Anyone renewed a passport recently?

Anyone renewed a passport recently?

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Discussion

dxbtiger

Original Poster:

4,389 posts

173 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
Just come back from England, I have no blank pages left in passport.

No trips planned until June so no great rush to get a new one, does anyone know whether they send the old one back with the new one?

my PRO says I don't have to faff about with moving my visa over into new one, the old one needs to be sent to the passport office with the application for the new one.

thb

303 posts

174 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
Old one gets sent back to you with the top corner snipped off the front cover. All visas are perfectly valid inside - just have to carry both passports with you when you travel.

Expat passports are dealt with by the UK now, so you have to aramex it off and hope for the best. When it was handled by the team in Dusseldorf things were super efficient (2 week turnaround), but the new setup had a few teething problems and passports were taking months to process.

If you can, just do it in the UK - done and dusted in 20 minutes with all the paperwork, collecting later in the day. Job done.

dxbtiger

Original Poster:

4,389 posts

173 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
thb said:
Old one gets sent back to you with the top corner snipped off the front cover. All visas are perfectly valid inside - just have to carry both passports with you when you travel.

Expat passports are dealt with by the UK now, so you have to aramex it off and hope for the best. When it was handled by the team in Dusseldorf things were super efficient (2 week turnaround), but the new setup had a few teething problems and passports were taking months to process.

If you can, just do it in the UK - done and dusted in 20 minutes with all the paperwork, collecting later in the day. Job done.
Cheers, had half planned to do it whilst I was there but an all day session got in the way hehe


Gaffer

7,156 posts

277 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
My passport expired last year but I got a 12 month extension due to the cockups with the passport office. Its now due for renewal and I am not trusting them to a) not lose it b) get it back to me in time so will be taking a trip back to the UK and doing it in person.

Plus the other half has never been to the UK so will be showing him the delights of Blackpool and Liverpool wink

Claire

TomV8

387 posts

207 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
Not a renewal, but I applied for my son's new passport on 28 December, Liverpool received the hard copy docs on 8 Jan, and I had the new passport here by 22 Jan (it was issued on 15 Jan in the UK). It seems like they've cleared the backlog!


dxbtiger

Original Poster:

4,389 posts

173 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
Gaffer said:
My passport expired last year but I got a 12 month extension due to the cockups with the passport office. Its now due for renewal and I am not trusting them to a) not lose it b) get it back to me in time so will be taking a trip back to the UK and doing it in person.

Plus the other half has never been to the UK so will be showing him the delights of Blackpool and Liverpool wink

Claire
Jesus, he'll never go back...

I need pages, not an extension, not an option these days frown

TomV8 said:
Not a renewal, but I applied for my son's new passport on 28 December, Liverpool received the hard copy docs on 8 Jan, and I had the new passport here by 22 Jan (it was issued on 15 Jan in the UK). It seems like they've cleared the backlog!
Good to hear, I did think they must have done something to rectify the issue as there was that much bad press!

Psychobert

6,316 posts

256 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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Just watch out for the photo rules - I had some done here from a photo shop in one of the malls which was advertised s UK passport compliant etc and they weren't. Got to the office for my passport appointment in London and it was rejected. It would be a major PITA if you sent it and then it got bounced back..


Gaffer

7,156 posts

277 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
dxbtiger said:
Jesus, he'll never go back...

I need pages, not an extension, not an option these days frown
Ah bugger didn't realise that pages were different.

Yea, he started to Google Blackpool & Liverpool and turned white - quite a feat for a Lebanese guy wink


e21jason

717 posts

219 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
I went to the UK and did mine in a day, the standard turnaround is 6 weeks it may be sooner but there are no guarantee's. Just keep your old passport till the visa runs out and carry it with your new one. On of the other guys did it and both passports get back under separate cover

Edited by e21jason on Tuesday 10th February 13:47

rabailey

312 posts

150 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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Get a second passport, makes life a lot easier.

After_Shock

8,751 posts

220 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
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Mine expires in August, need to go through this soon myself. My horrific fear of flying means going back to the UK is pretty much out of the question.

Do the embassy here help with the renewal?

thb

303 posts

174 months

Tuesday 10th February 2015
quotequote all
The embassy won't do much more than direct you to the website for you to do it yourself. If they're still offering the extension stamp & letter that might help you get through a few months. We did the extension in Tunis for my wife the week it was announced just in case as hers had expired, and when we travelled back to the UK to renew we had a few issues getting in at the UK border with the 'expired' passport. Who knows how it would be in some of the other countries that claim to accept it.

If yours runs out in August, you might as apply for a new one now - any leftover months get added onto your new one anyway.

monamimate

838 posts

142 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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Just had mine renewed (British citizen living in Belgium).

Took just 7 days from me sending it to getting it back!

Very pleased with the quick service - but I didn't get my old passport back, which surprised me a bit. No great drama, just would have liked it for nostalgic reasons (airport stamps etc)...


e21jason

717 posts

219 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
They normally send the second one back under separate cover


dxbtiger

Original Poster:

4,389 posts

173 months

Monday 20th April 2015
quotequote all
e21jason said:
They normally send the second one back under separate cover
That's what they told me they would do.

I ended up doing a Thursday evening flight out, Friday morning appointment at the Passport Office, back home by Saturday morning trip as I'm just about to start a new job so couldn't part with the passport for however long it would take.

matt_knowles

746 posts

213 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
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Recently had exactly the same issue with pages running out.

Sent off, and had my new one back within 2 weeks. Old passport arrived back about 3 days afterwards, so no complaints.

I'm going to get my company pro to transfer my visa into the new passport to save the hassle of carrying two about.

Anything to be aware of when I travel? Does it take longer through security if i'm now going to rock up with a new passport number but visa in my old passport? Also take it the smart gate won't accept my old passport when re-entering once I have left using the new passport? Be interesting to see!

After_Shock

8,751 posts

220 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
quotequote all
matt_knowles said:
Anything to be aware of when I travel? Does it take longer through security if i'm now going to rock up with a new passport number but visa in my old passport? Also take it the smart gate won't accept my old passport when re-entering once I have left using the new passport? Be interesting to see!
As far as im aware you will have to carry both passports, as your visa will have your old passport number on.

Not sure if you can transfer them to get the new number reflecting on the old visa, think they only update them when the visa is actually renewed.

Who did you post your old passport with dhl?

dxbtiger

Original Poster:

4,389 posts

173 months

Wednesday 22nd April 2015
quotequote all
As above I'd just carry the old one with you until renewal