Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Hi all,

has anyone renewed their UK passport (from US) recently? How long is it taking?

when applying online, i was shown that it may take upto 11 weeks but i am hoping that in reality its sooner than that.

thanks

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

I got mine in 10 days from the US at the end of last month. Very fast indeed :)

Applied online on a Saturday. Took ages to get a decent photo, but all smooth apart from that. Sent old passport via 2 day recorded delivery, arrived on Tuesday. Passport office acknowledged receipt on Wed and printed new passport on Thursday. Received new passport from DHL on the following Wed and old passport on the Fri.

Very smooth and fast!! I imagine it will get a little slower as people think about traveling again.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Interested to know how you did your passport photo? What issues did you have?

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

In the end a simple picture taken with an iPhone against a simple plain background did the trick!

IIRC, when you upload a picture on the passport website, it gives the picture a grade of either Poor, Fair or Good. We wanted the picture uploaded to be rated Good. We spent hours trying lots of different backgrounds, different lighting and even different clothes using both a digital camera and an iPad - and all of these were rated Poor or Fair. I even went to CVS and paid $20 for a digital passport photo and uploaded it and it was rated Poor too!! Finally we tried with an iPhone (a not that fancy one either) and without really trying took a quick picture and uploaded it and it was rated Good, so we went with that! Not sure if the prior problems were our incompetence or the cameras/iPad didn't have enough megapixels. Good luck if you're doing it!! You'll probably find it easier than we did.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

I did CVS, got both the digital and prints, used the same ones for UK, US and a German passport and they were all accepted with no issues.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

As leuler said, a quick iPhone shot worked just fine when I renewed last fall.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Need to renew mine soon and I was wondering about the photo, so your post is really helpful.
Do you get a chance to check whether the photo is any good before you actually do the application? I'm just thinking that if my photos are rated poor and I have to retake them, do I have to go all through the application again, or does it save what you have already done?!

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

I also had similiar experience with the photos but in the end managed to take a few ok ones. Its mainly the issues with uneven lighting and the shadow in the photos.

That aside, i am wondering why the cost of posting the old passport to uk, so high? If I remember correctly the postage with Royal mail in UK is much cheaper.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Glad to help!

I can't remember exactly, but the online site was very easy to use. I don't think it stored the information, but it was really quick to enter the info if you have your current passport handy!

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Unless something changed I had to pay to return my old passport to the UK myself. I think I did 2 day UPS, was no more expensive than any other international package if a similar size I have sent. I would not have risked sending it by normal post.

The fee to renew also includes the secure courier fee to return the old and new passport separately. I think mine was via DHL.

That all adds to the cost, but cheaper than flying to the UK to do it in person. For my German one I had to go to the Embasy to both drop off my old passport and pickup the new one. Given the extra time that took I prefer the UK way of doing it even with the slightly higher cost ist easier and faster.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

thats great, many thanks. I must get on with renewing it now before the post-COVID rush starts.
Not that Australia will let me fly for another 2 or 3 years but I don't want to be without a current British passport!

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

I thought you could apply for a new one up to 9 months before the current passport expired, and the expiry of the new one would be 10 years after the expiry of the current one (ie you wouldn't 'lose' any months by applying early). But the website now says that you don't get time back if you apply early. Did i misinterpret before or is this a new thing?

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

My husband applied for his a couple of years back, 8 months before his current one expired (long story, but it was necessary). The expiry date was 10 years from the date they issued the passport, ie the 8 months wasn't added on :frown:

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

ah, what a coincidence. I too have British and german dual nationality.

though my german Reisepass doesnt run out till 2028 but its good to know the procedure.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

From September 2018 it changed so that you no longer get credit for any unexpired portion.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

I think it’s actually a consulate general, I think the embassy is in DC. Not sure where your are in terms of US citizenship, but I also did my

Beibehaltungsgenehmigung

through there before I could apply for USC. I found a lawyer on the Westcoast I used who was much cheaper than the NYC ones I talked to.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

i didn’t even know that it’s possible to acquire another nationality (bar another EU one) alongside your german nationality. I thought i would automatically lose my german one, as soon as i natualize as a US citizen.

As for Beibehaltungsgenehmigung, what are the rules for those:

1) who no longer have strong ties left with Germany? And/or
2) Are not born with a dual German & another non-eu nationality?

I already dread the paperwork required for any german document.

Thanks

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

I know there was an old yahoo group with DIY’ers but I had a lawyer do it. All the information is in German, and German language skills are a requirement. Maybe because I used the lawyer, but the embassy wanted to speak to me before they submitted it to Germany.

All the rules are pretty complex and often case specific. My own situation with the UK is pretty corner case and only applies to people born in a 4 or 5 year window.

Give the cost of most immigration stuff I thought an investment of $1.5-2k to keep an EU citizenship was worth it. I actually waited on my USC till both my sons were born so they would have all 3 from birth, in case the retention application did not work.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

I recently renewed my daughter's. It took one week from them receiving the paperwork to printing and sending the passport. We received the new passport on Wednesday this week and the old clipped passport back today.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

I renewed mine last month; the new one arrived about 10 days later.

I had one of my kids take iPhone snaps of me against a pale grey wall for the photo. When I uploaded it, it was first rated as Fair which it said was due to color or skin tone issues or some such. All I did to fix it was tap the little auto-enhance wizard wand thing to lighten it up a touch, re-uploaded, then the passport site said it was all good to go. It was accepted and used on my passport with no problems.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

yes last month. 7 day turnaround. very impressive

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Just did mine. Online application completed April 15h, back with me on April 30th.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Update: i was asked by the HMPO to send in my son’s birth certificate along with a parental consent letter, which delayed the whole thing by a month.

Today i ve finally received an email notification that the new Passport is printed and sent by ‘Secure Delivery’. No tracking nr etc is provided.

Any idea how long will it take from this point to actually receive the new Passport?

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Mine was on its way the day after I got the same email as you. DHL sent an email to say they had picked it up and thats when I was given the tracking number.
Took 5 days to reach me after that, but I'm in Aus not America.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Anyone have any updates on turnaround time as of June 27th? I'm wondering if the post-Covid rush has kicked in and processing times have lengthened now.

I am also a bit stressed out about the photo. I could not for the life of me take one without shadows at home so I ended up going to a professional photography studio. I thought the photo they took looked great, but it was only rated Fair when I uploaded it. I've no idea what they could have done to improve it. In the box that asks why you think you should be allowed to use the photo nonetheless, I just said that it followed every one of their photo rules, but I'm really worried they're going to reject it, and I need it for travel in just a few weeks!

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

if you need it for travel = don't delay. Best advice is make sure you have it before you book travel.
for me, about 25 days door to door, receiving today

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

You might be OK, I did around 2 dozen and couldn't get better than Fair, although i was following all the rules. I just stated that in the box, and they accepted the one I sent.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Here's mine (from Grenada, West Indies)

• Application submitted 9:12pm on 2 June 2021
• Application received 9:13pm on 2 June 2021
• Documents received 1:39pm on 10 June 2021
• Application being processed 12:19pm on 22 June 2021
• Application approved 9:22am on 25 June 2021
• Passport printed and sent 1:34pm on 25 June 2021

I haven't received the passport yet, nor have I received a tracking number from the courier. But life moves slower in the Caribbean!

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

From Chicago, little over three weeks

July 13th Application received
July 20th Old passport received
August 1st Application approved
August 2nd New passport on the way
August 5th New passport received

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

30 days here (Florida).

July 5th Application received
July 19th Old passport received
July 29th Application approved
Aug 4th Passport received

Photos were rated poor. One said eyes were closed. 2nd one still rated poor. I stated it was an accurate likeness and it was approved.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Could anyone please advise me: how did you ship your passport from US to UK? I was thinking USPS and went to the Post office today to do it but then had second thoughts and came home with it thinking maybe I should use UPS or FedEx. I am in Florida and want to make sure it will be securely delivered to UK. One more thing: my cost was around £105 is that normal cost? 86 plus shipping. And how was your new passport delivered to you? Which courier? Thank you so much

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

I sent mine FedEx, on their fully signed for service - worth the additional cost once a decade. Can’t remember the exact cost, but it was under $100 to send. Yes, that’s the usual UK passport renewal fee plus shipping that you paid online.

They return it using DHL, on a signed-for service. There was an option to change the delivery date if the one they notified me about didn’t work, but I was going to be home that day, so don’t quite recall the details about that. I think there was an option to maybe auto sign it online, and accept the risk of it being left.

Re: Current wait time for UK passport renewal
 

Recent application for information:
30 Aug 2021 - applied online
31 Aug - sent old passport back via USPS $25
23 Sep - HM passport office received passport
13 Oct - approved
14 Oct - being returned...now it gets fun:
19 Oct - DHL express let me know it will be delivered today. Signature required, so stay in all day. No delivery.
20 Oct - Online tracking shows passport delivered yesterday and signed for by me! Try to contact number given, local office, online, anywhere. Impossible to speak to anyone
20 Oct - Passport delivered and left on my porch. No signature requested. Lodge complaint
21 Oct - text from DHL - sending driver back to recover passport and redeliver correctly.
22 Oct - text from DHL - they are waiting for a response from the driver
25 Oct - spoke to DHL. The passport has been delivered to the wrong address so driver is going to pick up and redeliver
25 Oct text from DHL. Very sorry, passport cannot be recovered. Please take this up with the sender