British Passports when in Australia
#106
Just Joined
Joined: May 2014
Location: Sydney
Posts: 27
Re: British Passports when in Australia
I wonder how long you waited sfr09? I called the help line two weeks ago and was put on hold....... waited for 5 hours and then my phone ran out of charge!!! So never even got through.
Today I went to the British Consulate to get an emergency travel document. This service is available if you really really need to travel and don't have your passport for whatever reason. The people there were terrific. Very helpful and did their best to get the procedure done asap. It costs $180 but when it really matters you have to just do it!
Today I went to the British Consulate to get an emergency travel document. This service is available if you really really need to travel and don't have your passport for whatever reason. The people there were terrific. Very helpful and did their best to get the procedure done asap. It costs $180 but when it really matters you have to just do it!
#107
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 125
Re: British Passports when in Australia
I wonder how long you waited sfr09? I called the help line two weeks ago and was put on hold....... waited for 5 hours and then my phone ran out of charge!!! So never even got through.
Today I went to the British Consulate to get an emergency travel document. This service is available if you really really need to travel and don't have your passport for whatever reason. The people there were terrific. Very helpful and did their best to get the procedure done asap. It costs $180 but when it really matters you have to just do it!
Today I went to the British Consulate to get an emergency travel document. This service is available if you really really need to travel and don't have your passport for whatever reason. The people there were terrific. Very helpful and did their best to get the procedure done asap. It costs $180 but when it really matters you have to just do it!
Good luck to you too for your trip
#108
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2008
Location: Sydney
Posts: 125
Re: British Passports when in Australia
Just rang again and mine now printed and with the courier so I am hoping will come next few days , i am sure that it was writing to the MP that helped so thanks so much for that advice and note to self to never send both passports off together
#109
Just Joined
Joined: May 2014
Location: Sydney
Posts: 27
Re: British Passports when in Australia
That's good Sfr09. I think you have been very lucky. Maybe your MP was more on the ball than mine. I have emailed mine on two occasions and have not had a response from her, let alone any intervention to help me get my passport.
As I mentioned my time ran out and I went to the British Consulate to get an Emergency Travel document. I'll be using that as my passport is still 'being assessed' It's eleven weeks plus now.
As I mentioned my time ran out and I went to the British Consulate to get an Emergency Travel document. I'll be using that as my passport is still 'being assessed' It's eleven weeks plus now.
#110
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: British Passports when in Australia
Get email from Passport office, in 3 weeks if I have not lodged the duplicate info they requested we lose the money for 3 passport applications!
My first application back in early march contained passports, UK and Australian, birth certs, everything. 6 weeks later "possible forgeries" is the reply, this is for totally genuine un tampered with births, passports, marriage, ID etc .
Had to send off for copy of full birth cert from UK, the one my parents were issued with not good enough Should have arrived in May, still waiting, so now we stand to lose nearly $1000.
I have been patient, there is nothing forged about any aspect of my application, not once have the documents been lost, damaged, yet the saga continues.
The date we wanted these for has been and gone, so for heavens sake apply many months before you need it!!
My first application back in early march contained passports, UK and Australian, birth certs, everything. 6 weeks later "possible forgeries" is the reply, this is for totally genuine un tampered with births, passports, marriage, ID etc .
Had to send off for copy of full birth cert from UK, the one my parents were issued with not good enough Should have arrived in May, still waiting, so now we stand to lose nearly $1000.
I have been patient, there is nothing forged about any aspect of my application, not once have the documents been lost, damaged, yet the saga continues.
The date we wanted these for has been and gone, so for heavens sake apply many months before you need it!!
#111
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 45
Re: British Passports when in Australia
Apparently there no "backlog" Thats not what this pictures show The Guardian obtained.
The old saying a picture can say thousands words still true
Passport backlog: photographs of stacked application files stoke row over delays | Politics | The Guardian
The ones in orange boxes are applications from overseas. Why on earth the they brought processing applications for overseas residents back to the UK is stupid. Another saying ring true "if it aint broke don't try to fix it".
The old saying a picture can say thousands words still true
Passport backlog: photographs of stacked application files stoke row over delays | Politics | The Guardian
The ones in orange boxes are applications from overseas. Why on earth the they brought processing applications for overseas residents back to the UK is stupid. Another saying ring true "if it aint broke don't try to fix it".
Last edited by moo1982; Jun 11th 2014 at 8:21 am. Reason: more info
#112
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2011
Location: Was Preston, Now Sydney :)
Posts: 399
Re: British Passports when in Australia
interesting article on the bbc: BBC News - Fees cut as part of emergency passport backlog measures
#113
Devil's Advocate
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Mandurah
Posts: 2,269
Re: British Passports when in Australia
Guys
Just realised my OH's UK passport is out of date. She has an Aussie one too.
In August she will be travelling to Switzerland and UK before coming back here.
1) Now firstly if I have researched correctly, she can enter Switzerland and UK easy enough with her Aussie one - no Visas etc?
2) Secondly due to the chaos with UK renewals, she could go to the consulate in Perth and have her UK one extended by 12 months.
Normally she would use UK one in Europe and quicker queues.
The "problem" I have with 2) is Swiss Air require her advanced passenger info and they automatically issue boarding passes. But I reckon their system won't like having a UK passport with an expired date or of she goes to Consultate, do we just put in the new extended date?
Cheers
Just realised my OH's UK passport is out of date. She has an Aussie one too.
In August she will be travelling to Switzerland and UK before coming back here.
1) Now firstly if I have researched correctly, she can enter Switzerland and UK easy enough with her Aussie one - no Visas etc?
2) Secondly due to the chaos with UK renewals, she could go to the consulate in Perth and have her UK one extended by 12 months.
Normally she would use UK one in Europe and quicker queues.
The "problem" I have with 2) is Swiss Air require her advanced passenger info and they automatically issue boarding passes. But I reckon their system won't like having a UK passport with an expired date or of she goes to Consultate, do we just put in the new extended date?
Cheers
#114
Re: British Passports when in Australia
Guys
Just realised my OH's UK passport is out of date. She has an Aussie one too.
In August she will be travelling to Switzerland and UK before coming back here.
1) Now firstly if I have researched correctly, she can enter Switzerland and UK easy enough with her Aussie one - no Visas etc?
2) Secondly due to the chaos with UK renewals, she could go to the consulate in Perth and have her UK one extended by 12 months.
Normally she would use UK one in Europe and quicker queues.
The "problem" I have with 2) is Swiss Air require her advanced passenger info and they automatically issue boarding passes. But I reckon their system won't like having a UK passport with an expired date or of she goes to Consultate, do we just put in the new extended date?
Cheers
Just realised my OH's UK passport is out of date. She has an Aussie one too.
In August she will be travelling to Switzerland and UK before coming back here.
1) Now firstly if I have researched correctly, she can enter Switzerland and UK easy enough with her Aussie one - no Visas etc?
2) Secondly due to the chaos with UK renewals, she could go to the consulate in Perth and have her UK one extended by 12 months.
Normally she would use UK one in Europe and quicker queues.
The "problem" I have with 2) is Swiss Air require her advanced passenger info and they automatically issue boarding passes. But I reckon their system won't like having a UK passport with an expired date or of she goes to Consultate, do we just put in the new extended date?
Cheers
#115
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: British Passports when in Australia
Well to update, 3 passports finally cleared to be issued, so should arriving mid to late July. Quite a haul since March 3
#116
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2014
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2
Re: British Passports when in Australia
Hello all
New to this forum but not a new expat; I've been away from the UK for 12 years...
This is a long thread so hopefully someone will pick up the query, or maybe I should start a new thread?
Anyway ... I am living in Melbourne, have been for 7 years. I have dual UK/NZ citizenship; my NZ passport being my visa to live here.
I need to renew my UK passport by May 2015 and have read that it's all changed and will take ages as I have to send it back to the UK rather than renew it locally like I was able to before (I renewed it in Auckland 10 years ago and renewed my kids' UK passports through Auspost 2 years ago)
My question is this: the guidelines say that we have to send all uncancelled passports (British or otherwise) when sending the application through. Does this mean I have to send my NZ passport to the UK passport office too? I don't understand how that is feasible?
Looking at the length of time it will take to renew my UK passport I simply can not be in Australia without any passport at all .... in fact even for a day, as it would mean I am here without a visa.
Any of you with Dual nationality had to send your other passports to the UK too?
Thanks
New to this forum but not a new expat; I've been away from the UK for 12 years...
This is a long thread so hopefully someone will pick up the query, or maybe I should start a new thread?
Anyway ... I am living in Melbourne, have been for 7 years. I have dual UK/NZ citizenship; my NZ passport being my visa to live here.
I need to renew my UK passport by May 2015 and have read that it's all changed and will take ages as I have to send it back to the UK rather than renew it locally like I was able to before (I renewed it in Auckland 10 years ago and renewed my kids' UK passports through Auspost 2 years ago)
My question is this: the guidelines say that we have to send all uncancelled passports (British or otherwise) when sending the application through. Does this mean I have to send my NZ passport to the UK passport office too? I don't understand how that is feasible?
Looking at the length of time it will take to renew my UK passport I simply can not be in Australia without any passport at all .... in fact even for a day, as it would mean I am here without a visa.
Any of you with Dual nationality had to send your other passports to the UK too?
Thanks
#117
Re: British Passports when in Australia
Hello all
New to this forum but not a new expat; I've been away from the UK for 12 years...
This is a long thread so hopefully someone will pick up the query, or maybe I should start a new thread?
Anyway ... I am living in Melbourne, have been for 7 years. I have dual UK/NZ citizenship; my NZ passport being my visa to live here.
I need to renew my UK passport by May 2015 and have read that it's all changed and will take ages as I have to send it back to the UK rather than renew it locally like I was able to before (I renewed it in Auckland 10 years ago and renewed my kids' UK passports through Auspost 2 years ago)
My question is this: the guidelines say that we have to send all uncancelled passports (British or otherwise) when sending the application through. Does this mean I have to send my NZ passport to the UK passport office too? I don't understand how that is feasible?
Looking at the length of time it will take to renew my UK passport I simply can not be in Australia without any passport at all .... in fact even for a day, as it would mean I am here without a visa.
Any of you with Dual nationality had to send your other passports to the UK too?
Thanks
New to this forum but not a new expat; I've been away from the UK for 12 years...
This is a long thread so hopefully someone will pick up the query, or maybe I should start a new thread?
Anyway ... I am living in Melbourne, have been for 7 years. I have dual UK/NZ citizenship; my NZ passport being my visa to live here.
I need to renew my UK passport by May 2015 and have read that it's all changed and will take ages as I have to send it back to the UK rather than renew it locally like I was able to before (I renewed it in Auckland 10 years ago and renewed my kids' UK passports through Auspost 2 years ago)
My question is this: the guidelines say that we have to send all uncancelled passports (British or otherwise) when sending the application through. Does this mean I have to send my NZ passport to the UK passport office too? I don't understand how that is feasible?
Looking at the length of time it will take to renew my UK passport I simply can not be in Australia without any passport at all .... in fact even for a day, as it would mean I am here without a visa.
Any of you with Dual nationality had to send your other passports to the UK too?
Thanks
#118
Re: British Passports when in Australia
My question is this: the guidelines say that we have to send all uncancelled passports (British or otherwise) when sending the application through. Does this mean I have to send my NZ passport to the UK passport office too? I don't understand how that is feasible?
Looking at the length of time it will take to renew my UK passport I simply can not be in Australia without any passport at all .... in fact even for a day, as it would mean I am here without a visa.
Any of you with Dual nationality had to send your other passports to the UK too?
Looking at the length of time it will take to renew my UK passport I simply can not be in Australia without any passport at all .... in fact even for a day, as it would mean I am here without a visa.
Any of you with Dual nationality had to send your other passports to the UK too?
I sent off an application on 16th June. I wasn't prepared to send my Aus passport as I think it's unnecessary, plus I do have upcoming travel / visas to apply for. As mentioned, I included a copy of my Aus passport, not just the photo page but every page whether used or not. Others experience seems to suggest this will suffice.
#119
Just Joined
Joined: Jul 2014
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 2
Re: British Passports when in Australia
It wouldn't mean you are here without a visa / permission, you just wouldn't be in possession of your NZ passport. Presumably you have some other evidence of your NZ citizenship if required to show it...certificate? Your issue would of course, like anyone else, be if you needed to travel.
I sent off an application on 16th June. I wasn't prepared to send my Aus passport as I think it's unnecessary, plus I do have upcoming travel / visas to apply for. As mentioned, I included a copy of my Aus passport, not just the photo page but every page whether used or not. Others experience seems to suggest this will suffice.
I sent off an application on 16th June. I wasn't prepared to send my Aus passport as I think it's unnecessary, plus I do have upcoming travel / visas to apply for. As mentioned, I included a copy of my Aus passport, not just the photo page but every page whether used or not. Others experience seems to suggest this will suffice.
A copy is ok then? Would it need to be verified by a JP or anything?
It is actually the NZ passport itself that's the visa. There are no stickers stamps in it. Citizenship/birth certificates without a passport are not a visa ... I know this because when my daughter was born in NZ we didn't get an NZ passport straight away (ran out of time and being a bit clueless too) and travelled to the UK when she was a baby on her UK passport (carrying her birth certificate with us) On our return trip she was not allowed to board the plane from the UK all the way to NZ as she didn't have a proper NZ visa in her UK passport and didn't have an NZ passport. Her birth certificate was not enough. This was 10 years ago so I can't remember the details but I think we had to pay for an outward bound ticket for her (a tiny baby) from NZ to prove she wasn't going to stay there without a visa and we had to claim that ticket back after we got home. It was a nightmare. As it was, when we did arrive at Auckland we told the immigration people there and they laughed and said it was ridiculous and her birth certificate would have been fine; Singapore Airlines just doing their job I suppose?
#120
Re: British Passports when in Australia
Thanks both (bcworld and sparkles)
A copy is ok then? Would it need to be verified by a JP or anything?
It is actually the NZ passport itself that's the visa. There are no stickers stamps in it. Citizenship/birth certificates without a passport are not a visa ... I know this because when my daughter was born in NZ we didn't get an NZ passport straight away (ran out of time and being a bit clueless too) and travelled to the UK when she was a baby on her UK passport (carrying her birth certificate with us) On our return trip she was not allowed to board the plane from the UK all the way to NZ as she didn't have a proper NZ visa in her UK passport and didn't have an NZ passport. Her birth certificate was not enough. This was 10 years ago so I can't remember the details but I think we had to pay for an outward bound ticket for her (a tiny baby) from NZ to prove she wasn't going to stay there without a visa and we had to claim that ticket back after we got home. It was a nightmare. As it was, when we did arrive at Auckland we told the immigration people there and they laughed and said it was ridiculous and her birth certificate would have been fine; Singapore Airlines just doing their job I suppose?
A copy is ok then? Would it need to be verified by a JP or anything?
It is actually the NZ passport itself that's the visa. There are no stickers stamps in it. Citizenship/birth certificates without a passport are not a visa ... I know this because when my daughter was born in NZ we didn't get an NZ passport straight away (ran out of time and being a bit clueless too) and travelled to the UK when she was a baby on her UK passport (carrying her birth certificate with us) On our return trip she was not allowed to board the plane from the UK all the way to NZ as she didn't have a proper NZ visa in her UK passport and didn't have an NZ passport. Her birth certificate was not enough. This was 10 years ago so I can't remember the details but I think we had to pay for an outward bound ticket for her (a tiny baby) from NZ to prove she wasn't going to stay there without a visa and we had to claim that ticket back after we got home. It was a nightmare. As it was, when we did arrive at Auckland we told the immigration people there and they laughed and said it was ridiculous and her birth certificate would have been fine; Singapore Airlines just doing their job I suppose?
They don't specify (I think) that the passport copy has to be verified, I didn't, but it's probably not a bad idea. I haven't heard anything from them yet but the application is probably still sitting piled up in a meeting room somewhere!