Passport renewal

[Humpy D]

I need to renew my passport and am keen to use the online service. It says I need to upload a digital photo which I can do using my smartphone but if the photo is not acceptable will I be charged another £72.50? And so-on until they get one that's acceptable?

Thanks.

[P-Jay]

Humpy D said:

I need to renew my passport and am keen to use the online service. It says I need to upload a digital photo which I can do using my smartphone but if the photo is not acceptable will I be charged another £72.50? And so-on until they get one that's acceptable?

Thanks.

£72 every time? Jeez, we had 4 goes of getting a good old of our eldest.

If that's the case, I'd fine somewhere local that uses a human to take passport pics, we did - they cost £14 each or something, but it made the whole thing much easier than the 3 failed previous attempts "how hard can it be?" I hear you cry, harder than you'd ever think possible it seems, or maybe the old dear in 'check and send' was being a dick.

[RicksAlfas]

I am in the same boat. It's surprisingly hard to find a plain wall with no shadows.
I might have to go to a booth and stick the renewal in the post the old fashioned way.

[rednotdead]

Humpy D said:

I need to renew my passport and am keen to use the online service. It says I need to upload a digital photo which I can do using my smartphone but if the photo is not acceptable will I be charged another £72.50? And so-on until they get one that's acceptable?

Thanks.

just done this, and no, you won't be charged everytime. If the photo isn't acceptable they email you and ask you to upload another. Took me 2 goes to get one they were happy with. In the end had the new passport in my hand a week after I'd sent the old one off to them.

[paulmakin]

i just renewed mine and the photo thing was a concern as i needed the replacement in a hurry. ended up taking the application in person along with a selection of pics from the booth that they had in reception.

officer checked everything there and then, they took all the pics and returned the ones they didn't use.

it did cost more but i needed a fast service. some post offices also offer a "check and send" service so you could do it that way.

paul

[Shnozz]

I just did the post office check and send service as I needed it swiftly between trips. Can honestly say it was the first time in years that I have been thoroughly impressed with the service of a British civil service department. Speedy service with regular text updates - how very modern. Had the new passport in my hands in less than a week from attending the PO.

[DRFC1879]

I've just renewed my lad's. Filled everything in online, printed off and had the photo done in a booth to post back with the old passport & docs. Sent it beginning of last week and it's marked as dispatched this morning. 'twas a doddle.

[ladderino]

Have just done mine online - the web site checks the photo you upload to identify any basic errors (e.g. shadows, blurring, etc).

That said, It took about half a dozen attempts to get an acceptable photo - it turns out that I don't have many walls that have a large white expanse with no shadows.

[miniman]

Shnozz said:

I just did the post office check and send service as I needed it swiftly between trips. Can honestly say it was the first time in years that I have been thoroughly impressed with the service of a British civil service department. Speedy service with regular text updates - how very modern. Had the new passport in my hands in less than a week from attending the PO.

I needed a renewal in a hurry so I booked myself in for a "1 week" super premium jobber. I turned up at the appointed time on a Thursday afternoon round the back of Victoria station, queued for 45 minutes and was then told "nice to see you, however your appointment is for tomorrow". Arse.

So. As I couldn't be in London the next day, I did a standard application the following Monday with the Check & Send service. I had the new passport in my hand Thursday.

As per Shnozz, a frankly bizarrely impressive service. I was a bit disappointed to have nothing to complain about.

[Bungleaio]

This online photo thing is a right arse. Two attempts so far and they still aren't happy. Head was tilted in one and I had a hair accessory apparently in the other which is utter nonsense. I'm just going to bite the bullet and get some done in a photo booth and send them in.

[RicksAlfas]

I gave up with the online photo and posted the form with two passport photos.
My new one was back within a week.

[Busa mav]

RicksAlfas said:

posted the form with two passport photos.
My new one was back within a week.

Same here, just got mine back in a week.

Excellent service, got text updates once it was received, then another when it was despatched, delivered by courier, old passport came back by royal mail, both on the same day.

[Bungleaio]

My saga continues. The online tracking says they are reviewing my photo but they have called me to say it's not acceptable.

I can't do anything until the online system updates itself which could take a few days apparently.

I've paid for photo booth pictures but I can't upload them, email them or post them until the system updates. It's a good job I'm not in a particular rush as I don't t need it until the end of May.

[Shnozz]

And this is exactly why I did it the traditional postal way and even had the post office do the check and send service. Have heard too many online issues.

[Bungleaio]

My passport finally arrived yesterday. The online system completely shut down for me, they had to give it a week to see if it would reset itself. It didn't funnily enough. I was then instructed to send a hard copy photo which took them nearly a week to acknowledge and process.

I wouldn't recommend the online process at the moment but a 4 week turn around isn't all that bad. At least when it comes to renewal time again it should be all working online.