amydls

So, my passport just sat at customs in heathrow for 3 days whilst DHL status only changed to ON HOLD after 2 days of it saying it was being delivered, 2 hours of phone calls to HM Passport office later and I am hoping to see it within the next few days, the turnaround WOULD have been amazing if not for the slight issue, apparently HM Passport office use a third party to courier TO DHL, if they don't write your full name on the envelope, just your first initial, customs usually stops the package ( you'd think that they would know this?!) anyways... just an FYI for people in the future, if you do it via Durham, it seems very quick BUT, keep your eyes on the DHL status because if you don't call them when it seems to be delayed, they won't sort it out.

Britexmom

I just got my package with my returned documents in the last hour, so three days behind the new passport. I was never issued a tracking number for either dpackage, and again dhl texted me 5 mins before knocking on my front door. I also only had my first initial and last name as opposed to my fulll name being on the envelope.
I am happy to have it all delivered but it's worrisome to be waiting for something so important and have no idea where it is or when you will receive it.

petitefrancaise

passport photo taken at Walgreens - they altered the background colour (filled in with software) to white. Will this be acceptable?

amydls

Yes technically it's not OK but they will except them , don't cut them down or do anything with them just send the sheet of two photos as Walgreens will give it to you and your passport will probably be back with you in a very very quick amount of time, if it hadn't been for a customs delay on my passport I probably would've had it back within a week

petitefrancaise

Cheers!
I went back and got them to retake the photo and they gave me both. Which is great because in the first photo I had put on make-up and styled my hair. The second one was me au naturel looking like a dog's dinner!

I've sent both off to Durham with a request that they take pity on me and use the better photo of me.

DebzinUS

The turnaround on my passport renewal was 10 days. I used Walgreens and the UK photo option. I and cut them to size, without any problems. I got my old passport back today, two weeks after I received my new passport.

kodokan

My kids' pics were taken on the usual US white background, and then the photo staff ever so slightly darkened them so they appeared an off-white; very light grey-ish. Passports went through no problem.

amydls

I did mine twice and they were both atrocious, i've heard the trick to getting a decent passport picture is to take yourself

ian-mstm

The are only two real restrictions for passport photos: 1) no shadows on your face; and 2) photo taken against a plain background.

Ian

petitefrancaise

Just got passports back - delivered to passport office on monday 24th April Dispatched on Thursday 27th April. Delivered to house 2nd May.

Did not return old passports though. Bit of a bummer since we had some cool stamps in them. Daughter will be disappointed.

Chesten

Impressive speed.

I've never been through the process from here but in UK I got old passport(s) returned separately and a few days after new passport came. It seemed inefficient to me but I presumed different teams must be involved in different processes (cancelling one and issuing a new one). So maybe yours will appear at a later date?

kodokan

Yes, my kids' old passports came back separately. They actually arrived the same day, but each passport, old and new, was in its own package and needed signing for. It's perfectly possible the old ones could turn up shortly.

jkeller

DHL showed up 2-3 days later with my old one.

DebzinUS

My old passport arrived two weeks after my new one arrived.

OldJuddian

My passports had a scenic trip here. UK -> Germany -> Israel, wait there a day, back to Germany, wait nearly 2 days, then finally they came to the USA. Both old and new passports traveled together but in different packages.
My daughter's picture is awful quality, as though drawn by a schoolkid with crayons. Nothing like the photo quality that was sent in. I had taken the photos at home and the photos printed at Target.