Passport Advice

[nicebloke1]

The issue date of my last passport was the year 2000. I fancy getting away sometime this year.
Whats the best way to apply.I still have my old passport, so does this help in any way.

[nicebloke1]

Forgot to put it in travel.:>(

[Dizmo]

I'm in the process of doing my passport application. I did it online last night. All I needed was a digital photograph (of passport photo quality), my old passport for the passport number and £82.50 + £5 for secure postage of my old passport being returned to me afterwards.

I'm now in the middle of packaging up my old passport, which needs to be sent in, which will be sent back after my application has been proccessed. It's as simple as that.

[Dizmo]

It will take up to 12 weeks. The average wait time at the moment is around 3 weeks.

Also, you can go to a photo booth, get a photograph done and you'll get a ID number with said photo. With said ID number you can use that on the online application and they'll grab the photo electronically. You just need to 'tell the booth' that you want a passport photo, in order to get the ID/reference number.

[nicebloke1]

Do you need to involve anyone else in the application. Looking at the back of my old one there are 2 other family members details.

[MWG14]

You would have written those contact details at the back after you received your passport. It’s just names of close friends or family members in case of illness or accident. They would be contacted in an emergency.

[Dizmo]

Nope.

Just your name, date of birth, place of birth, gender (confirm no change of gender or previous names), start date and expiry date of old passport, whether the old passport is damaged or not (if it is, you have to wirte down in a box what the damage is).Then provide a photograph, and confirm that you will sign said passport when it arrives. Confirm you are going to send your old passport back (you must do this, otherwise they won't send you a new passport). You could say your old passport is lost, however I don't know what questions you'll get asked if you do so. You will get your old passport back afterwards anyway, they'll just void it by cutting the corner.

Oh and you have to pay :)
That's it.

[Dizmo]

They also give you the option of paying a little more to get a passport with more pages, if you're a frequent traveller.

[nicebloke1]

Thanks Dizmo, great help!! Looking again , yes your right their names/ details are for emergencies.

[Dizmo]

No problem mate. If it hadn't been for the fact that I was up all night/morning (I haven't gone to bed yet) trying to get a good photograph for my OH, for her passport, I probably wouldn't have been able to give as much information, given how forgetful I am.

It says you're allowed to post both passports together so we're saving the cost of special delivery on 2 separate old passports and sending ours both together, as they have both expired.

[Buenchico]

Easy peasy! Once you've got a photo reference number, by having your photo taken at one of the booths in Morrisons (et al), simply head here and you'll get everything completed in just a minute or two:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport

The family members shown in the back of your passport are simply the emergency contact details that you filled in there. You can copy them to your new passport when it arrives or, indeed, substitute the names of others in their place. (You're free to change those details at any time anyway, simply by sticking a bit of paper over the old information and filling in the new info).

[nicebloke1]

Cheers!!

[jno]

just take a (good) selfie if you don't fancy Morrison's.

[Dizmo]

If you go for the selfie option, make sure you go take a picture of your entire top half (chest, shoulders and head) and in a well lit area with a white backdrop. Using a flash isn't advised either, especially if you wear glasses (glare). Be prepared to be very annoyed when the application says your picture is poor.

[nicebloke1]

Thanks all, I can now see its my handwriting in the back, after 22 years.:>)))

[Buenchico]

^^^ That doesn't give you a reference number though, Jno, meaning that it'd then be necessary to scan and upload the photo. (With the reference number system, you simply fill in that number of the form and the Passport Agency get your photo from the operators of the photo booth).

Further, those booths use computer technology to check that your photo meets the strict requirements of the Passport Agency. If you take you own photo, you risk having it rejected because it doesn't exactly meet the rules.

[jno]

I had no trouble, buenchico. The requirement is pretty low-res, and I used to have a scanner. Might get another one someday.

[nicebloke1]

Will stick with the booth and get the ID number.

[Dizmo]

Take it from someone who spent no less than 6 hours trying to get a good photo of my OH at stupid o'clock this morning. I have a passport sized photo, taken by someone who does passport photos for a living. I didn't have a reference/ID number, however my photo was accepted by the AI that checked it.

My OH's photo, which we took using a very good SLR, proper lighting rigs and a fairly decent backdrop, was rejected no less than a dozen times. It's probably going to be a lot easier just going to a photo booth or someone that does it for a living. I know which one is much less stressful!

[jno]

go for it, then!