Re: Passport Delays
 

To be pedantic... that's not a Consulate. It's the UK Embassy.


A first-time passport can easily take 12-14 weeks. That the applications are for children is irrelevant.

Ian

Re: Passport Delays
 

The consulate division is located in the same place as the embassy. The consulate division deal with passports, birth cert's, students visas for U.K., etc. The embassy division deal with intergovernmental issues and have zero to do with issuing passports.

Re: Passport Delays
 

That's the first I've heard of 12-14 weeks. Where did you get that time scale?

Their website states:

"Customers should allow 4 weeks when making an application through the UK Passport Service for the Americas and Caribbean."

My first daughter's first-time passport was ready in two working days via the British consulate service in Mexico City (located in the same building as the embassy). As stated before that service is no longer available.

Re: Passport Delays
 

I guess things have changed in the last 2 years. When I sent my passport for renewal, it was handled by the UK Embassy. Generally speaking, a Consulate doesn't have the authority to issue passports which, you might agree, is an "intergovernmental issue".


I didn't just pull it out of thin air, if that's what you're thinking! First-time passports always take longer because all information must be verified beforehand... something that isn't required for a renewal. This is based on the collective experience of this forum and others. Does something have to be written down before you believe it? I'm guessing the Embassy in Mexico City didn't have many UK passports to issue. I'll note that the web site for the UK Embassy in Mexico states "From 9th November 2009 full passports will no longer be issued at this Embassy."

Ian

Re: Passport Delays
 

Going by the latest posts 5 weeks seems to the average time including first time applications.

Mexico City still offers some British consular services they even have a separate entrance with a sign stating "Consular services", I should know as I've been there 5 times:

Pulled from the FCO site in reference to Mexico City consular services:

How to register a birth

Registering a birth overseas

If your child is born in Mexico you can register the birth with the nearest consulate or with our consular department in London if you’ve returned to the UK. You don’t have to do this, but if you do your child will be given a British style birth certificate and the birth will be registered at the General Register Office in the UK.

Re: Passport Delays
 

http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/help-fo...-passport-usa/

It also says first time applications take longer.

Dean

Re: Passport Delays
 

Still seems like the Washington office is under staffed. Did they properly prepare to takeover the work load when they started doing all the passport applications for all the Americas and Caribbean instead of just the USA? Okay a first-time application may occasionally take longer than four weeks, but by the latest posts Washington is taking at least five weeks for renewals in an off peak season. The sending part is only one day in each direction when using UPS and in my case it left Mexico and got to the passport service in Washington in half a day.

The time scale still isn't logical when the British consular service in Mexico City took two working days to issue a first-time passport.

Re: Passport Delays
 

So on the day they charged my card (Feb 17th) I was told it would take 3 weeks to process a renewal from that point.

My travel date is March 4th so I just spoke to Careline today who passed on my flight itnerary info to DC office so the process could be escalated. There is now a 72 working day call back process - which means I have to wait until Monday to get a call back to find out if my renewal can be returned to me in time for the flight.

My application was received Jan 27th and obviously sat for a while, I think the snowstorms added to the delay as the office was unexpectedly closed for extra days.

Anyhow - either way the wording of the processing time has been modified on the website since I mailed in my application - whether the original statement of a ten day processing time was correct or not is irrelevant - it was clearly very misleading. And Careline rep said this too.

This has been an extremely upsetting, stressful and now potentially costly experience.

Re: Passport Delays
 

You seem to be very negative about everything. I suspect you have particularly bad karma. Either that, or you live in a fantasy where everything works well and is satisfactory to you at all times.

Ian

Re: Passport Delays
 

Sent my renewal in on Feb 9. It's now Feb 25 and they haven't even taken payment. I leave in two weeks. Thanks, Washington.

Re: Passport Delays
 

I really can't fathom why people book tickets and pay good money for flights without first actually having a valid passport in their hot little hands! A bit like putting the cart before the horse. Sure... rail against the UK Embassy for not processing things as fast as they advertise (as though advertising makes it an absolute... two words: "caveat emptor"), but as anyone who's ever gone to Las Vegas can tell you... in the long term, the house always wins.

Seriously... what's the matter with you people? Did you wake up one morning and suddenly decide to spend money frivolously while all the time taking a chance on the one essential item that would make all things possible?

I could understand if there was an emergency situation that required immediate travel, but for that there are remedies other than a passport. But this... this is just mind-boggling.

Hmm... perhaps this belongs in TIO. I expect to get a lot of flack for this comment.

Ian

Re: Passport Delays
 

No, I just expect good service when paying for one of the worlds most expensive passports, that is not bad karma. If I were dealing with hippies I might expect a slow not as stated service, but this is the British foreign office. They started out by saying 10 days for a renewal on their website and have now moved the goal posts mid-process to 4 weeks.

I just hope that your passport never arrives late when you need to get a flight due to unforeseen circumstances.

Re: Passport Delays
 

1) That wouldn't happen, because I have never let any of my 3 passports expire or get close to expiring... specifically because of unforeseen circumstances; and 2) there are remedies available other than a passport for emergency travel.

It sucks that this has happened to you and the others, but is the Embassy really to blame because y'all didn't renew soon enough? An emergency on your part does not constitute one on theirs.

Ian

Re: Passport Delays
 

Lucky for you with three passports, but my one year old needs a British passport for various reasons.

What if you only had the right to one passport and it was stuck in the mill whilst one of your close relatives passed away in th U.K., I bet you wouldn't be too happy at missing the funeral.

Re: Passport Delays
 

Ian, I don't think this is the time and the place for smug comments, quite frankly. Lostinmex and I may not have been organized enough to meet your lofty standards, but it doesn't give you the cue to begin reminding us all how wonderful you are to have your three passports in order.

All I know is that due to unforseen circumstances, I have to be in England in the next three weeks. I was assured when I called the careline that passport turnaround time for a renewal is around 4 weeks, and payment is processed almost immediately after the application is received. And here I am almost three weeks later and I don't even know if they've received the bloody thing or if it's sitting in a pile of snow.

As mentioned earlier, we're not talking about a bunch of hippies at the locl goodwill. After being charged over $200 in fees and working with the BRITISH EMBASSY, I think the least that can be expected is a bit of efficiency.