jdr

Mmmmmm should be interesting Fred, with the new light cream or light grey backgrounds on white paper.
Mine was a white background on white paper, and when you slightly tilt the passport I have what looks like a pair of wings on my face, one each side of my eyes.
Maybe this is why they are so particular on the face being dead center and a certain distance from the camera.
There is also another wing type thing to the right over the text.
The watermark shows on my white photo background as it is greyish, but maybe not show ona grey background.

Fred James

How angelic jdr - is there by any chance a little halo hovering over your head?

jdr

Lol, now that is an impossibility for any designer to achieve.

digdug

lol - fred, i too was as equally amazed that a courier firm here could actually bother to find our place. that was as interesting as getting the passport back!
DD

Fred James

Now we know why they charge so much for a passport.

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news...le_22301.shtml

New Mercs next!

jdr

A lot is added to the PP cost and goes into a repatriation fund too.

scampicat

I am in the UK at the moment, staying at our house. We will be here another month at least.

Can I renew my passport through the post in the UK or do I have to go in person?

VFR

Post & my advice is to use the Post Office's dedicated passport checking/special service for a trouble free turnaround.

Brian

jdr

True, but don`t you have to be resident in the UK to use that service.
A passport is marked different when it is applied for from Spain, so if they find out you actually live in Spain there may be a problem ?

VFR

Point taken I never noticed that the poster was in Spain, in that case please ignore my advice.

Brian

jdr

I think they reside in both, I know what you mean.
The way they are with PP`s now i think a little care should be taken where to apply for them.
In the UK you have to apply in person and sign that you are a UK resident, the only other way if you are abroad is through the ripoff Consulate way.
There must be a reason to have a FCO stamp on them just above the signature.

Fred James

No you don't.

The Passport Office website makes it quite clear that a non-resident can renew while in the UK.

Non-UK residents

If you do not live in the UK, you can apply in person to renew your passport while visiting the UK. To do this you need to call the IPS Passport Adviceline on +44 (0)300 222 0000 to make an appointment at a Regional Passport Office. You must also provide an address in the UK to which IPS can post the new passport.

jdr

Right, but do you still get charged the same as applying out here.

Lorna at Vicenza

I don't think so JDR.

I have been looking into passport renewal too as mine runs out next year and this year I discovered that since June 2009, the Embassy in Rome no longer handles British passports.

All our passport requests from Italy now have to be sent to bloody Paris and if the price wasn't already astronomical - we now have to pay an added 40 euro for a courier service.

Makes one wonder what the hell the British Embassy is actually doing in Rome these days?

scampicat

I have rung the Passport Office and asked them.

I can apply by post using the PO Service mentioned above and it is charged at UK rates.

I do not have to apply in person, I specifically asked that question.

I am Spanish Resident.

Thanks all for your input.

(edited to add, after reading the above extract from the Passport Office that says you have to apply in person: They still say I can post it as I have a UK address. I made it quite clear that I am Spanish Resident).