iaink

Clearly. Thats the plan anyway....

Oakvillian

Quite right, Iain. My understanding of the process is that the useless bunch of layabouts in Washington now do nothing except take huge amounts of money from expat Brits and send everything back to London for processing anyway - as "explained" in the excruciating video on this page.

If one has a convenient "poste restante" address in the UK I see absolutely no reason at all to trouble the Washington people with their end of the process.

Novocastrian

Oh, come on. Huge amounts of money? It's around $200 for a 10 year passport. Surely even Iaink can afford $20 a year?

And as Souvy mentioned, there's none of that sending foreign passport stuff if you go through Washington, which is was you're told to do.

I renewed my expired UK passport through Washington while in possession of a valid Cdn one just a couple of months ago. No problems at all.

I think there was also a query as to endorsing the photos? I did and apparently that's what they wanted.

iaink

A: Its the principal. WHY should I pay $240 when I can pay £80.

B: I thought I asked a couple of pretty specific question about applying via the UK rather than attempting to start a debate on the relative pros and cons....

Novocastrian

Err, because you live in Canada and therefore aren't allowed to apply directly to the UK. (There are of course workarounds).

If the difference between 80 pounds (what's that, about $128) and $240 is really a problem for you once every 10 years or so, you are not forced to do either. Travel on your Canadian passport.

I really have no sympathy with you on this one.

BristolUK

When it's my turn again I'll ask for that payment plan.

jerry brewer

Hi
The difference works out to only about 25c per week.
Although I dislike the extra renewal charge for being out of the UK, I can see reasoning that UK tax payers are supporting the passport office,and I am not anymore, so have to pay more.
cheers
Jerry

JAJ

Passport office costs are supposed to be recovered by passport fees, not general tax revenue. It is clearly less efficient to issue passports in offices outside the UK, which is why the service costs more.

Either way, it seems to say fairly clearly that for a renewal you do NOT need to send anything other than current passport as documentation.
http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/help-fo...enew#documents

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAn...port/DG_174097

I would never suggest using a United Kingdom address as your residential address (as opposed to a delivery address) if you no longer live there. The reason being that usually you do not want to give any indication of having re-acquired United Kingdom residence or domicile for tax purposes.

iaink

Well. The UK people wont accept a copy of my Cdn passport, and I dont want to send it off, so I guess they get their pound of flesh and I will bend over and take one for the team via washington after all


So. for an application via Washington I appear to need a countersignatory?, or am I misunderstanding the form?

The website notes say "Countersignature of the form and photographs is not necessary for those people over 16 renewing a passport, unless your appearance has changed significantly since your previous passport was issued.", but the "Smart form" has not blocked out that section, and the guidance notes appear to say it should be done.:???: I guess "belt and braces" applies and I might as well have it done.

Souvy

Renewing a vaild passport, or replacing one that expired years ago? There is a difference.

I believe you said that your passport ran out about a decade ago. If you think you appearance hasn't changed since then, you're deluding yourself.

iaink

They consider it to be a renewal as its a few months less then ten years expired.

Im fatter, but the nose and ears and hairline are the same and its not been cold enough to bother with the seasonal beard disorder this year

(See edit regarding "belt and braces"... the bosses wife retains her UK passport and was a teacher, so its no big hassle to get it countersigned anyway)

woodmanbg

After I officially got British citizenship I applied for my first British passport whilst still in the UK. I had to send my Canadian passport in with the application. Everything was very quick. My Canadian passport got returned to me within a few days special delivery and my UK passport was hand delivered about 10 days after that. The whole process was very quick much to my astonishment.

iaink

So, I sent off both Cdn and British passport applications on the 29th March. Yesterday I got a new Cdn passport delivered in the mail. The application to washington is still not even showing as received on the Canada post tracking site, last update was 4/4 as leaving the country. 16 days and counting in the US system.

Former Lancastrian

Dont take this wrong but Im thinking that the need for having 2 x passports is for convenience when travelling between Canada and the UK but I could be wrong
So you arrive in the UK join the EU or UK passport holders line as opposed to the other lines thereby getting cleared quicker but still waiting for baggage.
On arriving back in Canada you join the Canadian passport holders line (they dont exist at my airport) thereby getting cleared quicker but still having to wait for baggage.
An expired passport can be used for identification purposes but not valid for travel so why bother renewing both?

iaink

Ask yourself if this post is helpfull or addressing the previous post

As I've traveled to the UK 3 times in 14 years somehow convenience seems unlikely motivation. I just figure its easier to bite the bullet and renew now rather than wait and have to reapply (far more hassle) a few month or years down the line.

Not that its any of your business but I need a passport for business travel, and by coincidence my 5 year cdn passport needed renewing around the same time that I decided I had better get my UK passport done.

As my existing UK passport seems to have disappeared into the black hole of the postal system never to be seen again, its use for ID purposes, whether for me, or as part of any future application for a UK passport by my kids, is perhaps moot.