sile

Sorry, I misread. I thought you said the U.S. one would take six weeks.

How about calling directly to the UK on Monday about this? It's cheap to call from a cell phone.

windsong

Yes, that's what I will have to do - a delay of another couple of days due to inefficiency.

It seems the US passport takes 2-3 weeks but the UK passport takes at least six weeks. The applications are checked in Washington DC but the passport itself comes from the UK.

sile

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/renew...sa-105860.html

sile

https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

windsong

Sile, I think this might be old data. It quotes a higher price for the passport, too. It also says they accept money orders while the embassy told me they did not. They really should make it easy to call the passport help center from a mobile phone. I think they forget they are providing a service to their citizens so they should make it easier for them.

sile

I do think that if you don't have to show a round trip ticket when entering the UK, your best, easiest way would be to go in on your US passport. then deal with renewing your UK one once there. Just my thought...I'm certainly no expert

sile

Take a look at the next link. Maybe that's more up to date.

sile

Windsong! Read this. I found it on another thread.


Re: UK Passport timeline
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordon Barlow
Somebody has just started another thread TODAY ("weeding out...) to which one commenter said that the Washington Consulate was closing this autumn! Anybody on this present thread know if that's true?
I should clarify; the Consulate will remain, the Regional Passport Processing Centre will close. All passport applications from British residents of the Americas will be made directly to the UK from then on.

sile

READ THIS!
Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by WhoFan63
That's where it gets stupid. Even though I had one of the old black passports and it wasn't attached, they said there were going to treat it as a renewal, because I'd stated on my application that I'd held a UK passport before. So because the old passport wasn't attached they were sending off to the UK for some confirmation that I'd had a passport before. The examiner told me that would take two weeks, so at the moment I've been waiting 3 weeks since they took the money and 1 week since I spoke to the examiner. At this rate it will be another week before they approve it and possibly another week before I get the passport.

I'm hoping to fly out on April 2nd, but that of course depends on if I get the passport in time..lol. I'm heading to the UK permanently...so I'm impatient to get the passport and get going


>>>>>>AFAIK if your old PP expired over 10 years ago it is not treated as a renewal...but as a first time application.
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rebeccajo

Not if she wants to stay indefinitely.

rebeccajo

Easiest thing to do is to just pay with a credit card. Then just pay the bill when it comes. No sense in making things harder, you know?

rebeccajo

Here's a big, recent discussion about this very issue:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...on+US+passport

windsong

I have an appointment at the post office today to renew my US passport. (It's expired.) I asked the man at the post office who made the appointment exactly what they do - if they send in the application, etc. He couldn't tell me. He said he only makes the appointment. I have NO idea how this is supposed to work. I imagine they simply verify the documents and I send in the application. Is that correct?

windsong

Thank you! It's very helpful.

rebeccajo

They will go over the details of your application with you.

They will take a passport photo for you (if you don't bring one in). I will add here that if you have a knowledgeable clerk, they might reject a photo you bring to them if it doesn't meet their specifications.

They will make sure you provide the proper identity documents.

They will collect the fee and send the application off for you.

It's all pretty simple.