Anybody renewed a UK passport whilst abroad ?

[SimonV8ster]

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 -

1) enter a new country mid october and hopefully get a 60 day visa, return to UK at Xmas and get a new passport.
2) try to renew my passport abroad whilst currently in Asia.

Problem with option 2 is that it says that it can take 'at least' 6 weeks to get a new passport so can't go to some places who only issue a 30 day entry visa. Problem with some countries is that whilst i might be able to get a 60 day visa some horror stories i've recently discovered say it can take anywhere between 8-11 weeks to get it back !! Sounds like the passport issuing office in Durham is in turmoil. This would obviously leave me in a country without a passport and unable to leave.

So has anybody recently got a new UK passport whilst abroad ? What happened ? How long did it take ? Any other advice ?

[SimonV8ster]

Hugo a Gogo said:

used to get them done in the consulate in Düsseldorf, took a couple of days, now it's an application back to UK

Yeah, thats the current problem i believe, UK passports are only issued now in Durham and things might be in a bit of a mess.

[SimonV8ster]

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 !!

Where was she when she applied ?

[SimonV8ster]

Ej74 said:

Got mine renewed in Singapore

Quoted 4 weeks - gave sob story of 2nd honeymoon and it was done in less than a day

It did from memory cost around 150 gbp

When was this ?

[SimonV8ster]

toohuge said:

OP have you tried contacting the closet embassy to you? That would be a good place to start, good as PH is, they'll be able to sort you out.

Even if it means an emergency travel document so you don't get stuck in a foreign country with an expired passport.
Chris

Hi, yes i have sent an email to the embassy in Bangkok but no reply yet.

[SimonV8ster]

Ok, cheers. Might just have to turn up on their doorstep too by the sounds of it !

[SimonV8ster]

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]

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

[SimonV8ster]

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.

[SimonV8ster]

My property in UK is currently being rented out. If/when I get an appointment are they going to check and find I don't live there and is it going to cause me a problem ?

[SimonV8ster]

Ok cheers, thanks for your reply !!

[SimonV8ster]

So can anybody go and get passports for somebody or does it have to be relatives ?

[SimonV8ster]

Ok, i'm definately doing it in the UK !!

[SimonV8ster]

Ok, slightly different question but don't want to start a new thread.

If I enter a country with 6 months still left on my passports and stay for a couple of months, can I then transit through another country on my way home ? Surely they aren't going to query my passport if I'm heading home ?

[SimonV8ster]

oh great, that's all I need !!