UK Passports due to expire at Easter, but as we are visiting the UK for Christmas this year we filled in the online forms the day we arrived, and put the passports, declaration forms and photos in the post on Friday the 11th December, paying for tracking and guaranteed delivery to the Passport offices on Monday 14th December. We expected the 3 week wait to be extended by Christmas and planned to return home to France once the passports arrived at the UK flat. Passports were delivered today (16th December)!
What a brilliant service! No need to get new photos signed by a GP, just tick a box to say we can be recognised between the old and new photos (despite all the grey hair). Maybe having an English address to use simplified things, but how much easier that was than going through the Embassy.
After recent publicity about the Passport Office's inability to cope with the workload, it was a very pleasant surprise indeed. Passports can be renewed several months before expiry and the unexpired "life" is added to the new one, so our new passports won't expire until around Easter 2026. Worth bearing in mind when scheduling a visit to the UK.
Peterborough is in Cambridgeshire, so I guess they don't bother. Just let people work it out themselves or something like that.
Seems I don't need my Birth Certificate for renewal.
They never mentioned Cambridge Brian ?
Pop half an hour down to Cambridge. Manageable small city with a lot there to waste a while on.
Thanks Brian, I couldn't find anything on docs required. I even went through the whole online procedure up to payment but could see nothing. I'll take a another look. For an extra hours drive I could of course go to the great city of culture Liverpool ;)
Stuart, it tells you on the website. Old passport, birth certificate and pictures are about it I seem to remember. Enjoy Peterborough - no perhaps not, it is one of the world's best examples of a non-place...
Can anyone tell me what documents you need to provide with the application form? I'm going to use the premium 4 hour service in Peterborough and make an appointment on a Saturday to get the passport same day. I'll fly over especially for it so any help would be appreciated. BTW I thought we could still renew in France duh!! Maybe I should take dual nationality and have a French Passport?
Jane, there are. Some countries still demand visas, or different types of visa, for various European nations using existing pre-EU treaties that still apply. So worth having if you travel a lot.
is it worth renewing my british passport as I have dual nationality and I have always travelled on my French passport.No advantages in having 2 european passports?
Nick, I can't remember which one.....I know the one we intended to go to was full, so we had to do some walking...but you will be spoilt for choice...try this...
http://www.lastminute.com/blog/best-pubs-near-victoria-station-london/
Hilary
That is good to hear, I commute BEL<>GBR each week so need my passport during the week when I am in BEL.
I will use this service when i need to renew as I see they are open on Saturday - http://www.ukpassportservices.co.uk/london-passport-office/
p.s. which pub?
Hello Diana,
we renewed my husbands passport this month, it had actually expired by 2 weeks, we live in Provence, We completed the form on line, paid, printed off the form, signed it and sent it with the new photographs, With in 10 days, DHL delivered the new passport to our home here in Provence, and in a separate envelope they returned the old passport at the same time.
We did send the old passport, photographs and signed form by recorded delivery. Like you, we are very pleased with the new service, we could not believe how simple it was, we rate this a as first class service. So you can expect the same standards when you send your application from France or the UK.
Have a good Christmas, and a safe return to France.
Maureen.
if one is booking a long weekend in London,it's also worth paying a bit extra for the one day service.....That's what I opted for in 2014.....
Very quick & efficient service...'rendezvoued' with old friends & work colleagues at a gastro-pub near Victoria Station...very pleasant and cut out the stress and anxiety, of when & whether it was going to arrive !
Renewed mine earlier this year and took just over a week, no problem. When the wife renewed hers took a little longer as she had to change her surname and forgot to send of marriage certificate, but still got the new passport PDQ! Great service, despite what you might hear!
I renewed two of the children's passports from France in September. Submitted both forms online, one needed new photos that had to be witnessed and we fortunately had an English friend staying who did this for us. I sent the signed papers back to the UK with the same friend for posting by recorded delivery in the UK and the new passports were delivered to France 10 days after the forms were received by the Passport Office. Every stage was trackable online - fast, efficient and overall excellent service from an often much maligned agency.
i had the same experience (without a UK address) brilliant service, so much better than i was led to believe by the UK media
Good to hear Diana, I hope mine goes as smooth when I renew soon as I will be in UK for a short period coming in from BEL