eastrunner

Trying to renew my passport from Oman well ahead of summer travel, looks like its via the standard Gov.uk website, any don't do's to keep in mind? online searches say 6-9 weeks

TIA

ER

UKMS

I sent my second passport in yesterday by DHL from Dubai and estimate given when I applied was 11 weeks. Not too much of an issue as it’s my second. My wife’s is due soon and we are going to do it in person when we go to the UK and book a fast track appointment.

Nothing else to really advise as it’s pretty easy to do online.

When I did my last one it come back quicker than the estimate.

Only thing I would say is if you travel a lot get 2 passports if you can. It saves a lot of stress and headache at times.

csdf

Is a second passport that useful? You have to exit on the passport that has your residency visa in it, which means the second passport is irrelevant when exiting the country and can only come into play when travelling between countries that you are not resident in.

UKMS

I did say 'at times' ..... depends where you are travelling and from where, I have some visas in my second passport and usually the ones that take time to obtain or renew so I then usually have my passport associated with my residence to hand if i need to leave for other reasons. That said more countries are moving away from visa stamps so its less valuable but still handy to have.

csdf

But under what circumstances are you able to travel without the passport that has your residency visa stamp in it? I guess you can use E-Gate to exit and hope that it works again on return to let you in again?

UKMS

I keep the passport associated with residency with me if I can and have visas put in the second passport where possible. Bear in mind I’m not always travelling to/from UAE. I would never chance leaving here without my residency passport although now there is no stamp but Emirates ID is still associated with it.

slytrellis

I am in Qatar, not Oman but I recently did my daughters. Just followed the application process on line. All much easier that in the past.

I shipped the old one via DHL and it was in the UK in 2 days. The new one arrived in Doha 9 days later..

For once it was excellent service from a normally frustrating department.

UKMS

If its any use to anyone who wants to renew a passport on a trip to the UK, it seems that currently the Passport office are offering an online premium service, a slight variation of the urgent one day service they used offer (Im not sure when it changed). You can now make an applictaion online and then make an appointment between 2 days and up to 3 weeks ahead to collect the passport in person at one of the offices. The only thing I have noticed is that the system seems to go offline quite a bit out of office hours with a 'no appointments' error but from what Ive seen when its online there are tons of appointments if you are happy to travel to one of the regional offices outside of London. This is £193.

They also still offer the 7 day fast track service but that involves a manual form application, attending an office to process it and then waiting 7 days for the passport to be posted to a UK address.

Scamp

Sent the wife's passport yesterday, should arrive by Friday.
Will let anyone who cares know how long it takes to come back

Scamp

They didn't like the photo, told us on Monday.
We reuploaded on Tuesday evening, approved in about 30mins.
Emailed to say it was being produced and then last night to say it was being shipped.

If mine needed doing I'd be sending it off straight away, it's been far quicker than the 10weeks suggested on their website - including changing her name to our married name

TGFKASE

And Id hurry...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-64981979

eastrunner

Got my new passport back yesterday it was about 3 weeks in total the only delay was DHL was slow from Oman with the old passport.

Dxbstu387

How is Oman nowadays? Miss the place dearly

eastrunner

Oman is the same backwater in the GCC......quiet and peaceful and not all man made, after 7 years still love the place