Any UK citizens living abroad if your passport runs out before September 2011 you will probably want to renew it at your local embassy early.
From April 2011 the Identity & Passport Service (IPS), an agency of the Home Office, will assume responsibility for the provision of all regular British passports. The reason for this change is that, from October 2010, new, more secure passports are being introduced in the United Kingdom, and it is simply not economical for these new documents to be produced overseas.
They aim to turn around your new passport within 4 weeks.
When making your application you will need to allow time for the passport to be returned. In line with the service in the UK, for customers renewing a passport we aim to return your new passport within four weeks from receipt of the correct documentation and fee. If you are applying for a passport for the first time you should allow at least six weeks.
Emergency travel documents can be issues, it's not exactly convenient though as the three offices in Europe are located in Düsseldorf, Paris or Madrid. Bit of a trek if you live in Rome or Athens.
What it doesn't say is if you can keep hold of the old passport while the new one is processed. In some countries you are still required to carry your passport as proof of who you are at all times.
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Thanks for the info gmac. My experience is that the information service offered by the Passport Office went rapidly downhill after they outsourced the call centre and I normally get far better information directly from the Consulate in Düsseldorf - if they actually answer the phone.
I once ended up with a damaged passport on a return trip from the US to Germany thanks to United Airways (spit) who never even apologised. I phoned the passport office (2 Euros a minute) who repeatedly told me I was breaking the law by being abroad with a damaged and therefore invalid passport but couldn't actually suggest a fix for the problem. Went to Düsseldorf and the following day I had a shiny new 50 page passport in my hand. British bureaucracy works much better abroad.
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Not normally a problem for me as I only live 25mins. away from Düsseldorf.
More of a problem now I spend four days per week trampling over your patch.
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As people applying for a new/first passport now, have to attend personally for an interview, if living in UK, how will this work if one is in Tenerife, for example? As a man with 2 passports I don't have any difficulty at renewal time.
Last edited by: Perky Penguin on Wed 20 Oct 10 at 14:15
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I should imagine the authorities would like a chat to find out you got into Tenerife without the document in the first place.
Last edited by: gmac on Wed 20 Oct 10 at 14:21
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I wondered if you would notice that gmac, said Capt Mainwaring! However, in the fullness of time an face to face interview will be required for renewal as well. The problem is not with us yet but will be.
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Applicant could have been born there while parents were living there I suppose?
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My son was born in Cologne, his passport was issued from Duesseldorf no questions. He is now two and looks nothing like he did at three weeks old.
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Indeed! Makes one wonder what use the photo really is in the under 10 age range! Are they going to deny one entrance to a country on the basis of a 9 year old photo that bears no apparent resemblance to the present appearance of the holder? Could be!
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>> Indeed! Makes one wonder what use the photo really is in the under 10 age
>> range! Are they going to deny one entrance to a country on the basis of
>> a 9 year old photo that bears no apparent resemblance to the present appearance of
>> the holder? Could be!
>>
Ah! They're not daft Perky. Kids have to renew every 5 years. Keeeerrrrrching !
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They closed the passport section at the embassy in stockholm a year or two ago now. I sent my renewal to germany, and they force you to pay 28 euros to post the new one to you. The price had also gone up. Of course, they blame security and explain that they can offer a better service. Not sure how a higher price and longer delivery time equals better service.
It seemed at the time like the website was very sketchy with hardly any FAQ's, thus forcing you to call their 'service line', with the warning that you need your credit card to hand as they charge for the service. Nice, charge to answer a question that should be on their website. The words Rip and Off come to mind.
Afraid to say I won't bother next time, and will just get a Swedish one instead. You go to the police station, fill out the form, the police take the pictures and send off the paperwork. And it's cheaper.
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It would be nice to think that we expats. could then get our UK passports at the same price as UK residents!
SWMBO recently renewed hers and including the cost of a courier both ways (return by courier is mandatory - shows what the embassy in Madrid think of the Spanish Post "system"!) it came to around 190 euros.
I think the base cost for the renewal is about 160 euros - £ 135 approx.
The embassy's excuse for the rip-off is that they are required to recover the full cost of producing a passport and as their volume is relatively low the cost per unit is high.
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>> SWMBO recently renewed hers and including the cost of a courier both ways (return by
>> courier is mandatory - shows what the embassy in Madrid think of the Spanish Post
>> "system"!) it came to around 190 euros.
A few years back I applied for a US working visa. The security precautions to get into the US embassy as well as the amount of proof of ID you had to provide were mind boggling, as was the cost to have the application processed (around 1000$). Then they send the passport with the US visa in it by normal post. Not only that, you actually have to give them a stamped self addressed envelope!
When I was there I asked if I could pay to have it sent by courier or at the very least registered post, but it wasn't possible. Then I asked whether this wasn't a seemingly gaping hole in the otherwise watertight information security chain to which I got the standard "Thank you for your helpful suggestion, I'll pass it on to my supervisor" reply.
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>> It would be nice to think that we expats. could then get our UK passports
>> at the same price as UK residents!
Why? Are you paying any UK tax?
>> The embassy's excuse for the rip-off is that they are required to recover the full
>> cost of producing a passport and as their volume is relatively low the cost per
>> unit is high.
Quite right too - why should our fees and / or taxes cover the additional costs of issuing a passport to someone that has chosen (for whatever reason) not to live and be taxed in the UK.
BTW - nothing wrong with deciding to live abroad, I will be moving out for a couple of years come spring, but I recognise that this will have costs as well as benefits.
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"Why? Are you paying any UK tax? "
Yup, pay tax and NI on anything I earn in pounds
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you earn it all in Zloty!
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"you earn it all in Zloty!"
I wish. Crappy, useless pound is worth half what it was 6 years ago when I first came here.
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>> More of a problem now I spend four days per week trampling over your patch.
Oddly I spend most of my working time at the moment in the Köln/ Düsseldorf area. Takes me about 5 hours to drive from Munich to Köln in the evening. Normally leave around 7pm and I'm there around midnight.
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How do you initiate the process of getting a passport renewed early?
Mine was done five years ago by the British Consulate attached to the Embassy in Paris. It wasn't expensive and the only extra cost was the registered letter for the return. It came back within the ten days 'target' time.
We've just looked at SWMBO's passport and it's due for renewal next August.
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Last time I renewed I was in the UK so rang up, made an appointment for same day service and turned up. I still had six months left on my old one so they added it to the new passport giving me a 10years 6months passport.
The scabbiest passport in our household as it was still wet when they gave it to me and it curled up while drying out.
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Hi,
Hopefully you'll see this. I'm due to do the same thing as you - same day service passport renewal while I'm the UK. I'm a bit concerned about what I'm reading on 'damaged' passports. I've carried my passport around for 10 years, so the gold writing on the front has come off and it's a bit rough around the edges, but no major damage. It was in the washing machine for 20 seconds, but it looks absolutely fine to me (though I'm sure the officials can tell no doubt!)
You say your passport was the scabiest in the house, so you were able to renew it no problem with the same-day service? I'm panicing a bit about them refusing my passport - anything to ease my mind a bit would be great. I'd be gutted if they turned around and said no passport today! Cheers.
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Hello Adam.
The new one is the scabby one. The ID page curled as it cured.
No problem at all renewing as long as you have everything with you on their check sheet.
I got my photos from one of those cubicles in the railway station. Didn't accept them but they have a convenient machine on site which produces the same pictures for double the price.
Small price to pay to enable me to leave. And yes, I do still pay taxes in the UK but doubt I'll ever see anything in return.
P.S. That last bit is not aimed at you Adam.
Last edited by: gmac on Wed 8 Dec 10 at 14:18
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Thanks for replying, gmac.
Yeah, when I read your post again it dawned on me that you were talking about the new passport. If you don't mind me asking, what sort of condition was your old passport in when you went to renew it? Was it pristine, or a bit worn and torn, maybe the gold print on the cover rubbed off etc :D
I'm terrified they're going to say mine is damaged and I'll have to wait a week, possibly scuppering going out plans while I'm back in the UK - it's my only form of ID and I'm a bit of a baby face despite being 26 years old! :)
Cheers again! Adam
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Bagpuss, It takes me about the same door-to-door flying.
München really needs a high speed link to the airport instead of the Snail8 or 1.
Last edited by: gmac on Wed 20 Oct 10 at 14:50
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Not having been abroad for years, but still having a just about in date passport, I just looked to see how much a straight renewal is. Seventy seven quid!? Not a chance. Won't be renewing again at that price! Lord above.
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I renewed my passport earlier this month (old one expired in 1999!).
Filled in the online form first, sent it off with old passport and new photos and got outgoing passport returned to me in five days, complete with cut off top corners back and front..
Two days later the new passport was delivered by courier.
At less than £8 a year, the passport seems excellent value.
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>> At less than £8 a year, the passport seems excellent value.
>>
It's the Visa where the real killing is made. My co. paid over £200 for a 12 month business visa for me. As Bagpuss mentioned above some places charge a lot more.
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There's also the charge now being levied by the US with regard to ESTA (used to be free but fee of around £9 started to be imposed from last month). See:
www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/esta-usa-visa
Last edited by: Stuartli on Wed 20 Oct 10 at 19:23
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Given that a passport is mandatory, as decreed by governments, any fees for them are nothing less than a tax on travel.
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>> Given that a passport is mandatory, as decreed by governments, any fees for them are nothing less than a tax on travel. >>
A passport is not mandatory in the UK - are you confusing the airport taxes with regard to "a tax on travel"?
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>> There's also the charge now being levied by the US with regard to ESTA (used
>> to be free but fee of around £9 started to be imposed from last month).
The joke with the ESTA levy is that is being used to fund a marketing campaign aimed at increasing the number of international tourists to the US.
Have to admit I enjoyed a number of holidays in the US, but the tendency in recent years of the security staff at immigration to treat all visitors as potential terrorists has put me off going except by necessity.
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Agreed usually my experience, but this month in San Francisco International was the exact opposite.
A scan of the passport, fingerprints on the reader, two or three quick questions about why we were here, where we were going, and a cheery wave through with "enjoy your vacation"
Even allowed myself and Nicole at the desk at the same time - as a family.
10 minutes queue was all.
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You haven't experienced US security hospitality until you've been through a "Secondary Inspection". This is when the guy at the immigration desk takes a dislike to you for some reason and you are escorted into a room in the depths of the airport somewhere for further interviewing. During that time, you do not have your passport, are not allowed to make telephone calls and can only visit the toilet, sorry bathroom, in the company of a border control employee. All thoughts of connecting flights vanish out of the window.
I've been through this procedure a number of times as I used to be a very frequent visitor to the US (with and without visa). On one occasion I saw a french guy sent back to France because the guys interviewing him couldn't understand him - well he was speaking French.
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>A few years back I applied for a US working visa.
For my US visa I had to go to the embassy for an 'interview'.
Short chat and three hours later I'm sat on the train waiting to pull out of Waterloo so I decide to open the envelope and check the visas.
No problem with Mrs K's but a quick glance at mine reveals an "F" under "SEX".
Exit stage left and back to the embassy.
New visa in my passport and the old one is stamped "Cancelled Without Prejudice".
I still wonder what would have happened if I hadn't spotted it :-)
>You haven't experienced US security hospitality until you've been through a "Secondary Inspection".
I've been pulled three times, all when on my way home to Austin. Intimidating even when you're 100% legit.
Kevin...
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The US airport regarded as the most diabolical for treatment of passengers - and has been for many years - is Miami.
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Bagpuss, might be worth a rethink if you fancy a visit. I've been into the US numerous times in the last year, mostly NY but also San Francisco, LA and Miami.
In stark contrast to even a couple of years ago, all ten experiences have been entirely friendly and pleasant. Even when I was requested to get a visa before my next entry (because spending 1/3 of my time in the US was not entirely in the spirit of the waiver), the border official was polite and courteous.
Staff at the embassy were also friendly and helpful, even if their security measures are a little ridiculous. I think things have improved a lot.
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>> München really needs a high speed link to the airport instead of the Snail8 or
>> 1.
Well my apartment is 5 minutes away from an S8 station, so 25 minutes to the airport! As your probably know they wanted to build a Transrapid link from the airport to the main station but the idea finally got binned at the start of the economic crisis.
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Going into Rio from an international flight used to be a bit of lark, don't know if they still use this system as I haven't been back since the early '90s but at immigration they had a sort of fruit machine. You hit a button and a light went either red or green. If green you just walked through, if red you had to stop for a chat. It seemed to be random. perhaps it wasn't.
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Expats - Passport renewal - Bagpuss
