing to printing in the same day.

good luck, I hope you get sorted very soon

What is a TD? Sorry I am in Northern Ireland so not sure if I know what that is!

Do you think it would be worth me contacting one local to me even if it is UK and not Ireland?

So turns out my witness didn’t answer the phone call 2/3 times the passport office tried to contact them so I’ve had to do a whole new consent form and provide details of a different witness. I have posted this first class today so should get there tomorrow. Have I lost all hope of receiving my passport before 3rd May travel date?