Re: Renewing your UK passport
 

I've done both here and in the UK - in both cases I waited less than 20 mins (except I had to wait to get authority for a second passport faxed over from the UK when I was in London - if I'd had that the time in the office and embassy would have been identical).

It took two weeks to get the passport in Dubai and cost nearly 150 quid. It took four hours in London, and cost under 125.

On the other hand, I had to go back to the UK to get it done there. :)

Re: Renewing your UK passport
 

I have just renewed mine in Jeddah just before xmas.
Dont forget your passport pics!!!
They must be on a white background and a certain size ok and no wearing of eye glass's or they will be rejected .One of the pics must be signed on the back by your boss or some one
ask at the embassy for more details.

Re: Renewing your UK passport
 

NOOOOOOO!

"Photos must be taken against a plain light grey or plain cream background"

NOT WHITE. They'll reject them if they're against a white background. There are big signs up in the UK Passport office about this!

Also, if you're renewing in the UK, no need to get anyone to sign it if you can be recognised from your old passport picture.

Re: Renewing your UK passport
 

not if its a baby picture.....:rofl:

Re: Renewing your UK passport
 

Not sure about Abu Dhabi, but I got my daughter's done in Feb at the Consulate in Dubai - official time is 5 working days, and that's the date I was given too. But the fee is only AED 420, so that's around 80 quid, not 150!?However, in Dubai there are no such signs :) Yes, the official PDF on the FCO website asks for a "plain light grey or plain cream background", but the lady at the Dubai Consulate who scans the photos for the passports is perfectly happy with white - in fact, when asked what colour, her reply was that white's fine and that's what we used. I think they might be more strict about this at the UK Passport Office?

Re: Renewing your UK passport
 

It's AED 690 for a normal one, and AED835 for a jumbo...

Re: Renewing your UK passport
 

You're right, the fees I quoted were for below-16 years, my apologies :o. According to this page on the FCO site, the fees are as follows, all payable in Dirhams:

Issuing a Normal Passport, including renewals, replacing restricted validity, amendments, LSRs
Normal Passport (32 pages)
- 16 yrs and above £119.00 AED 655.00
- below 16 years ( 5 yr validity) £76.00 AED 420.00
Jumbo Passport (48 pages) £144.00 AED 790.00

Re: Renewing your UK passport
 

You're right - they updated the Dirham prices in Feb :) Mine were the prices from last Nov. :o

One other thing - in the UK you can pay by credit card and get miles/points/cashback/whatever :thumbsup:

Re: Renewing your UK passport
 

Just going through the process of getting a new passport in AD, I asked why it takes 10 days, did they get them printed in the UK? The lady behind the counter told me that they are printed in the embassy and something about the biometric RFID tag taking time (which is obviously tosh if it can be done in hours in the UK).

If you get a chance, fill in the comment card, enough people make a comment something might change. I also whinged about the 8am to 1pm opening times!