jmh

True. I got my NZ passport in the UK and it has a lovely design. My mum's which she got in NZ is plain by comparison.

Stormer999

No you are totally wrong...a NZ passport will get you into NZ, the UK passport will only let you visit.... the NZ Visa helps it along...

jmh

Yeah I probably should have made it clearer - I'm talking about visiting NZ not entering to work or live.

Last time I looked Brits did need a visitor's visa to enter Australia for a holiday, unlike NZ.

Persephone

It's crazy really, MrS's NZ 5 year passport has more pages than my jumbo 48 paged UK passport. They don't transfer time remaining to your new passport either like the UK does. Since many countries require 6mth remaining time and he needs a valid passport for work, his lasts just under 4and a half years He does feel it's a bit of a rip off when he sees my passport that is valid for 10y9m!

He's applied for two passports since I arrived in NZ and mine still has 3 yrs to go! (three really but I don't count the one he decided to put through the washing machine)

Purrball

If some of my friends are any indication, then probably quite a few.

There are those Kiwis who come to the UK for their OE, for their two years and then they're off back again, back to NewZild to settle down and raise a family. And then there are those who either had British or European parents, or perhaps married while over here, who have settled here on EU or UK passports and as the years go by, for whatever reasons, find themselves settled for good. Myself and a few friends fall in this category. Apart from me, from casual chats, none of them have updated their NZ passports and we're all coming to an age where our parents are elderly and flights back to NZ become more frequent.

As for the aesthetics of the New Zealand passport, I've found it always gets a lot of comments when I've been jobhunting recently, as you have to prove your right to UK residency. The bio-id stuff, the plastic page, the transparent windows, all the swirls and the little security features — they always get commented on. Think it comes across as a bit exotic.

pippalonghorn

I have looked into it. For my littles ones passport it will be £101 which is around $200. That includes courier post too. A lot cheaper than getting it done here.

TommyLuck

And Turkey.

As a UK passport holder you have to pay £10 for the Visa to get in to Turkey.

On two visits with her NZ passport my wife didn't pay either time and in fact after a language barrier related cock up the first time, she handed over her tenner and got £13 back



With two dual nationals in the family we keep both (or all 4) passports current and active. Can't be bothered with the unforseen dramas of not having one or the other for the sake of a few hundred bucks every half a decade.

Also, handy to have a back up passport in the event you lose one, which hasn't happened yet

Stormer999

It might be 5 year renewable but the upgrades in technology in this day and age demand regular replacement to assist security.
Exotic but safer. Don't think there are too many terrorists using one.

chocolate cake

Yeah, used to be a rip of service at twice the price of renewing in UK when I renewed mine 3 years ago, hopefully it will be a close match to renewing from UK now.

pippalonghorn

I have just completed the process this morning for my daughters passport. Very easy. Cost £101 with postage costs included.

Spacecake799

Any idea if you are in NZ and need your UK passport renewing and it is now being sent to the UK. Any reason why you cant take it with you when you next visit the UK and get it done while your there?
Hope that makes sense.

Carole

Celticprince_86

I just paid for my first ever passport, as I plan on going back to the Uk permanently ASAP. The passport + postage cost me $303 dollars as opposed to $337 plus postage that it would have cost through the High commission. Together with a $45 bundle of photos and trackpack for documents from NZ post it was $348, so yes slightly cheaper.