Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
#166
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 12
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
I am into the fourth week of waiting for my straightforward renewal and, anticipating problems and travel disruptions, have already written to my MP. The British Embassy in Quito today sent out this email to all subscribers:
https://www.gov.uk/government/world-...have-increased
As of today, 8 weeks for a renewal! Appalling service !
https://www.gov.uk/government/world-...have-increased
As of today, 8 weeks for a renewal! Appalling service !
#167
Just Joined
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 14
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
Morning Boogster,
I have the exact timeline as you..
arrived Durham April 11th
Had some email correspondence saying that it was "processing" last week but...
Here's some great news...I received mine out of the blue last Friday! woot woot...I did NOT get tracking information from DHL..it just showed up.
Fingers crossed that yours arrives shortly.
I have the exact timeline as you..
arrived Durham April 11th
Had some email correspondence saying that it was "processing" last week but...
Here's some great news...I received mine out of the blue last Friday! woot woot...I did NOT get tracking information from DHL..it just showed up.
Fingers crossed that yours arrives shortly.
Oh well that's good news glad you got your passport and also reassuring that you received it in less than 6 weeks ! There is hope yet !
Last edited by boogster; May 21st 2014 at 7:48 pm.
#168
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 4,100
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
[QUOTE=tuckersworld;11269985]Morning Boogster,
I have the exact timeline as you..
arrived Durham April 11th
Had some email correspondence saying that it was "processing" last week but...
Here's some great news...I received mine out of the blue last Friday! woot woot...I did NOT get tracking information from DHL..it just showed up.
Fingers crossed that yours arrives shortly. [/Q
Tuckersworld, was your renewal a straightforward passport renewal or was it the renewal of one of the old blue book passports?
I have the exact timeline as you..
arrived Durham April 11th
Had some email correspondence saying that it was "processing" last week but...
Here's some great news...I received mine out of the blue last Friday! woot woot...I did NOT get tracking information from DHL..it just showed up.
Fingers crossed that yours arrives shortly. [/Q
Tuckersworld, was your renewal a straightforward passport renewal or was it the renewal of one of the old blue book passports?
#169
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
[QUOTE=windsong;11271509]
Windsong
Mine was relatively straightforward....I had a Maroon passport but, it expired in 2006 (well past the 10 year expiration) No countersignature needed.
Morning Boogster,
I have the exact timeline as you..
arrived Durham April 11th
Had some email correspondence saying that it was "processing" last week but...
Here's some great news...I received mine out of the blue last Friday! woot woot...I did NOT get tracking information from DHL..it just showed up.
Fingers crossed that yours arrives shortly. [/Q
Tuckersworld, was your renewal a straightforward passport renewal or was it the renewal of one of the old blue book passports?
I have the exact timeline as you..
arrived Durham April 11th
Had some email correspondence saying that it was "processing" last week but...
Here's some great news...I received mine out of the blue last Friday! woot woot...I did NOT get tracking information from DHL..it just showed up.
Fingers crossed that yours arrives shortly. [/Q
Tuckersworld, was your renewal a straightforward passport renewal or was it the renewal of one of the old blue book passports?
Mine was relatively straightforward....I had a Maroon passport but, it expired in 2006 (well past the 10 year expiration) No countersignature needed.
#170
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Verona/ Nr Turin
Posts: 4,672
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
[QUOTE=tuckersworld;11271682]
I'm confused - frequent event. If your passport expired in 2006, that would be only 8yrs ago.
#171
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
I took it to mean well passed the expiration date of a 10 year passport - ie passport valid for 10 years - 1996 - 2006, now being renewed in 2014.
#172
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Verona/ Nr Turin
Posts: 4,672
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
I thought that tuckersworld was referring to the need for - but not always- a countersignatory if your passport has expired more than ten years ago. Thinking about it, I might have confused her with one of my posts re the 10yrs. Hope not Tucker and apologies if I did.
Last edited by 37100; May 22nd 2014 at 4:53 pm.
#174
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
I thought for sure that HMPO was going to come back at me and require a countersignature as my previous passport was issued in 1996...expired in 2006 and was 18 years old.
#175
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Verona/ Nr Turin
Posts: 4,672
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
Aww........sorry! If you passport has expired more than 10yrs ago they COULD ask for a countersignatory.
#178
Just Joined
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
I have much the same story or terrible service.
My application was delivered by courier to the Durham office on 23rd March, payment taken on the 28th.
I'm renewing my sons passport, i called the 'help' line on the 2nd May and was promised a response withing 72 hours which did not come, called again on the 12th May, that time they filed a complaint and told me a team leader would respond to me within 72 hours.. no reply.. I called again on the 17th and totally lost me temper on the phone, the lady had no idea about the process, she could only ask me for the bar code, which i don't have as from Egypt you download and fill out the paper form, you don't do an online application.
After this i sent a mail via the form on the web site with a big complaint and all the info, a few days later i received an e-mail asking for all the details again, i don't know if this mail was a response to my mail or calls.. i sent all info again and was sent a reply that they would contact me within 72 hours... guess what.. no reply.... I have sent another mail..
So now its over 9 weeks and no one can even tell me if its in process, or they need more info or anything useful.
I have to travel in a few weeks if not before, my mother is elderly and unwell, and i wanted to spend the school holidays with her. The prices of he tickets have almost doubled in the last couple of weeks, i've spent a fortune on DHL and international calls, and i still have to travel 400 miles each way to pick up the passport if/when it ever arrives as they send it to the visa application center in Cairo (maybe because when i sent off the forms it said it will arrive to the consulate, now its the VAC)
feeling very frustrated with the whole thing.
When my own needed renewing 2 years ago es-pat applications were supposed to go to France and the fees were more that double UK fees, plus 2 ways courier plus 2 trips to Cairo to deliver documents and then receive the new passport, in the end i booked myself a cheap last minute flight and went and did the 1 day service in the UK, wish id done the same for my son now, would surely have worked out cheaper and i would have had a passport for him!
Still its nice to find this thread and know im not the only one facing this madness..
My application was delivered by courier to the Durham office on 23rd March, payment taken on the 28th.
I'm renewing my sons passport, i called the 'help' line on the 2nd May and was promised a response withing 72 hours which did not come, called again on the 12th May, that time they filed a complaint and told me a team leader would respond to me within 72 hours.. no reply.. I called again on the 17th and totally lost me temper on the phone, the lady had no idea about the process, she could only ask me for the bar code, which i don't have as from Egypt you download and fill out the paper form, you don't do an online application.
After this i sent a mail via the form on the web site with a big complaint and all the info, a few days later i received an e-mail asking for all the details again, i don't know if this mail was a response to my mail or calls.. i sent all info again and was sent a reply that they would contact me within 72 hours... guess what.. no reply.... I have sent another mail..
So now its over 9 weeks and no one can even tell me if its in process, or they need more info or anything useful.
I have to travel in a few weeks if not before, my mother is elderly and unwell, and i wanted to spend the school holidays with her. The prices of he tickets have almost doubled in the last couple of weeks, i've spent a fortune on DHL and international calls, and i still have to travel 400 miles each way to pick up the passport if/when it ever arrives as they send it to the visa application center in Cairo (maybe because when i sent off the forms it said it will arrive to the consulate, now its the VAC)
feeling very frustrated with the whole thing.
When my own needed renewing 2 years ago es-pat applications were supposed to go to France and the fees were more that double UK fees, plus 2 ways courier plus 2 trips to Cairo to deliver documents and then receive the new passport, in the end i booked myself a cheap last minute flight and went and did the 1 day service in the UK, wish id done the same for my son now, would surely have worked out cheaper and i would have had a passport for him!
Still its nice to find this thread and know im not the only one facing this madness..
#179
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 4,100
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
I agree. It's horrifying. It's a worry for me also because of the potential increase in flight costs due to the delays. I wonder what HMPO would do if we charged them for the rise in flight prices?
More important than flight prices, though, is that my half-sister is 73 and I would like to see her while she is alive! You never know what could happen.
More important than flight prices, though, is that my half-sister is 73 and I would like to see her while she is alive! You never know what could happen.
#180
Re: Experience of renewing UK passport from overseas
I have much the same story or terrible service.
My application was delivered by courier to the Durham office on 23rd March, payment taken on the 28th.
I'm renewing my sons passport, i called the 'help' line on the 2nd May and was promised a response withing 72 hours which did not come, called again on the 12th May, that time they filed a complaint and told me a team leader would respond to me within 72 hours.. no reply.. I called again on the 17th and totally lost me temper on the phone, the lady had no idea about the process, she could only ask me for the bar code, which i don't have as from Egypt you download and fill out the paper form, you don't do an online application.
After this i sent a mail via the form on the web site with a big complaint and all the info, a few days later i received an e-mail asking for all the details again, i don't know if this mail was a response to my mail or calls.. i sent all info again and was sent a reply that they would contact me within 72 hours... guess what.. no reply.... I have sent another mail..
So now its over 9 weeks and no one can even tell me if its in process, or they need more info or anything useful.
I have to travel in a few weeks if not before, my mother is elderly and unwell, and i wanted to spend the school holidays with her. The prices of he tickets have almost doubled in the last couple of weeks, i've spent a fortune on DHL and international calls, and i still have to travel 400 miles each way to pick up the passport if/when it ever arrives as they send it to the visa application center in Cairo (maybe because when i sent off the forms it said it will arrive to the consulate, now its the VAC)
feeling very frustrated with the whole thing.
When my own needed renewing 2 years ago es-pat applications were supposed to go to France and the fees were more that double UK fees, plus 2 ways courier plus 2 trips to Cairo to deliver documents and then receive the new passport, in the end i booked myself a cheap last minute flight and went and did the 1 day service in the UK, wish id done the same for my son now, would surely have worked out cheaper and i would have had a passport for him!
Still its nice to find this thread and know im not the only one facing this madness..
My application was delivered by courier to the Durham office on 23rd March, payment taken on the 28th.
I'm renewing my sons passport, i called the 'help' line on the 2nd May and was promised a response withing 72 hours which did not come, called again on the 12th May, that time they filed a complaint and told me a team leader would respond to me within 72 hours.. no reply.. I called again on the 17th and totally lost me temper on the phone, the lady had no idea about the process, she could only ask me for the bar code, which i don't have as from Egypt you download and fill out the paper form, you don't do an online application.
After this i sent a mail via the form on the web site with a big complaint and all the info, a few days later i received an e-mail asking for all the details again, i don't know if this mail was a response to my mail or calls.. i sent all info again and was sent a reply that they would contact me within 72 hours... guess what.. no reply.... I have sent another mail..
So now its over 9 weeks and no one can even tell me if its in process, or they need more info or anything useful.
I have to travel in a few weeks if not before, my mother is elderly and unwell, and i wanted to spend the school holidays with her. The prices of he tickets have almost doubled in the last couple of weeks, i've spent a fortune on DHL and international calls, and i still have to travel 400 miles each way to pick up the passport if/when it ever arrives as they send it to the visa application center in Cairo (maybe because when i sent off the forms it said it will arrive to the consulate, now its the VAC)
feeling very frustrated with the whole thing.
When my own needed renewing 2 years ago es-pat applications were supposed to go to France and the fees were more that double UK fees, plus 2 ways courier plus 2 trips to Cairo to deliver documents and then receive the new passport, in the end i booked myself a cheap last minute flight and went and did the 1 day service in the UK, wish id done the same for my son now, would surely have worked out cheaper and i would have had a passport for him!
Still its nice to find this thread and know im not the only one facing this madness..
The so called GOV in charge want to reduce immigrant numbers and save cash. So they made redundant the staff from the FCO's abroad and made British citizens abroad life hell in the name of appeasing the voters to counter the UKIP members votes. Funnily enough who (UKIP) seem to be either of migrant ancestry background's or BNP.
Country has gone to pot. The GOV need to be kicked out and all citizens deserve the right to vote in more than a 2.5 party orgy and have the right to protect their family's with any and all firearms they can possess to protect themselves from the corruption of absolute government.
Last edited by johno5175; May 25th 2014 at 7:01 pm.