dmu

I renewed my UK Passport yesterday and was wondering how you all manage without ID while your renewed Passports are being processed? French Driving Licenses? but what about non-drivers? And what happens if you need to travel outside of France while waiting for your renewed Passport to arrive?
I'm thankful that I've got French ID and haven't got this problem, but it set me wondering.
Also, how do people without internet, especially Seniors, manage? We here obviously aren't concerned, even I managed to initiate the proceedings on-line, but there must be plenty of expats everywhere who haven't got internet and/or a CB to pay on-line.
If and when the "Avis de Réception" returns from Durham, I'll start counting the weeks, but I believe it can take up to 2 months?

bobbi2

You can do an incredibly quick service on line. You can register your passport on their website as an urgent turnaround and send it registered. My husband has to for work as he uses his passport nearly every day. Or , you can make an appointment at one of their offices amd get it done there and then if you are in the UK and can combine it with a visit. Do make sure though that you get the correct avis de reception. Our post office lady lost my passport for a few days as she used an avis de reception form for France and not the UK.
Also, do not doi it just before the Summer School hols as they get incredibly busy. We have used the Peterborough passport office and made a RDV face to face. It was processed within 90 mins,

EuroTrash

I think they've improved the service a lot recently. A few years ago the system was dreadful and everybody was complaining. It seems to be quicker and more user-friendly now, and it's cheaper as well.

cyrian

You can apply early for your passport and the new expiry date will be 10 years from the previous expiry. i.e. you don't lose out by applying early. This allows you to plan for trips abroad. Some countries require a passport which is valid for at least 6 months after entry.

dmu

Interesting comments!
But I wouldn't say £102.86 is cheap! A French Passport costs less than 90€...
I sent my non-urgent application to Durham by traceable LRAR (just call me paranoiac), making sure that I was given the International slip to fill in!

dennerlymum

Hi

itis cheaper than it used to be ! The turnaround is around 10 days/ 2 weeks at the moment - I was terrified sending off the passport but for our daughter it was all ok - now just waiting for our son's - I also used traced LRAR with 150€ of cover !!

dmu

10 days/2 weeks, for a non-urgent application? Wow, then there isn't really a problem, unless there's an unexpected need to travel while waiting....

Novocastrian

About 10 or so years ago I worried about this as well. Back then it often took several weeks to renew a UK passport in Canada (through Ottawa in those days). Our surviving parents were getting on and we didn't want to be stuck if an emergency happened.

Our solution was to become Canadian citizens. Now we all have two passports (and one son has three).

Chatter Static

We have had one processed and overnight fedex'ed in three days, there are some pretty helpful folk at the passport office.

dmu

All this is good news, after the long waits in the past!
But as mentioned, I'm like Novo and have dual nationality, and can use my French ID if there's a family emergency while my UK Passport is in limbo. (And, after all, it's only once every 10 years, but Murphy's Law tends to prevail chez moi...).

TextualHealing

I went to renew my passport last year. it got lost in the Belgian postal system and it eventually came back with a note 'saying address not known' (in Flemish). so it obviously hadn't left the country. Moral 1 - Always put a return address on the back of the envelope.

It was inconvenient because it meant I had to cancel (vague) plans to return to the UK that Xmas. For day to day stuff I imagine a photocopy of the passport would do fine.
Its strange: I can travel to former USSR states, like Latvia, on my Belgian ID card but to go 'home' I need a passport :-(

BritInParis

You can use a Belgian national ID card to visit the UK no problem.

TextualHealing

NO. tried that. Citizenship and residence cards have a different status. I like to play the system and see what's possible. Got through once on a residence card - but was asked for my passport on the other three occasions when I tried it :-(

BritInParis

I take it then you're not a Belgian citizen?

TextualHealing

No. Brit 'living In Belgium' - but not for much longer