To remind you to get your passport applications done now!

[Bluetinkerbell]

Applied for DD3's first passport last week, it arrived yesterday! So turn around of 1 week instead of the predicted 3 weeks!

So, everyone who needs passports done, do it now to avoid stress in the summer! :)

[stormforce10]

There I've done the form. Appears they will print it and send it back to me for signing, a cheque and relevent documents then I send it back to them.

Complicated

[IamtheZombie]

There were so many passport panic threads last summer that Zombie actually made a note to start a thread in mid March this year urging people to check their passports now and to get applications in sooner rather than later. (The undead live such an exciting life!)

Bluetinkerbell beat her to it by about a week.

[ForFoxsGlacierMints]

In scotland they give you the short version for free when you register the birth and you can buy the full version for £10. Not sure if its the same everywhere but you should be able to get it from the local registry office.

[IamtheZombie]

Where are you going, Bramshott? In many cases the passport needs to be valid for 6 months beyond the end date of a trip. Any unused time on the current passpost is, Zombie thinks, added on to the new one. Please check today.

[Bramshott]

Hi Zombie - it's just Belgium by Eurostar so I think we're fine?

[ForFoxsGlacierMints]

stormforce10 I did the online application - waiting for it to come through the post was by far the longest bit of the process (about 3-4 weeks). Actual passport arrived within 10 days though.

[IamtheZombie]

Bramshott, yes, you should be OK for that. This is from the FCO website on travel to Belgium:

Passport validity
For stays of up to three months your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.

[CommanderShepard]

They do seem to be cracking them out at the moment.

On the subject of birth certificates one of the best pieces of advice I was given by a midwife on the postnatal ward was to get 4 copies of the full certificate in case we sent it off and it got lost. Given my own was lost years ago, causing loads of headaches when I applied for my first passport, we did as she said!

[Bramshott]

Thanks Zombie! I'm going to stop panicking and do it between May and the end of July. There's loads of time, I'm just a control freak!

[EllenParsons]

I renewed mine on the one day service at the centre in Victoria recently. Was really efficient and not much more expensive than a normal passport renewal as far as I remember. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who needs to be sure their passport is done quickly!

[WhoPaintedTheLion]

Put applications for my DD's passports in today. Will recieve them tomorrow.

[Dryjuice25]

That's me reminded thanxb

[TomArchersSausage]

Good point. I have the forms but I have to renew 3 dc's passports and I HATE filling in those forms and keep putting it all off. The minute I know I'm not supposed to write outside a little box my pen slips and I always do. Usually just on the last bit.

[diddl]

What is the point of the "short" birth cert-anyone know?

It seems that a long one is always required when applying for anything!

[Bluetinkerbell]

Evening bump

[LynetteScavo]

Do you know how difficult it is to get a 14yo into a photo booth? Do you? Do you?

[HowVeryCouncilHouse]

Go to Max Spielman they take the photo for you. They are fantastic, I'll never use a photo booth again.

[BartletForTeamGB]

The only use of the short birth certificate is to apply for child benefit. That's why you get that one for free.

[akaemmafrost]

5 days, dd's took. I did do check and send at the post office but still thought that was a very speedy turnaround indeed.

[NotADragonOfSoup]

Remember that you can renew them before they expire. The new passport expired 10 (or 5) years after the old one so you don't lose any time. I think you can do it up to 6 months in advance and not lose any time.


TomArchersSausage fill the form in online. Then it is printed and sent to you - very little opportunity for your pen to slip :)

[NotADragonOfSoup]

Do you know how difficult it is to get a 14yo into a photo booth?

Take the photo yourself and printer it via Passpic or similar.

[milkymocha]

My renewal took 1 week exactly but my childrens first passports took 4 weeks.

Remember to make a note of all application numbers. You will not be able to track your passports without these!

[HowVeryCouncilHouse]

Bram do it this week you'll have it in plenty of time for April and the extra months will be added on.

[CuthbertDibble]

Word of warning, filling it in online is not always a good idea. I did ours and they weren't accepted at the Post Office because some of the printing wasn't within the boxes!

Lady at the PO said it happens a lot.

[NotADragonOfSoup]

The only issue I've had with the online form is that it has a weird fault processing our surname. Switches it with another word for the "check your details" page but prints it correctly.