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Original poster

Passport check and send - worth it?

35 replies

Whodeenie · 17/06/2019 23:01

Renewing dd's passport (shes 19 and it will be her first 10 year one) and wondering if post office check and send is worth it. The form seems fairly straightforward, we've had one of the photos countersigned just in case and its a trek to the nearest post office that does check and send, so was going to just send it special delivery from my local office. We aren't in a great rush to get it back but I've heard that check and send is quicker?
Any thoughts?

OP posts:
AppleDump · 17/06/2019 23:03

Do it on line it's cheaper.

Expressedways · 17/06/2019 23:04

Agree with PP, do it online

StillRunningWithScissors · 17/06/2019 23:08

I agree with online.
Just renewed my DDs this month, and it took eight days.

LikeDolphinsCanSwin · 17/06/2019 23:08

I’ve never used it. You basically just have to fill in your name, address and date of birth. How is a random post office counter worker going to know those details better than me?

dementedpixie · 17/06/2019 23:09

Do it online. It's cheaper and easy to do. You upload photos too

dementedpixie · 17/06/2019 23:10

And no, I have never paid for check and send, waste of money

TokyoSushi · 17/06/2019 23:12

Definitely do it online, I took DD's photos on my phone last Sunday, filled in the form last Monday and the passport arrived today, really quick & easy.

Original poster
Whodeenie · 17/06/2019 23:17

I'm totally useless with computers and wouldn't know how to upload a photo. That's why I've gone the paper route.
I know someone who renewed by post and got the new passport back in 5 days, mind that was 2 years ago.

OP posts:
Runkle · 17/06/2019 23:20

Do it online.

Redcrayons · 17/06/2019 23:22

I did it online and took less than a week. I was genuinely quite shocked at how easy it was.

Check and send is a bit of a waste if money, unless you really struggle with forms.

Tamarapudding · 18/06/2019 06:30

I've heard good and bad stories about the online renewal, especially the photos bit, and same with check and send. Depends on the post office staff and some are a bit over cautious regarding the photos.
Renewal is fairly straightforward anyway and if you aren't in a hurry, and its easier, just post it. I did ds's by post and it was back within 6 days. I'm also crap with technology lol x

SavoyCabbage · 18/06/2019 06:38

Can your dd not upload the photos? The online way is so easy. One of my dd s photos was rejected online because her hair was too enormous (curls) and so I had to stand her against another white wall and retake it but even so the whole thing took under four minutes to do.

meditrina · 18/06/2019 06:45

I've never done check and sent, it never seemed worth it. Photo shops seem really together about checking the pix they supply are compliant. The rest is simply checking that you have filled in the relevant boxes and have signed the application.

If you and your DD both look it over, what are the chances of you both missing a mistake?

I did an ordinary paper form renewal earlier this month, and it was back in less than a week.

dementedpixie · 18/06/2019 06:45

Just use your phone to do the application including photo. It's £10 cheaper too

Cornishmum00 · 18/06/2019 07:02

I did check and send a few years ago, cost more and still got returned as they hadnt checked photo properly! Not worth the money i would say

donajimena · 18/06/2019 07:09

If you go to a Max Spielman photo place you don't even have to upload it. You get a reference number to type in. Its all done for you.

BarbaraofSevillle · 18/06/2019 07:23

Well seeing as it's your DDs passport, why not do the application online together - two pairs of eyes checking all the details and she can show you how to upload a photo, which is something that is really useful to know how to do anyway. Also, you save a few quid compared with paper applications with or without check and send.

LittleCandle · 18/06/2019 07:30

I found the check and send useful when I was renewing my passport, but with a name change. It was also invaluable for my friend who did this same thing a few years before when the passport office was making a song and dance about not having a deed poll, even though it is not needed in Scotland (it went to Liverpool for some reason). Now, I would probably do it online, as I would just be renewing. I would have to get DD to help me with the uploading of a photo!

SaintAlice · 18/06/2019 07:37

Doing it online is almost like a virtual check and send, because it won't let you go into the next section of the form unless it's happy with what you've inputted so far. It's so much easier to do it that way, and if the photos aren't right, they email you and you can whizz more over to them.
Get your daughter to help if you're not sure on the technological aspects: at 19 I'm not sure why she isn't taking the lead on it anyway!

harridan50 · 18/06/2019 07:42

At 19 can she not do it herself on line

SoupDragon · 18/06/2019 07:43

Just do it online. It is really easy. As for not even knowing how to upload a photo - surely your DD is not as hopeless with online stuff? It's her passport and she's an adult. I made DS do his recently even though he asked me questions to confirm stuff. It was very very easy.

MoggyP · 18/06/2019 08:19

At 19 she has to do it herself, one way or another.

It's fine to do a paper application if that is what she prefers. And no, i don't think you need to use check and send (as long as you do go back over the form and check you haven't missed any bits)

Roussette · 18/06/2019 08:24

Whodeenie you should be doing it online, we had one come back within days.

Without being rude, honestly don't mean to be, you should get your DD to teach you some IT basics. Doing stuff online is not going to go away. I used to be pretty useless, self taught, and have turned into quite a geek and I'm in my 60s. You don't want to be one of those parents forever asking their kids to help them on the computer, mine call me cyber chick!

zonkin · 18/06/2019 08:39

Agree do it online. Like I previous poster I once used check and send and it got returned due to photo. The online service has a pretty fast turnaround for the times that my family have used it. Usually have the passport back in about a week.

Snappy snaps also give you a code that uploads the picture for you.

Plexie · 18/06/2019 08:41

You don't need to use check and send if you're confident filling in forms. Passport turnaround time is usually quick - within a week is common - but it can be longer at certain times of year when they have a surge of applications, eg summer holiday time.

When I renewed mine I did it online. For the photos I used a photo booth as I felt more confident that those photos would meet the requirements, rather than faffing around getting a friend to take a photo, finding a plain white wall, strong lighting etc. Many photo booths that do passport photos now also give you a code that you enter on the online passport application, and it adds an image of your photo booth photo.