Passport Renewal

[Mona Owner]

Before I write this, some of you are going to say "why bother". But ever the optimist....
Many of you will probably know all this but here is my experience:-
I decided to renew my passport as it is due to expire soon. I had my mug shot done at a booth in Asda that told me when the picture taken was going to be good enough before it published it. The booth then emailed me the photos and a code to use on the renewal form.
I then posted the form 1st class Royal Mail on Monday and with copious emails sent to me helping to track my application, the new (blue) passport dropped through my door Friday! 3 days turn around!
So I was very impressed that even during lockdown the system works and very quickly too.
Jackanory has now finished.

 

[Lenny HB]

The passport office has always been quite good, DVLA could do with some lessons from them.

 

[tonka]

Touch wood.. But never had an issue with passport office or DVLA always been spot on for me..
It is good to hear a positive report

 

[wiljoy]

The passport office has always been quite good, DVLA could do with some lessons from them.

Maybe it's because its in the North East.

 

[chaser]

Before I write this, some of you are going to say "why bother". But ever the optimist....
Many of you will probably know all this but here is my experience:-
I decided to renew my passport as it is due to expire soon. I had my mug shot done at a booth in Asda that told me when the picture taken was going to be good enough before it published it. The booth then emailed me the photos and a code to use on the renewal form.
I then posted the form 1st class Royal Mail on Monday and with copious emails sent to me helping to track my application, the new (blue) passport dropped through my door Friday! 3 days turn around!
So I was very impressed that even during lockdown the system works and very quickly too.
Jackanory has now finished.

Afraid my application is very different, did mine online on the 19 Nov, then they sent me an email , I had got to send my old passport in, so why they said online is best when I had to send my old one by post I don't know anyway heard nothing for two days then had another email , I had got to send my birth certificate, done all this with signed for post which says they have had them, then not another word, and I can't get the tracking thing to work, so just don't know what is happening now.
They have my old passport which had 6 months left on it, my money and my birth certificate, I have nowt and can't find out anything.

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[Dorset Diver]

Mine has years to run but I'm tempted to get another just so long as it's blue.

 

[chaser]

Afraid my application is very different, did mine online on the 19 Nov, then they sent me an email , I had got to send my old passport in, so why they said online is best when I had to send my old one by post I don't know anyway heard nothing for two days then had another email , I had got to send my birth certificate, done all this with signed for post which says they have had them, then not another word, and I can't get the tracking thing to work, so just don't know what is happening now.
They have my old passport which had 6 months left on it, my money and my birth certificate, I have nowt and can't find out anything.

Actually it's not the 19th that was when they sent the last email the actually took my money out of the bank on the 10th.

 

[2657]

They do actually quote a likely turn round of 3 weeks.

 

[ctc]

Mine has years to run but I'm tempted to get another just so long as it's blue.

There is a rumour that the French couldn't be bothered and have subbed the printing out to the Poles. So your new blue passport is from the EU.

 

[kevenh]

I'm waiting for a new passport.

Started the renewal process (& paid!) on the 4th Nov.
Had to later send two passports. An expired one and the current one.
And redo my mug shot
No updates since the "we're now working on your application" status on the 13th.
Hmm. I'd better call & chase by the end of the week.

edit: as it's bang on 3 weeks since the start. I guess they'll want some leeway on the corrective actions needed. lol

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[Odd-no-more]

We haven't renewed our passports yet, because of caring responsibilitys we can't go abroad at the moment, and that is apart from Covid making it difficult for months, so we will renew when we are in a position to use them. The cost of a passport is not excessive when you consider it last 10 years, but I am from Yorkshire so I can't see the benefit of an early renewal

 

[carolyn]

If you let your passport expire then it is more of a palaver to get a new one than if you just renew it nowadays. It’s almost as if you are applying for a first ever passport so if your application is anything other than completely straightforward it is probably worth renewing before expiry of the old one. Saves having to get signatures from upstanding citizens. You can even be asked to attend an interview.

You have to return your old passport whether you apply online or by post, nothing new there.

No need to do it early, just don’t let it expire.

 

[sedge]

Think the interview is automatic - we as a family had all got a holiday booked in Lanzarote right now - so obviously that was cancelled and ticked over to next year but anyway, I renewed my passport in July and had grave difficulty getting them to accept a photo because although the Apps say you are allowed a fringe, they don't allow it - but anyway, our younger daughter and all her family, so here, her 4 daughters and her eldests daughter's daughter, all needed passports for the first time. They all had to treck into Birmingham to attend an interview including the little one.

Batty considering we were all in the first lockdown. I'd just renew it if I were you.

 

[gus-lopez]

The passport office has always been quite good, DVLA could do with some lessons from them.

the General register office side of it thogh is a bit lax.

Maybe it's because its in the North East.

News to me?

Mine has years to run but I'm tempted to get another just so long as it's blue.

Why?

Here we have to send /apply to Belfast I believe?

 

[2657]

Lost mine in Portugal, waiting for a new one, applied online, no idea where the office is!

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[chaser]

the General register office side of it thogh is a bit lax.

News to me?


Why?

Here we have to send /apply to Belfast I believe?

Mine went to Liverpool, I am just a bit concerned, that it has gone to the right place or if it is some devious scam, as I was getting emails and texts every day till I had sent everything, now nothing.

 

[The general]

There is a rumour that the French couldn't be bothered and have subbed the printing out to the Poles. So your new blue passport is from the EU.

But doesn’t say it !!!!!

 

[chaser]

Ok lads
I have just got to them on the phone and got a very pleasant bloke who has told me it was all done at 12 o clock today and will be in the post tonight
Btw if anyone one else wants to contact them, it was very painless , just two options and was answered in less than a minute.

 

[scotzsue]

Think the interview is automatic - we as a family had all got a holiday booked in Lanzarote right now - so obviously that was cancelled and ticked over to next year but anyway, I renewed my passport in July and had grave difficulty getting them to accept a photo because although the Apps say you are allowed a fringe, they don't allow it - but anyway, our younger daughter and all her family, so here, her 4 daughters and her eldests daughter's daughter, all needed passports for the first time. They all had to treck into Birmingham to attend an interview including the little one.

Batty considering we were all in the first lockdown. I'd just renew it if I were you.

Is this new? I have a fringe in all my passports but had to take my glasses off for the last photo ended up having one done as I couldn't read the machine instructions without them. Wonder if it depends on the length of the fringe.

 

[kevenh]

If you let your passport expire then it is more of a palaver to get a new one than if you just renew it nowadays. It’s almost as if you are applying for a first ever passport so if your application is anything other than completely straightforward it is probably worth renewing before expiry of the old one. Saves having to get signatures from upstanding citizens. You can even be asked to attend an interview.

You have to return your old passport whether you apply online or by post, nothing new there.

No need to do it early, just don’t let it expire.

What’s harder about renewing an expired passport? You can use the same online site
It’ll be hard if you don’t have it available to enter the details from it but I had my 2019 passport with me when I filled the online form in.
I had to post it to them and the application was on hold until they received it.
But that would be the same as extending a current one.

edit: them starting my application is when things went wrong as they remembered I had two passports...

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[gus-lopez]

Lost mine in Portugal, waiting for a new one, applied online, no idea where the office is!

Can you do it online if you live abroad as you never used to be able to?

 

[Nixdorfer]

My passport expired at the beginning of this year, my driving license runs out in Jan 2021 but can't renew it online as my passport isn't valid.

Was going to post it but if the passport turnaround is that good may try renewing that first so I can do my license online. Posting anything to DVLA over xmas I may as well just lose it myself and save the postage.

 

[Ridgeway]

There is a rumour that the French couldn't be bothered and have subbed the printing out to the Poles. So your new blue passport is from the EU.

Not really correct. Gemalto won the contract and decided the best location to print the passports. The irony is that the Tczew factory in Poland received a pretty hefty EU subsidy for the new press that's churning out the new blue passports

 

[2657]

Can you do it online if you live abroad as you never used to be able to?

I still have an address in the UK and at the moment a UK driving licence, so I used that address, they know that it was lost in Portugal, reported to the police etc.
It will be sent to my UK address, no questions about how I am going to return to the UK.

 

[sallylillian]

7 days turn round for our 2 a couple of weeks ago.

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[nicholsong]

Can you do it online if you live abroad as you never used to be able to?

Abroad one can do it at British Embassies and Consulates, but not if they are offices of Honorary Consuls, although they may be able to send them to the Consul General's Office for that country.

Geoff

 

[Mike4727]

You can renew online from your registered residency abroad, you just get stitched up for thirty odd euros for the " secure " delivery by DHL ! Just go to the online gov site and select " renewal from abroad " simple.

 

[kevenh]

<snip>
I had to post it to them and the application was on hold until they received it.
But that would be the same as extending a current one.

edit: them starting my application is when things went wrong as they remembered I had two passports... ☹

It has taken 'them' awhile to process my application so I called to chase.
There's an 18/11/2020 note on my application that I haven't sent the requested extra info
But I have a 13/11/2020 PoD that they DO have the package with that info.

Hopefully their investigation into the above will get sorted quickly and how I needed.

tl;dr
Thanks for having this thread. I may've waited a few days longer to chase with out the positive feedback others have of the process.

 

[2657]

Applied 11th Nov after losing passport, on way to UK address now, just have to get it to Portugal now.

 

[kevenh]

It has taken 'them' awhile to process my application so I called to chase.
There's an 18/11/2020 note on my application that I haven't sent the requested extra info
But I have a 13/11/2020 PoD that they DO have the package with that info.

Hopefully their investigation into the above will get sorted quickly and how I needed.

tl;dr
Thanks for having this thread. I may've waited a few days longer to chase with out the positive feedback others have of the process.

The misplaced correspondence has been found and now my renewal is being worked on (01/12/2020).

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