Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

I know people have probably had all kinds of experiences with DHL's delivery of their passport renewals, but I must say I'm not at all pleased with mine.

No one was at home (we were away that day) and not only did the DHL delivery person leave it where there was no roof overhang, no real protection from the elements, on a rainy day. But I received an email that delivery had "been attempted" along with a request to contact DHL, leading me to believe that the parcels were still in DHL's custody. When I called DHL, after a long time on hold, I was asked by the competent-seeming human I spoke to when I would prefer delivery to be. :confused: So I scheduled it for today.

Imagine my surprise when I returned home late last night to find the soaking-wet parcels on my doorstep. :mad: I've dried the passport out as best I can, but am wondering if the chip could be damaged....? I suppose I'll find out when I fly to Blighty shortly. :huh:

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

Anyone know roughly how long it takes after your passport has been signed for ,for your application status to change?

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

Mine went like this:

Delivered: 29 April 2015
Status updated: 30 April 2015 - Declaration form received, being processed

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

mine was delivered wednesday morning,,, and as for now my status is "Awaiting information from the applicant".. its probably nothing, probably busy due to it being summer,

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

Just an update
Passport arrived in UK July 3rd,
New passport delivered by DHL this morning (July 14th). :thumbsup:

Quite Impressed with their service.
Someone from the passport office even returned my call ,as i phoned to find out if the passport was actually delivered.
Even now, my on line status for the passport still shows "
Declaration form received, being processed "

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

Trying to renew my passport for the first time and having great fun with the photo sizes.
Where did you get your photos?
Thanks,

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

Walgreens have a setting which is fine. Just tell them you need a UK passport photo

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

I used to trim them myself -against official advice- measuring millimetres with fastidious precision, but now they do the UK passport format photos at my local CVS- one less hassle!

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

UPDATE:

"I applied online for my first adult passport (I had one when I was 3).

Applied online: 24 April 2015
Docs via FedEx: 27 April 2015
Delivered: 29 April 2015
Status updated: 30 April 2015 - Declaration form received, being processed"

Counter signatory rejected: 25 June 2015
New countersigned application sent: 30 June 2015
New passport and original birth certificate received back: 11 August 2015

They had trouble verifying my first counter signatory so I had to find someone else to do another for me.

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

Both CVS and Walgreens say they can't make UK sized passport photos. Perhaps they just don't know how to operate the machine. I'll give them both another go. Thanks.

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

Try different branches. My local walgreens is great and in my area there are a lot of foreigners so I guess they are used to figuring out the differing requirements.

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

The walgreens machines have the details for a lot of different countries, the walgreens I used had to cut them manually and ended up doing them twice as she cut the first one a mm two small and knew it would be rejected.

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

Yes, you need to find the RIGHT pharmacy (CVS,Walgreens, Rite-Aid, doesn't matter the name). Not just any old one will work. IMO, it has to be a larger nicer pharmacy, and as PF says in an area where there are varied foreigners who need foreign passport photos taken. Then you need the right motivated operator who has figured out the templates on the photo machine and has some experience successfully making the photos.

At the CVS where I got mine, one 'assistant' told me to come back when her manager was on duty, because the manager was the only one who had been able to take passport photos for foreigners--she understood the machine. When I did catch the manager on duty, she knew just what to do, and went through all the countries whose passport photos she'd done....

If you don't get the feeling they can help you at one pharmacy, try another....

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

Thanks for the good suggestions. They'd probably work in your area but, although I live in the largest city in Ks, it looks as though I'm going to have to plod from shop to shop until I find someone who can use the contraption.
Wichita? Well, someone has to live here.

Re: Uk passport renewal times in the USA
 

do you want me to go and ask for instructions from my walgreens? I'm assuming they all have the same machine?

I got my son's photo done there a couple of months ago without any problems.