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Original poster

Passport renewal from abroad - how long and how to get it sooner

39 replies

Melassa · 10/09/2022 12:00

My U.K. passport is nearing expiry and I need to travel to London in October for family reasons. Is there a way to get it fast tracked without an appointment in the U.K.? With Fast track you need to go to an appointment at a passport office in the U.K. and the first appointments are after expiry date, plus you need to wait a week “if” your application is successful. I can’t fly to U.K. before expiry and just stay there until the first available appointment due to work commitments unfortunately.

Online premium is only if you live in the UK apparently.

Have turnaround times improved? I don’t need to travel until mid October so how likely is it to arrive on time if I apply and send off my old passport on Monday? I’m in the EU if that changes anything.

NB. Yes I should’ve checked sooner but lately I’ve only needed to travel in country so there was no need to use it as I have a local ID card that does for everything.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 10/09/2022 12:15

When does it expire?
Still supposed to allow 10 weeks for renewal and the only quicker methods are by appointment.

Original poster
Melassa · 10/09/2022 12:37

It expires next weekend essentially. Yes, had I remembered I’d have sent it off sooner, but as I use my passport only for the U.K. and since Covid not travelled back it got completely forgotten.

That said, 10 weeks is an astonishingly long time by any standards.

I had heard of people getting theirs back unexpectedly quite quickly, but they’re all in the U.K. and I’m not sure if it happens for applications from abroad too.

OP posts:
abovedecknotbelow · 10/09/2022 12:48

Have you got another passport, can you travel in that?

fourplusfour · 10/09/2022 12:50

The website said 12 weeks when I applied a couple of months ago - it came within a week or so. It's a bit of a lottery though tbh.

Original poster
Melassa · 10/09/2022 13:27

fourplusfour · 10/09/2022 12:50

The website said 12 weeks when I applied a couple of months ago - it came within a week or so. It's a bit of a lottery though tbh.

Are you outside the U.K.? If so that gives me hope, now that the summer holiday rush is over.

OP posts:
Original poster
Melassa · 10/09/2022 13:34

abovedecknotbelow · 10/09/2022 12:48

Have you got another passport, can you travel in that?

I only have an ID card.

If I had another passport I would theoretically need to send that too. One of the questions on the form is do you have dual nationality and you’re supposed to send your doc away with your British passport for whatever checks they need to make. Unless it’s changed in the couple of months or so? My friend is dual U.K./French and she needed to send both off apparently.

OP posts:
Elieza · 10/09/2022 13:36

I’m in the U.K. and mine took a fortnight for a renewal. Got it last weekend. I know that prob doesn’t help you but the ten week wait may be getting less?

ilovespinach · 10/09/2022 13:41

I sent off for a renewal in June. It only took 3 weeks. We are in Germany.

Original poster
Melassa · 10/09/2022 14:21

ilovespinach · 10/09/2022 13:41

I sent off for a renewal in June. It only took 3 weeks. We are in Germany.

This is encouraging!

OP posts:
TheTeenageYears · 10/09/2022 15:46

I'm outside the UK and had a very stressful time renewing at the beginning of the year. On our local Facebook groups times seem to massively vary now but it's sods law that if you rely on it being quick, it won't be.

Have a look at emergency travel documents and see if that's an option. It's a 'good' back up option and can remove some of the stress if you know you can apply for one if you absolutely have to.

Original poster
Melassa · 10/09/2022 17:03

Yes I saw about the emergency travel doc, although again they write they may decline giving you one and keep your money anyway.

I will keep this in mind as a last resort.

it was all so much quicker and easier when you could renew your passport at the embassy.

OP posts:
Minimochi · 10/09/2022 20:34

We're in Germany, too. DH applied for his replacement in April. We're still waiting...

Unfortunately, he's a lot more patient than I am...I would be pestering the passport office daily by now. He needs to fly to Prague in three weeks and its bloody important that he gets there by plane. I'm at work and cannot drive him. (He doesn't drive.)
I'm trying to find out whether he can use his "Aufenthaltstitel" for flights within the EU.

theculture · 10/09/2022 20:44

Scandinavia and renewing a child passport took 3 weeks in August including contacting counter signature , out of Uk seem to have their own dept

Original poster
Melassa · 10/09/2022 21:06

Minimochi · 10/09/2022 20:34

We're in Germany, too. DH applied for his replacement in April. We're still waiting...

Unfortunately, he's a lot more patient than I am...I would be pestering the passport office daily by now. He needs to fly to Prague in three weeks and its bloody important that he gets there by plane. I'm at work and cannot drive him. (He doesn't drive.)
I'm trying to find out whether he can use his "Aufenthaltstitel" for flights within the EU.

Can he get there by train? No one checks documents on the train, I used to do Italy-France-Switzerland quite frequently, never once got checked, even with Switzerland which is not Schengen. Not really recommended but possibly a solution?

I once drove to France from Italy having forgotten to bring any travel documents. I only noticed when I got back and they were on my kitchen table.😬

OP posts:
Original poster
Melassa · 10/09/2022 21:09

theculture · 10/09/2022 20:44

Scandinavia and renewing a child passport took 3 weeks in August including contacting counter signature , out of Uk seem to have their own dept

This sounds hopeful. I will be sending off my application on Monday and hope for the best.

I just need to find a white wall in my house for the selfie. Stupidly we recently painted over it with a pastel colour…

OP posts:
Minimochi · 11/09/2022 01:11

@Melassa He could...but it takes 12 hours and 3 connections. His Aufenthaltstitel is OK for that and allows him to travel within the EU...in theory. It mostly works like a German ID card. I'm just not sure about checks when going by plane.

backatschool · 11/09/2022 01:55

Turnaround times seem to have improved. Mine is with DHL on its way back to me now. I couriered it to them 2 weeks ago. No idea if this is consistent for everyone but I was expecting a nightmare and it's been easy.

backatschool · 11/09/2022 01:55

PS should add I am in Asia

Justcannot · 11/09/2022 02:29

Our local Facebook groups (singapore) are full of people saying the backlog has cleared and they're taking 2-3 weeks now, so I'd hope you were OK!

SomethingFast · 11/09/2022 02:35

We’ve had one approved today, it was applied for at the start of July.

abblie · 11/09/2022 02:55

Melassa · 10/09/2022 12:37

It expires next weekend essentially. Yes, had I remembered I’d have sent it off sooner, but as I use my passport only for the U.K. and since Covid not travelled back it got completely forgotten.

That said, 10 weeks is an astonishingly long time by any standards.

I had heard of people getting theirs back unexpectedly quite quickly, but they’re all in the U.K. and I’m not sure if it happens for applications from abroad too.

Maybe longer as Queen has died and you will now have to be issued with the Kings crest

FiveShelties · 11/09/2022 02:57

Melassa · 10/09/2022 13:34

I only have an ID card.

If I had another passport I would theoretically need to send that too. One of the questions on the form is do you have dual nationality and you’re supposed to send your doc away with your British passport for whatever checks they need to make. Unless it’s changed in the couple of months or so? My friend is dual U.K./French and she needed to send both off apparently.

Show quote history

I am in NZ and mine took less than 3 weeks.

You do not have to send in your other passport, just photocopies of all the pages.

BritWifeInUSA · 12/09/2022 03:49

abblie · 11/09/2022 02:55

Maybe longer as Queen has died and you will now have to be issued with the Kings crest

Show quote history

Current passports will remain valid. New ones issued from now will have “His Britannia Majesty” etc on the inside but that’s just a template that’s already been made and is ready and waiting to be sent to print. We won’t all have to get new passports if they are still in date.

Aintnosupermum · 12/09/2022 04:03

I have waited for the wait times to lessen from the summer rush as mine expired in September. I was born outside of the UK they asked for extensive additional information last time which was highly irritating as I’ve been a British citizen from birth and lived in the UK full time from age 8 to 25. They have everything they could possibly need in terms of information about me.

Aintnosupermum · 12/09/2022 04:05

I was quoted as 8 weeks from abroad (in the US). I tried to get a same day appointment while I’m in the UK for work in 2 weeks and they can’t accommodate.

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