Passport prices
 

I have just had to renew my Passport 169 ruddy €`s :eek::eek:

Can anyone tell me why it costs nearly double the UK price by getting it from Madrid ?

A friend in Barbados is charged...... "we have to go through Barbados FCO - its $320 Barbados dollars which is about 78 quid. Plus of course the FedEx which adds another 25 quid as they only accept secure delivery."

Re: Passport prices
 

Cos its a bloody con! :thumbdown:

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I am going to go back when we have to do ours and stay a couple of weeks

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OK, that is pretty damn close to the mark I reckon.

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We have to keep the totty and chaps in pinko at the Madrid wine bar sorry I mean The British Embassy. Silk ties are expensive in Madrid don't you know :p

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:sneaky: I just wish that weren't so feasible. :frown:

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The Repatriation fund!!!!

For those that get into trouble when abroad and have no money to get home .... you and I pay :)

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So why is that not on the Barbados bill then ?

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It is rip-off Britain extending its arms abroad.
Irene's Dutch passport does not cost that much

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Not only the price but a different procedure too, just for renewing a passport. Apply in the UK and all you need to send is the form, the old passport and a couple of photos. Apply to Madrid and the form and one photo has to be countersigned which is another little bit of hassle. Sounds like it is best to apply by post from a UK address when the time comes.

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A full Spanish 10 year passport is only €17.20.

It's just another stealth tax in the UK.

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Compare here (http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/downl...on-April08.pdf) the prices of passports and the UK is certainly expensive for passports even at the UK price of 72 quid.

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You're probably right, bhut it does specifically state if you are a resident abroad you must apply in that country .... not the UK

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The price we pay for being English.

As far as I am concerned you can stick the precious pound up your rectal orifice and twist it vigorously.

It's just another con trick to gouge us.

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That's 'cos it will cost you more that way.

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You're not happy about that then Bil? :D

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how can they tell? if you use a friend's or relative's adress they will not know a thing!

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I do love ya bil! :wub:

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It doesn't.

Quote:-
If you live in the UK you can use this website for all your passport needs. If you do not live in the UK you can apply through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) or contact your nearest embassy, consulate or high commission. Alternatively, you may apply in person for a passport whilst visiting the UK. In order to do this, you need to make an appointment at a passport office and you must provide an address in the UK to which the passport may be posted. Please note that we do not accept applications by post or e-mail if you live abroad.

Re: Passport prices
 

Which I extrapolate into : Its OK to use a friend's or relative's UK address from which to apply and receive your passport by post. Obviously you cannot travel between sending your old passport in and getting your new one back but what is wrong with sending the form and old passport to a daughter in the UK (for example). She posts the form and your old passport, hopefully receives the new one within 3 weeks or so and posts it to you, or even brings it with her next time she visits.

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It's pretty simple - they really couldn't care where you live but they will not post passports outside the UK.

They suggest you make an appointment but that is only if you want the fast track service (on the assumption that you will not be in the UK for long).

As far as I can see, what you suggest is perfectly OK. If you do use the fast track/same day service then the cost goes up to £97/£114

If you use the Post Office "Check and Send" service (£7) then it should only take 2 weeks or less.

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I agree with that Fred and in a month or two, when there is less than 9 months to run on the old one and no planned travels for a bit, that is what I intend to do. Post office check and send is not an option as I would lose the old passport and be stuck in UK so it will have to be all by post from/to a UK address. I did recently have some raised eyebrows from immigration "across the pond" wondering how I had a UK passport issued in Madrid although they accepted my explanation eventually. When we had the consulate here in Sevilla and I was doing a lot of travelling, the consulate actually managed to get my new passport from Madrid and let me hold on to the old one for travelling until the new one arrived and they swapped it over in minutes. But now we lost the consulate to the CdS so not an option any more.

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It does somewhere Fred because I read it when I renewed my passport last year and remember thinking how stupid it was. I have to get everything to do my wifes passport renewed in a few months time, so I'll have a look then ... maybe it was to do with postal applications, I dont know, but it definately said it on there last year

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Does nay one here use the Spanish ID card to travel outside Spain with? If so you can send off your passport and use that until the new passport arrives.

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Well I only quoted the latest info but of course it may have changed since you looked.

It's probably more likely that, as it is so badly presented, that you inferred that it couldn't be done by post. It does seem that the only limitation (apart from the time it takes), is that they cannot post it back to you.

I think they are actually trying to be helpful by not encouraging you to get into a situation where you visit the UK and cannot leave because your passport is still being processed.

The fact that you have to pay more through the embassy probably has nothing to do with the Passport Service. It is administered totally by the FCO and they can charge what they like.

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If you are referring to the (old) residencia card, then no, you cannot use it to cross non Schengen borders (such as the UK or Gib).

If you are travelling within the (Schengen) EU you do not require a passport at borders but you can be asked for proof of identity - a residency card or photo driving licence would suffice. There can be a problem flying as the airline may insist on a passport although by law they only have to accept a photo identity. It's not a point you want to argue while late at the check in.

A Spanish DNI is a "national identity card" and is accepted for travel into the UK or Gib. As yet, the UK do not issue ID cards and if they did the price of a passport would look almost a good deal in comparison!

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Thank you sweetie.

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Entirely possible :)

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Maybe some one wants to purchase one of these passports, going very cheap.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/29/ukcrime1

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Sorry Fred but this is not true. We recently had to get a new passport for my wife - we had overlooked the fact that it had expired and, surprise, surprise it was rejected as proof of id.

Anyway, we used her sisters address. The photos were then rejected despite having been checked at the PO. I rang them to ask why and to explain the problem in getting new ones done as we were living and Spain. The results were amazing. He immediately referred us to his boss who confirmed that we were 'breaking the law' by applying for a passport whilst not in the country!!!

We asked how we could do anything else as it had expired and also explained that we could not afford the 'rip-off' via Madrid - he simply reiterated the legal position and told us he would be sending the old passport back!!!


Mmmmmmm....

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So Fred is right then, you can only apply in person in the UK and the passport will be sent to the UK address, or if you apply from Spain then you must go through the Embassy and your passport will be sent to the Spanish address and get ripped off same as me.

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You may have had a different experience but the IPS website clearly says that you can apply for a passport whilst visiting the UK and they will post it to a UK address.

If you complicate the issue by telling them that you are in Spain I am not surprised at the "jobsworth" reaction.

It's a bit like phoning Sky from Spain and complaining that you can't afford a big dish!:):)

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Snivelling little jobsworths.