Anyone renewed a passport recently?

[anonymous-user]

Hi all.

Has anyone renewed a passport recently?
I am going away in the first week of July, and like a fool have let my passport expire.

DirectGov says if you are travelling in less than 2 weeks, you don't need an emergency appointment, just apply through check and post. However; the same site also says that check and post takes MINIMUM 2 weeks, and is (predictably) very busy this time of year.

Has anyone posted off a renewal in the last few weeks? How long did it take to get the passport back?

Thanks

[Freakuk]

Can you get to a passport office? I was in a similar situation where I was travelling with work and had trips planned for months, so I went to the passport office and paid the extra had a walk around Liverpool for 4 hours came back and voila new passport.

[Origin Unknown]

+1. I just booked an appointment with the passport office at (I think it was) around Euston. Meant hanging around for a bit but to be fair, they met the collecionn time without a hitch. This way,less worrying as you have as much control over the process as possible.

[Puggit]

We did it just before half term - took about 2 weeks by filling in an online form and then sending the stuff off.

Of course, the passport arrived the day after the Jubilee weekend, so prevented us visiting our house in France!

[GCH]

If its time critical I would suggest you do the one week service by visiting your nearest office in person...better still do the same day service, although it will cost you (in my case a few weeks ago, a shade under £300 for renewing both of my 48 page passports using the same day service). If you visit in person for a renewal you don't have to do the photo countersigning crap either.

There is no guaranteed service if you do it by mail, and basically all the check & send service does is let the biddies at the post office give it the once over, which is pretty pointless as its not exactly a difficult form to complete correctly.

[Puggit]

GCH said:

There is no guaranteed service if you do it by mail, and basically all the check & send service does is let the biddies at the post office give it the once over, which is pretty pointless as its not exactly a difficult form to complete correctly.

And if they miss things, they don't refund!

[anonymous-user]

Thanks, I will make an appointment for the emergency service then.

[ILoveMondeo]

Nyphur said:

Thanks, I will make an appointment for the emergency service then.

Take a good book, there's a lot of waiting around, it's unlikely you will get seen at your appointment time, you get let into the building then and join the queue!

At least that was the situation when I've done it before, but to be fair the service was great and they did my passport for me same day!

[Fartgalen]

Freakuk said:

Can you get to a passport office? I was in a similar situation where I was travelling with work and had trips planned for months, so I went to the passport office and paid the extra had a walk around Liverpool for 4 hours came back and voila new passport.

I did this last year. Quite pleasant actually Liverpool.

[anonymous-user]

ILoveMondeo said:

Nyphur said:

Thanks, I will make an appointment for the emergency service then.

Take a good book, there's a lot of waiting around, it's unlikely you will get seen at your appointment time, you get let into the building then and join the queue!

At least that was the situation when I've done it before, but to be fair the service was great and they did my passport for me same day!

My appointment is at 9, then the guy said just come back and collect it 4 hours later - so sounds like I can mooch around London until its ready.

[NorthEast]

ILoveMondeo said:

Take a good book, there's a lot of waiting around, it's unlikely you will get seen at your appointment time, you get let into the building then and join the queue!

At least that was the situation when I've done it before, but to be fair the service was great and they did my passport for me same day!

Used the service at Durham recently, was in and out in abt 30 minutes. Turned up later in the day and picked up my new passport- may have just been lucky. but seemed to be all quite well organised.

[BIGDAI]

Did mine last month through PO check & send - took around 10 days - guess it's luck of the draw

[Freakuk]

Yup booked my appointment turned up just before with my existing passport, forms etc was straight through no queues in and out in 10 minutes or so, then a 4 hour coffee break/walk around Liverpool. I'm sure I could have gone back earlier than the stated 4 hours but it was ready as expected.