Anybody renewed a UK passport whilst abroad ?
Discussion
XJSJohn said:
Alternatively apply for a duplicate passport as you need one for visa applications to India / China whilst travelling to other countries on business.
Or as Berw says, go to the nearest consulate and explain the situation.
I plan to do that when i am back in the UK next month. A visit to Liverpool passport office might do the trick. First time I did it, some 6 years ago, there was no problem, took four hours, but three years ago they rejected my company supporting letter as it "doesn't mention the word visa" on it, which is the primary reason for issuing second passports. Or as Berw says, go to the nearest consulate and explain the situation.
I shall have to double check and see if I can do it again, as I hate having only one passport.
As mentioned, all passport applications from ALL COUNTRIES IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA go through HK. That's not the worst part. Earlier this year our beloved government decided to "cut costs" and close the passport issuing department in HK, so now you cannot get a passport in HK same day, or in fact any day, as they merely forward it to the UK and quote 3-4 weeks while you pay a far higher fee. You can get an emergency passport (£140) which is a f
king pain in the backside to travel with as they print whatever itinerary you give them inside the first page. If you stray from this itinerary the immigration for whatever country you are trying to enter may not let you in. It's bad enough presenting a flimsy champagne coloured passport that virtually no immigration officials have seen before. Ask me how I know..
Removing the passport issuing service from HK was the single-most ridiculous and short-sighted action I've seen in some time. So you are either stuck somewhere for 4 weeks (pray your visa isn't expiring in whichever country you are in), have to stay in overpriced HK for 3-4 weeks, or waste time and money flying to London to get a same-day service before flying back. Not to mention not being able to ask anyone from the passport service a question without PAYING for the privilege via a credit card charge when you call in.
Surely you can get the same-day service done in London? Well worth it to avoid having your precious time wasted.
Cocksuckers.
king pain in the backside to travel with as they print whatever itinerary you give them inside the first page. If you stray from this itinerary the immigration for whatever country you are trying to enter may not let you in. It's bad enough presenting a flimsy champagne coloured passport that virtually no immigration officials have seen before. Ask me how I know..Removing the passport issuing service from HK was the single-most ridiculous and short-sighted action I've seen in some time. So you are either stuck somewhere for 4 weeks (pray your visa isn't expiring in whichever country you are in), have to stay in overpriced HK for 3-4 weeks, or waste time and money flying to London to get a same-day service before flying back. Not to mention not being able to ask anyone from the passport service a question without PAYING for the privilege via a credit card charge when you call in.
Surely you can get the same-day service done in London? Well worth it to avoid having your precious time wasted.
Cocksuckers.
King Herald said:
I plan to do that when i am back in the UK next month. A visit to Liverpool passport office might do the trick. First time I did it, some 6 years ago, there was no problem, took four hours, but three years ago they rejected my company supporting letter as it "doesn't mention the word visa" on it, which is the primary reason for issuing second passports.
I shall have to double check and see if I can do it again, as I hate having only one passport.
'A frequent and ongoing need for multiple simultaneous visa applications' and 'travel to incompatible countries' are some of the magic words. I shall have to double check and see if I can do it again, as I hate having only one passport.
They have tightened up the requirements now it would seem, as they required letters from two of my clients last time I renewed as opposed to the one previously, an itinerary for the next few months, and very irritatingly did not accept a printed fax as in previous years. I had to phone one of them on the spot and get them to email the letter to the passport official directly. Thankfully they were able to right away, and both were issued in the usual couple of hours. Of course, this may have just been down to the particular person that dealt with me at the counter as opposed to a tightening of regulations - who knows?
You will also need the same letter(s) when renewing either passport by itself (ask me how I know this!).
I will never not have a second passport again- saved my butt many a time.
Edited by GCH on Thursday 19th June 14:14
SimonV8ster said:
elster said:
My mum has just gone through this. She got her Passport on Thursday.
She applied at the beginning of March. They used an excuse mid way through to delay it.
It is however cheaper than when applying at home.
Ok, so only 12 weeks then ?! I'm f*cked !!She applied at the beginning of March. They used an excuse mid way through to delay it.
It is however cheaper than when applying at home.
Where was she when she applied ?
France. So not exactly a far flung corner of the world
GCH said:
'A frequent and ongoing need for multiple simultaneous visa applications' and 'travel to incompatible countries' are some of the magic words.
They have tightened up the requirements now it would seem, as they required letters from two of my clients last time
I'll make sure to add that sort of wording to the company letter. Cheers. They have tightened up the requirements now it would seem, as they required letters from two of my clients last time
Clients? Hmm, I work direct for a large multinational corporation, Schlumberger, so clients is something I'm not familiar with.
I heard from another guy that he was rejected because he didn't have the correct signature on the back of his photograph, a doctor, lawyer etc, but I'm pretty sure that is not a requirement when you are there in front of the desk.
People keep talking about 'same day passports' being issued in the UK. From what i can understand you have to make an appointment with the embassy which can take 3 weeks to arrange before you can have your 'same day passport'. Yoh cannot just rock up to thd office and get one - is this correct ?
SimonV8ster said:
People keep talking about 'same day passports' being issued in the UK. From what i can understand you have to make an appointment with the embassy which can take 3 weeks to arrange before you can have your 'same day passport'. Yoh cannot just rock up to thd office and get one - is this correct ?
I believe you can get a same day passport from the various UK passport offices. No overseas embassy will issue a passport any more.
what they can issue is a temporary travel document, mainly for use if you loose your passport whilst travelling, and can usually be issued on the spot / within a few days.
SimonV8ster said:
People keep talking about 'same day passports' being issued in the UK. From what i can understand you have to make an appointment with the embassy which can take 3 weeks to arrange before you can have your 'same day passport'. Yoh cannot just rock up to thd office and get one - is this correct ?
You have to phone up and book a date for the appointment, but you can't do it more than two weeks ahead. IIRC part of the justifications were that the printing process for the latest passport design is very sophisticated and too expensive to do anywhere else. Previously they would ship blank passports out (which would also get lost/stolen) and do the final print/laminate in the embassy.
XJSJohn said:
I believe you can get a same day passport from the various UK passport offices.
No overseas embassy will issue a passport any more.
what they can issue is a temporary travel document, mainly for use if you loose your passport whilst travelling, and can usually be issued on the spot / within a few days.
My wife had to get an Emergency Travel Document for a business trip to Shanghai at the Singapore High Commission as her proper passport renewal took more than 8 weeks from dispatch to return. They are only valid for one return trip.No overseas embassy will issue a passport any more.
what they can issue is a temporary travel document, mainly for use if you loose your passport whilst travelling, and can usually be issued on the spot / within a few days.
https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document
V41LEY said:
XJSJohn said:
I believe you can get a same day passport from the various UK passport offices.
No overseas embassy will issue a passport any more.
what they can issue is a temporary travel document, mainly for use if you loose your passport whilst travelling, and can usually be issued on the spot / within a few days.
My wife had to get an Emergency Travel Document for a business trip to Shanghai at the Singapore High Commission as her proper passport renewal took more than 8 weeks from dispatch to return. They are only valid for one return trip.No overseas embassy will issue a passport any more.
what they can issue is a temporary travel document, mainly for use if you loose your passport whilst travelling, and can usually be issued on the spot / within a few days.
https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document
GCH said:
'A frequent and ongoing need for multiple simultaneous visa applications' and 'travel to incompatible countries' are some of the magic words.
... Just tell them you work at the Dubai office of 'Steinberg Ballistics' should do the trick !Edited by GCH on Thursday 19th June 14:14
I had a passport from an embassy, I think it was made in a week and came from the UK, the machine readable data is printed too high though, so it doesn't scan properly on check in machines / UK immigration checks.
XJSJohn said:
V41LEY said:
XJSJohn said:
I believe you can get a same day passport from the various UK passport offices.
No overseas embassy will issue a passport any more.
what they can issue is a temporary travel document, mainly for use if you loose your passport whilst travelling, and can usually be issued on the spot / within a few days.
My wife had to get an Emergency Travel Document for a business trip to Shanghai at the Singapore High Commission as her proper passport renewal took more than 8 weeks from dispatch to return. They are only valid for one return trip.No overseas embassy will issue a passport any more.
what they can issue is a temporary travel document, mainly for use if you loose your passport whilst travelling, and can usually be issued on the spot / within a few days.
https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document
Just to clarify as we maybe talking at cross purposes - You can get a same day passport issued, not an emergency one but a full 10 year jobby, but you still have to make an appointment which can take 2-3 weeks.
https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently
https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently
SimonV8ster said:
People keep talking about 'same day passports' being issued in the UK. From what i can understand you have to make an appointment with the embassy which can take 3 weeks to arrange before you can have your 'same day passport'. Yoh cannot just rock up to thd office and get one - is this correct ?
SimonV8ster said:
Just to clarify as we maybe talking at cross purposes - You can get a same day passport issued, not an emergency one but a full 10 year jobby, but you still have to make an appointment which can take 2-3 weeks.
https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently
You mentioned 'embassy' in your post, so I think it was assumed you meant same day overseas, which is only possible for issuing an emergency passport, not a regular one.https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently
Yes, you can have one same day in the UK - have done it for both of mine on the same day, and had appointments for the same day service on as little as 48hrs notice before. Typically it takes around two hrs, but they state up to four.
The link you posted applies to within the Uk, not overseas.
Edited by GCH on Tuesday 24th June 13:30
SimonV8ster said:
Ok, the confusion was caused by me !!
Interesting to learn you can get an appointment within a couple of days, i'm leaning more and more towards getting it done at home rather than risk it abroad.
I'm right now planning to get mine in mid July, so fingers crossed it works out this time.Interesting to learn you can get an appointment within a couple of days, i'm leaning more and more towards getting it done at home rather than risk it abroad.
SimonV8ster said:
Ok, the confusion was caused by me !!
Interesting to learn you can get an appointment within a couple of days, i'm leaning more and more towards getting it done at home rather than risk it abroad.
A friend of mine called up on a Wednesday and was given an appointment for Friday afternoon. He got to the office in London and 4 hours later had himself a new passport.Interesting to learn you can get an appointment within a couple of days, i'm leaning more and more towards getting it done at home rather than risk it abroad.
SimonV8ster said:
I have been travelling for a while and will do so until Christmas at the earliest. My current passport expires mid april 2015 but as you have to have at least 6 months left on your passport before you enter a country i have to either -
Double check that!! Not the case so much these days, as I found when I renewed my passport (Dec '14) 5 weeks before our honeymoon then found there was a 5-6 turn around time!!! Luckily they turned it round for me in 5 days when I panicked...Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff