CatLady1234

Hi there

I'm coming out to nz to work. My British passport expires early next year. I'm just wondering how I can renew this when I'm out in nz and not in uk?

Pulaski

It's the same for all British citizens these days, no matter where in the world they live.

All passport applications and renewals are processed in the UK. You mail off your form and your old passport, and about two weeks later you get your new passport couriered back to you, and your old passport arrives back about a week later.

You can also apply up to six months early (before your old passport expires) and get that time added to your new passport, so if "early next year" means before the end of February, you can apply now to get your new passport.

inkedneonurse

You can do it online and even take and upload your own pictures

Kooky.

Agree with Pulaski - if it expires early next year it's only got 6 or so months on it so best to do it now. Some countries require you to have more than that on your passport and it's probably cheaper back there.

Ours expire end of January, we've just had our annual UK trip so we started the process as soon as we got back (we didn't have time to do it while we were there, and we have Au ones for any unplanned trips while they process).

simonsi

Check. Right. Now. <Most> countries (including for transit) require a min of 6mths validity on Passports when being used...if you don't have it then you may be refused travel/entry.

BritInParis

All the information the OP requires is here: https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

You can get up to nine months of unused time added to your new passport so applying now won't be a problem.

It would be an overstatement to suggest that the six months validity applies to most countries but it does apply to several key transit countries between the UK and NZ if you're flying in a westerly direction, e.g. Singapore, UAE, Qatar.

simonsi

Link to the US list here:

Six Months Validity Rule - What is the 6 Months Validity Rule

Looks semantics to argue with "most" tbh... ;-)

BritInParis

Even if you were to trust an unofficial website it's a fairly meaningless list given we're discussing a British passport holder.

simonsi

Those countries requiring it generally require it of all passports being presented irrespective of the country of issue.

Which official website would you refer to for the info?

BritInParis

For a British passport holder it wouldn't apply to any of the EU member states so that knocks out seven of the countries/territories mentioned. It wouldn't also apply to at least another handful off the top of my head: Albania, Kiribati, Mauritius and the Philippines.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Check the 'Entry requirements' and then 'Passport validity' for the country in question.

simonsi

LOL - when you've clicked into every country in order to find its passport requirements, then collated them onto...an unofficial webpage - let me know.

I checked a random 6 and 4/6 required the passport be valid for 6mths beyond the end of the proposed stay.

escapedtonz

It's easy peasy. I've just done it. All together took around 4-6 weeks.


Applied online via HMRC website and uploaded own digital photograph. The application cost around $186 for a 10 year passport renewal. I then had to post off my current passport to the Liverpool processing office. You must do this via courier which cost $41.
You are kept up to date on the processing via email. Around 3-4 weeks later the new passport arrived which you need to sign. The old passport will appear 4 or 5 days later.
You then need to apply for a visa transfer at your local immigration office which is $110 plus $6 postage. Passport with transferred PR visa arrived 2.5 weeks later.
Expensive task !!!

moneypenny20

Not sure why you're arguing the toss on this one. The thread is about renewing a passport from NZ. The six month discussion is therefore in relation to the few stop off/transit points between NZ and the UK. Not whether you need a new passport for Outer Mongolia.

Bo-Jangles

We just did ours and the service was pretty impressive and easy enough to do online but is a bit of a faff and the cost will make you choke - so best to get it done in UK if you can.

Bearing in mind in the UK it costs GBP 72.50

The cost of renewal from here is GBP 102 (NZ $179) + courier to send passport and papers to UK = NZ$52.50 https://www.nzpost.co.nz/personal/re...ly/uk-passport

Then you have to pay to $110 to have visa transferred + cost of courier to send both passports to INZ.

BritInParis

Even taking that list at face value it's barely a quarter of all the countries in the world. How is that 'most'?

Good for you but I'll rather trust my own experience rather than your sample size of six. How any of this is helping the OP with her query is beyond me.