It is difficult to get an appointment to apply for a new passport right now – both in Sweden and at the Embassy in London. We often receive questions regarding why we do not release more appointments and why we require you to apply for and pick up the passport in person.
In regard to why there are not more passport appointments available for booking, the Embassy is fully aware of the situation and has had a continuous dialogue with the Swedish MFA (UD) for many years about the possibility of more resources. For example, the Embassy has been given the right for locally employed staff to issue passports, but the resources of the Swedish MFA are limited, and therefore also at Swedish Embassies, including London. The Embassy has already devoted as much time and staff to the passport section as possible. We cannot release more appointments than we can staff.
The process of applying for a Swedish passport is regulated by Swedish law. According to the Swedish Passport Law, Swedish passports must be supplied with biometrics that consists of a picture and fingerprints of the passport holder. The collection of the biometric data must be done every time someone applies for a new passport as it is not stored anywhere but in the chip in the passport itself. This means that passports can only be applied for in person.
