webnibs

Hi all,
Wanted to share with you our experience of dropping off passports to London.
Had our passport request through 3 weeks ago, but due to very busy travel schedule, couldn't get passports in the post or get to London to drop off.
The passport request mentioned to allow 30 days by post ( didn't want to risk Royal Mail with strikes etc ) or 10 working days for drop off. Drop off service is every Thursday between 2pm - 3pm.

With needing passport for business decided to drop off passports yesterday 17th Sept.
Queued from 38 Grosvenor Street back towards Grosvenor Square. I arrived at 1.30pm and was about 15th in the queue by 2pm there was around 50 ish in the queue.
2pm the security guard appeared and split the queue into people picking up on the left and people dropping off on the right.
The people picking up went in first, in groups of about 6 - 8, and are fairly quick at coming out again with brown A4 envelopes.
When all the pickups are through around 2.20pm the drop off people start going in groups of 6 - 8 ( only one person from each application ).
Security guard closed the door and then explained the process for dropping off passports ( there's no bag searches, security checks etc ).
Have your File number, passport and photos + information sheet ready. One by one you go round the corner and there's a lady at a low desk and asks for your file number, she records it and gives you a piece of paper with a raffle ticket number to bring back in 2 weeks time. ( probably the most important piece of paper you'll have in the whole application without the paper you can't get your passports back with shining visas in ).

It will be almost 3 years to the day when we pick up our passports since we applied.
Roll on 1st October, would be nice to be first in the queue.
Plan to land during 3 week Christmas holiday - can't wait.

The help and advice on BE has been invaluable over the past years, a huge thank you to everyone and keep up the excellent work.

Good luck to everyone else waiting, and be patient, I emailed CHC once as I was unable to connect to eCAS to check status, after medicals had been submitted and Police Check from Australian for OH, she had spent more than 6 months there over 10 years ago ( you have to submit fingerprints for Oz Police Check, more money ( cheque in Australian Dollars ) and a trip to Scotland Yard, as I understand it prints couldn't be done locally ).

Cheers
Richard.

PS. Photos for applications, not sure if anyone has recommended www.epassportphoto.com if you have a photo quality printer, use the website and select the country that you need photos, for Canada you can select Passport, Visa and Citizenship. Take a few digital photos then upload one to website and use the template markers to ensure your face is within the correct dimensions, then print off card with 7 pictures ( all the same ) cut them out and send them off.

ready2go

Hi Richard,

many thanks for the information, I have a couple of questions for you about the photos.

Did you need a further 7 photos each and what size did they have to be.

once again thanks for the very useful feedback

webnibs

Hi ready2go,
You only need 2 photos when you submit your passports, with epassportphoto.com the free sheet that you can save has 7 photos on.
Hope that helps
Thanks
Richard.

82UK

Hi where is the file number please? Is this client ID? If not where do I find my file number please? Thank you in advance.

MR79

file number normally starts with a letter like B*********, if you recieved your PR request by email it will be in the subject line, if by post not sure, it is different from the client id.

82UK

Thanks so much! Much appreciated.

lifeisajourney

Congratulations on making it through 3 long hard years of waiting!

bewillow

www.epassportphoto.com is indeed a pretty neat site. I've used it for UK and Canadian passport photos.

marimac

Thanks for the helpful advice. Stupid question really - but do you put your passport, photos and info sheet into an envelope for them, or hand them over loose?

Also do you need to include a self-addressed envelope if doing in person?

raymasa

Hand them loose, although I had paper clipped the photos and the form to the passport.

If dropping off in person, no need for self-addressed envelope, as you would need to pick up the passport in person 2 weeks after you have dropped them off. If you have dropped off in person, they will not post them to you.

Ray

marimac

Thanks - I didn't want it all to get seperated!

bangalg

2 questions:

(a) Can I authorise somebody else to drop off the passport (on Thursday 1) and pick it up later (on Thursday 3)?

(b) I just got a fresh passport done (India) while all reference in my Immigration application, etc. has been to the older passport. Should I submit all the Passports- old and current- when I submit it for Visa stamping?

Regards,
Girish

raymasa

a) Yes you can, or at least were able to, unless they have changed this. Check to make sure (or someone else be able to answer)

b) I had the same issue. On the passport request form I wrote the new passport number, but submitted both passports with the request.

Ray

singingringingtree

Excellent information Webnibs. This is a good example of how this forum is so helpful.

bangalg

Thanks Raymasa and Webnibs