Boredofwaiting

One thing I will say is that if you have a genuine grievance over the delay or the process than a copy and paste of the official complaint submitted to the passport office to be submitted to your MP is extremely helpful.

Reading between the lines I suspect that there has been an almighty screw up with the implementation of the new clearance system and the Passport Office staff are under a great deal of pressure to clear the backlog.

Muheza

No luck for us yet! Omg this is so stressful! I think we are the only two who have applied from kenya.12 weeks have passed and not a sign yet. My whole family is flying out nextweek, hope im not left behind with my little one soo annoying!!

Kenya

Hi Muheza,

I really hope you get it in time but I hate to say that it looks unlikely at this point. You can only collect passports from the High Commission between 2-3pm on Tuesdays and Thursday, so unless it is on its way already you're unlikely to get it in time.

My MP contacted the Passport Office again for an update and they said "security checks are still ongoing" and would not comment further. I think they may be on very high alert for applications from Kenya, which seems to be causing delays.

Best of luck.

BritInParis

For those of you who applied from Kenya did you apply using a consular birth certificate or a local birth certificate?

Vexcore

i'm sure he used consular birth certificate.. i think he told me.

but his delay is very abnormal...

Muheza

I sent both the certificates

Kenya

Hi Brit,

No, I didn't. I didn't find anything in the documentation to indicate this was necessary. I am planning to apply for a consular birth certificate for him shortly, now that my documents have been returned, as it will be useful for other reasons. I've looked into the documentation required for the consular birth certificate and it is not much - just the child's local birth certificate, both parents' birth or naturalisation certificates and our marriage certificate. The website says the process will take 5 days. Given that i) the documentation is so scant compared to what we have provided for the passport application (medical records, photographs, many many identification documents etc...) and ii) a five day processing period does not allow for significant security checks, I am curious as to how this document could provide the Passport Office with much additional comfort as to our identities and claim to British citizenship.

Vexcore

Thats why then,

you really should of got him a consular birth certifacte...

its not needed but if yoiu get it.. your son/daughter will be in the UK SYSTEM FOR LIFE and it would of spend up the application MUCH GREATER..

Bit late now don't you think to apply for it?

Kenya

Can you show me the source of your information that a consular birth certificate expedites overseas passport applications? I have not seen this anywhere in the documentation nor in my communication with the Passport Office.

Per this web page, a local birth certificate is adequate: https://www.gov.uk/register-a-birth

Vexcore

Well, there is no 'requirement' at all to get a consular birth certificate for passports... but you need to remember a few things

1: its a UK style birth certificate
2: its in English
3: it will be in the GRO for life
4: greater ties to UK and to establish 'citizenship'

When my son was born i went straight down to the embassy and register him i wouldn't dare hesitate... and many others have registered there sons/daughters


(ITS NOT NEEDED - BUT IT WILL SAVE YOU A LOT OF HASSLE) and in case they need one in the future.

Also having one will speed up the process A LOT FASTER than a African birth certificate.

and yes, you are right a 'local birth certificate is adequate' but for me? that wasn't the case you know im in china Chinese birth certificate needs to be translated...

but yours is in English, but like i said its better to have a consular certificate as well to get some 'roots/grounds/connection' to the UK.

Kenya

There is more information on consular birth certificates on this web page of minutes from a Parliamentary committee meeting, including the statement that 'a consular birth certificate does not confer British nationality'.
http://www.publications.parliament.u...010/101007.htm

I do think it is useful for bureaucratic reasons (easier to get replacements in future, recognisable as a British document, etc...) but outside of this forum I can't find any reason to think it would be particularly helpful for the passport application.

If available, I would appreciate more info as to why people on this forum think it would be useful.

Thanks.

Vexcore

You need to remember, it's a 'service' i use it to secure my son in case he has problems in the future.... no way in hell they can deny my son any problems in the future if they show him that paper.

Here

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Britis...h_Registration

Read that, and you may understand why people do it.

Kenya

I can't copy paste it for some reason, but if you look at questions 11 and 12 on the web page I linked to you will see more information on this, including a statement in response to question 12 that 'a consular birth certificate does not confer British nationality and does not substitute any checks that HMPO conduct when issuing a passport'. On this basis, I don't see how providing a consular birth certificate would have influenced the processing time. Also, as two MPs have contacted the Passport Office multiple time in relation to my case, if this were a material factor I think the Passport Office would have mentioned it.

Vexcore - as I said, I am not questioning the value of consular registration for other reasons, I am saying that I see no reason to believe it is the cause of the delays I am experiencing with my passport application.

englishguygoinghome

I'm pretty sure that having a consular birth certificate will certainly ensure that they don't deny your son any problems in the future, he'll get plenty of them just like we all do

Vexcore

Yup