AIBU to be surprised that when you renew a British Passport, you have to send any passports off you have from other countries?

[PassportQuestionxoxo]

Just renewing British passport. In the last few years, have gained an Irish passport. I was surprised to find that in order to renew my British passport, I need to send my Irish passport to the British Passport office as well. The only alternative to sending off the Irish passport, is to do a colour photocopy of all the 30+ pages, which would be a massive task.
Is anyone else surprised by this or is it just me? I had thought that one of the advantages to having a second passport is that you can use it when the other one is not available. Yes, I know that I could photocopy the second passport if desperate, but what a faff, and why does the British Passport Office want my Irish passport anyway?

It is a problem. An Irish passport is owned by the Irish government, why should anyone send it off to the British government?

The very simple solution is to photocopy it, which is an acceptable alternative.
OP is the one acting like this is some totally impossible task.

Useful post @Chersfrozenface

Well that is the decider then. I have three passports - dual citizen and also Irish - and I was thinking that at my age three passports really aren't necessary and are expensive. British passport is binned when it comes to renewal - I use the other two more anyway!

Thanks for this, @Chersfrozenface . I was surprised by the number of posters who appear willing to lie on official documents in this thread :(

At what point did you admit to it?
On the UK application for a passport? Or before that eg. When you got the Irish one, did you have to report it to the UK authorities?

My DM had trouble renewing her passport as they thought she had another one! (British born, all family British, never lived abroad!). So I wouldn't risk lying.

So you've already sent it?

For women, some countries only accept maiden name. Quite right too.

You can go in person to avoid sending it off. My dh travels weekly overseas and can’t be without a passport. He booked and day off work and booked a slot to renew in person.

I recently had to do this to renew DD’s passport as she’s recently got an Irish one, I agree it didn’t take too long to photocopy but it was a faff and I’m not sure what they gained by seeing lots of blank pages! No way was I trusting them with the actual passport.

The Irish passport process doesn’t require you to send your other passports, so I wonder why the UK does?

I asked about this when I renewed my DDs passport in person (fast tracked). Basically it's an identity check to confirm your travelling documents are all in the same name. She has one other nationality passport about to get her next one so she will have three passports in the end!

When I have had to send them off they've always been returned quickly. I send that track and trace or whatever.

Isn't it so the passport office know what passports you have?. If your passport is seized for any reason, legally they need to be aware if people will try to leave the country on one of their other passports.(like if involved in a police investigation/taking children out of the country etc.) Or if they have passports/visas in different names.
You are signing a document to either say you have provided the documents or you don't have them. Unlikely to be revoked, but it can be if you are fraudulent!
I would just do the photocopying, as requested!

Instead of photocopying could you not scan/photograph the pages of your Irish passport and email them that as a PDF document?

Is that a very new thing? I have an Australian passport and they have never requested to see it.

I think that must be why the Irish government also offer the identity card option.it covers you for travel if your passport has been sent off firva visa, etc. Good initiative on their part, imv.

Yes!

That wasn't offered as an option on the online renewal application process. It's a good suggestion though.

Admitted having an Irish passport during the online application for renewal of UK passport. It is one of the questions that they ask.

Not sure.

We’ve had to do this for several passports over the last 8 years.

We just photocopy any pages with actual info on them, but not every blank page. It’s never been a problem.

I did have to send my British passport with my Irish passport application. I don’t know if the same applies to renewal of the Irish one. They had my British passport for weeks, I had to fly to Ireland on my driving licence, so I had to ditch a Ryanair flight and go Aer Lingus because Ryanair needs a passport.

I have just checked on Royal Mail tracking that both my passports have arrived at the passport office. Fingers crossed that they will get back to me without any problems!

You cannot have different names in the passports which is why they want to see them. I know that this is often an issue for Europeans who have maiden names included in passports.

I am a dual national as are my dc. We are always and forever having to send off all the passports to various places. It’s no big deal. I’ve never had a lost passport yet in all this time.