First Passport: best method ?

[52andblue]

My passport is over a decade out of date. My kids (17 & 15) have never had one. I'd like to get us all new ones. Will we all need our photos Countersigned? Is rhe Post Office the easiest method ? How long does it take please ?
Hoping to travel 1st week July.
Can I book before I have Passports or would that be foolish ?
(I've not left the UK since 2001 so I can't bloody remember even basics!)

You can do it all online now with digital photos. They will you to input email and name of person who will verify you.

They will need to verify photo likeness and answer some personal details about you. After this they will send you details on where to send birth certificates too.

If you do it now you should be fine for July. You can book now and input passport details later or wait until you receive them

Your passport would be done as a renewal.
Your kids would be getting their first passport although one will be done as a first child passport and the older one will be their first adult passport.

You can apply and pay online and that is cheaper and faster than a paper application.

Yes the children will need countersignatures and it depends on whether you could be recognised from your old photo as to whether you would need a countersignature too

I'd do it online and not bother with the post office check service. Honestly just double check the forms yourself.

Getting the photo counter signed is really easy now, you just add the email address of the person who is going to counter sign it and they bit is all online too now.

I'm not sure if you will need your passport counter signing. I had a break between renewal of my passport of about 1.5 years and I didn't need it counter signed. Once you fill out the online form it will tell you what you need to do next, including sending back your old passport.

I'd get your applications done now to avoid last minute stress.

Apply online with digital photos. It’s very easy to do.

One thing to be aware of as your 17 year old will be needing their first adult passport is that they will likely need to attend an interview at your nearest passport office

Looks like they are doing video interviews due to covid

The verification is really easy now. You just find a person you know who can do it and ask them and you put their email,address on the form and the passport office email them.

I dd my brothers online last year, it did take around 12 weeks as they wouldn’t accept my husband as verification as it has to be someone not related in any way. I renewed mine and it was quite quick.

Thanks, this is really helpful.
Why would my 17 y/o need an Interview re his Passport ?? He has Autism & would find this really stressful.

He might as its a first adult passport and that's part of the process. If its done by video at the moment then I imagine you could be there with him