According to the Passport Office, applications have surged to a 12-year high, pushing turnaround times far past the usual three weeks.

Travel insurance does not normally cover cancellations due to missing documents, but LV= said existing travel insurance customers who have been waiting more than 8 weeks for their passports to be processed will be allowed to claim back the cost of any holidays they missed during the wait.

Selwyn Fernandes, managing director of LV= travel insurance, said: “We would usually expect a new passport to be processed within a matter of weeks, not months. This is an unprecedented situation where thousands of Brits will not be able to travel due to delays at the Passport Office, even if they made their application in good time.

“We don’t believe this is fair, so existing LV=customers will be covered.”

The Passport Office has released a statement assuring Brits that additional staff have been brought in and are working seven days a week to clear the backlog.

It said in a statement: “We would remind people of our existing advice to customers: allow plenty of time when applying for a new or renewed passport and do not book travel until you have received your passport.”