Passport renewal

[Arizona11]

My wife is in the process of renewing her passport. She has to return her old passport along with the application. We do not want to use the post office passport checking service.

All we want to do is take the documents to the post office and send it recorded delivery. The problem is that the location of the London passport office (which used to be at Petty France) is now a state secret, according to Google. Even the government web site doesn’t want to reveal this highly classified information.

DAK what the current postal address is to mail the envelope to?

[mc2fool]

https://www.gov.uk/passport-advice-line

[Hallucigenia]

They don't want you doing that, because the postal address needs to include your application number to get processed properly.

So use the official application process at https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport/renew

It works surprisingly well IME - it keeps you updated by text of where it is in the process, and overall it only took me a week or so a few months ago, so it's worth playing by their rules.

[niord]

London HM Passport Office,
Globe House, 89 Eccleston Square,
London,
SW1V 1PN

https://www.gov.uk/find-regional-passport-office

[Sunnypad]

Interesting
I have a passport renewal pack and was puzzling over the same thing!

[tjh290633]

I have renewed both our passports online last week using digital photos from a booth at our local Tesco. The major hitch was the inability to pay with £5note, always rejected despite the facility being there. Both old passports sent back by signed-for delivery. I received emails and text messages today stating that they had been received and that the applications had been approved and were being printed.

It does not hint at the 10 week delay mentioned on the website. We shall see how long it takes for them to arrive.

I'm not sure why anyone who can use this route would go the postal route.

TJH

[Alaric]

I'm not sure why anyone who can use this route would go the postal route.

With the feature of being able to upload a photo taken at a local supermarket booth, it is a simple process. The only postal part of it is sending back the old passport. Very little needs to be filled in for the online form. If you also need to renew a driving licence, that can use the passport data.

[tjh290633]

It does not hint at the 10 week delay mentioned on the website. We shall see how long it takes for them to arrive.

An email has just arrived saying that my wife's passport has been despatched via TNT or similar. The old one was posted to them on Friday.

Not a bad turn round in my opinion. Hopefully mine will be following it.

TJH

[Hallucigenia]

I'm not sure why anyone who can use this route would go the postal route.

With the feature of being able to upload a photo taken at a local supermarket booth, it is a simple process.

You don't even need to get a photo at a booth these days, you can take your own photo at home, as long as it fits their rules. I did it all via the website in June - I got a warning that their AI thought it might be in B&W (which isn't allowed), but it was just because I had a pale shirt and was looking a bit pasty after a winter of lockdown! But it was accepted, and they received the old one on a Monday and had dispatched the new one on the Friday the same week.

All in all, it's one of the more impressive bits of interacting with government that I've experienced.

[tjh290633]

You don't even need to get a photo at a booth these days, you can take your own photo at home, as long as it fits their rules.

I tried that for my own and repeatedly failed to produce a satisfactory photo. Shadows, eyes not fully open, etc. I decided that the booth route would be better.

TJH

[csearle]

You don't even need to get a photo at a booth these days, you can take your own photo at home, as long as it fits their rules.

I tried that for my own and repeatedly failed to produce a satisfactory photo. Shadows, eyes not fully open, etc. I decided that the booth route would be better.

You have to try to stay awake during the photo Terry. I think that is where it all went wrong. C.

[Hallucigenia]

You don't even need to get a photo at a booth these days, you can take your own photo at home, as long as it fits their rules.

I tried that for my own and repeatedly failed to produce a satisfactory photo. Shadows, eyes not fully open, etc. I decided that the booth route would be better.

You have to try to stay awake during the photo Terry. I think that is where it all went wrong. C.

Staying off the morning sherry might be a good idea...

(yes, it takes a bit of getting right, but it's still a lot less hassle than a booth - and I just resent paying so much money to Photo-Me)

[Lootman]

I have renewed both our passports online last week using digital photos from a booth at our local Tesco. The major hitch was the inability to pay with £5note, always rejected despite the facility being there. Both old passports sent back by signed-for delivery. I received emails and text messages today stating that they had been received and that the applications had been approved and were being printed.

It does not hint at the 10 week delay mentioned on the website. We shall see how long it takes for them to arrive.

The 10 week thing is a bit of a myth. They told me that and it arrived in a couple of weeks. This was through the Post Office service; no need to go online. The PO checked my renewal form and photos, and sent the papers off special delivery. All for less than 100 quid including the fee. Good enough.

Maybe 10 weeks is for a first passport?

[didds]

Maybe 10 weeks is for a first passport?

Id just assume it was a "CYA" thing in case it does actually take ages rather than based on any reality

I once had a boss who demanded to know exactly whenever projects/items would be finished. I'd explain that there were too many imponderables including 3rd and 2nd party interactions that were outside of my control, but he would still demand a date. So I'd come up witha ball park figure, then he'd ask if/why it could not be delivered quicker, we'd have the same disussion again, and we'd end up with some other ball park (sooner) date. Then of course the date would roll around and sometimes the project/work wasnt finished because (as I'd identified) some 3rd or 2nd party had taken longer than hoped (<< appropriate word). He'd then complain that I'd said that I would be finished by now. Then we'd have the same conversation all over again abiout not being in control of other's input and actions.

In the end I learned to suggest some ludicrously far away end date, he'd complain, we'd discuss, we'd come up with some earlier date - that was still ludicriously far ahead and had at least some chance of those other parties' acting in time. Hey presto, I always met my date targets - becauue I CMA . I see this as much the same.

didds

[pje16]

I did mine in May
the only issue I had was that my first photo got rejected as it was taken against a light background
My fault as I didn't read the rules (dark background) so I did another one (I just used my phone)
It also got rejected on the website, I couldn't see why so I pushed it through and it got accepted
(might have been too much skin in the photo as I am pretty much bald )
It was easy apart from that and got my new passport about a week later
My old passport was returned about 2 weeks later

[Arizona11]

London HM Passport Office,
Globe House, 89 Eccleston Square,
London,
SW1V 1PN

https://www.gov.uk/find-regional-passport-office

Unfortunately, that address is for personal interviews only. None of the other replies show an address so it remains elusive and top secret.

[pje16]

Why waste £16 when it is easy to do it yourself
as long as you can stay awake during the photo

[bungeejumper]

You don't even need to get a photo at a booth these days, you can take your own photo at home, as long as it fits their rules. I did it all via the website in June - I got a warning that their AI thought it might be in B&W (which isn't allowed), but it was just because I had a pale shirt and was looking a bit pasty after a winter of lockdown!

I did our passports online with home-taken photos about four years ago. It was quick and pretty straightforward - they were back in three days, IIRC. Unfortunately, the image that eventually appeared on my passport had clearly been "processed" in some way. Suddenly, I was a dead ringer for Ronnie Biggs. It was fortunate indeed that he'd been dead himself for a while, but I did get some curious looks from customs officers.

BJ

[pje16]

Suddenly, I was a dead ringer for Ronnie Biggs.

If it looks like him (and not you) let's see the pic please

[Sunnypad]

You don't even need to get a photo at a booth these days, you can take your own photo at home, as long as it fits their rules. I did it all via the website in June - I got a warning that their AI thought it might be in B&W (which isn't allowed), but it was just because I had a pale shirt and was looking a bit pasty after a winter of lockdown!

I did our passports online with home-taken photos about four years ago. It was quick and pretty straightforward - they were back in three days, IIRC. Unfortunately, the image that eventually appeared on my passport had clearly been "processed" in some way. Suddenly, I was a dead ringer for Ronnie Biggs. It was fortunate indeed that he'd been dead himself for a while, but I did get some curious looks from customs officers.

BJ

Weren't you tempted to claim to be his ghost?