StefkeUK

Hello everyone,

We have finally received our passport request. And to make sure we can arrange our plan as we wish, I'm going to London this Thursday.

Anyone else will be there ?

Also, if anyone has done it before, I would do with some experiences sharing.

Thanks

StefkeUK

spooooook

I'll be there. I've decided I don't trust Royal Mail with my passport at the current time.

Looks like there could be quite a queue of like-minded immigrants on Thursday. Where are you coming from?

TheBear

I dropped mine last week. I got there at 1.45 and I got through the door at about 2.35 and there was still a long queue behind me...I don't know if they shut the door bang on three or process the whole queue or not. I suspect that there will be even more this week due to the postal strike, so I'd recommend getting there earlier. Also, they make all those collecting passports go first, so as the numbers of those increase, so will the wait for those dropping off as they go behind (even people collecting who turn up really late go straight to the front of the queue...a good tip for when you collect!).

Those dropping off stand on the left by the railings, those collecting get fast tracked on the right and have to show their ticket. It annoys the hell out of the pedestrians trying to get past

spooooook

I'm getting a train arriving at about 12 noon, so I plan to be in place in the queue at around 12.30 to 1pm.

If I'm at the back of the queue and they shut the door bang on 3pm without seeing me, there will be hell to pay!

StefkeUK

I will be coming from Manchester. It's not so much for the postal strike but more to be sure when i will have the passport back and make our plan to go.

spooooook

I'll keep my eye open for you. Wear a red carnation on your left lapel

webnibs

Hi,
Dropped off and picked up passports a few weeks ago, at 2pm you get split into 2 queues, details in link below.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...t=passport+CHC

Picking up passports 2 weeks after drop off was exciting, nerve racking - the security guard even had the nerve to joke with me that passports weren't ready and I'd have to come back next week, although thankfully I'd seen the our envelope in his hand before he said it.

Staff and security guards are really nice up there.

Good luck for Thursday
Rich.

StefkeUK

Got there at 11:30 am and wited up to 2:00 pm(first on the queue).
Went in at 2:00pm and out at 2:00 pm. The dropping process took a ridicul 30second.

Back in two weeks.

spooooook

You didn't wear your red carnation. otherwise I would have said hello!

I was 10th in the queue, ended up 7th in the drop-off queue when it was split, in at 2.15pm, out again at 2.16pm.

Good day all told, that is, until I got nailed by a jobsworth ticket inspector at Euston who told me that my 3.30pm train was in fact a peak train and that I had to pay an additional £128 for the privilege of travelling home on it. I can see how Virgin Trains make their profits now. Not happy :curse:

StefkeUK

I assume you have been to London today to pick up your passport.
How was it ? did you have to wait for long ?

TheBear

You just reminded me to post the ubiquitous "Received passports thread!"

Turned up at 2.00, was at the back of the 'collection' queue, passed all those dropping off and was out by 2.15 with two passports containing new visa

julescg

Hi everyone

we've just been notified that they want us to send in our passports and photos to get our visa put in! The rules for the photos look confusing - did you guys just have passport photos done again - or did you have to get them done elsewhere??

cheers
and congrats to those having picked up their visas

englishrose1

I know what you mean when they state they want them in their measurements. The measurements of their passport photos are exactly the same as ours. I got that info from another member of the forum. So I went to Klick's had the normal passport photo's done. I sent them off with my passport and I got my passport back no problems last saturday. So dont worry go and get normal photo's. The girl was really nice in the shop and even used the machine to cut them all so they were neat. Good luck!

TheBear

Just went to a photo booth in tesco and did them...they were fine...ordinary passport photos are all you need even if the forms say different.

julescg

Super - that makes life a little easier - now to wait for the postal strike to end!!