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

[Melassa]

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.

I've just renewed mine online (from UK) and got new one back in a week so things have improved

Me too, in one of my many renewals I was a bit tanned in my photo and that, coupled with the country of my birth obviously sowed doubts re my Britishness and I got asked to send a load of extra documents leading back to my grandfather. This was about the third time I’d renewed, so why it was an issue then and not before I don’t know, unless it really was the photo. Since then I’ve endeavoured to be pale in my photos.😬

This sounds mostly promising. I sent my passport for renewal today (from Germany). The online form said up to 11 weeks was possible, although i'm pretty sure they have a separate department for passports coming from abroad and this looks like it might speed things up a bit. I had to address my passport to 'INT-DAP'. Most important for me is to have this ready before Christmas so I can travel home then. If what's being said here remains accurate I might even be able to update my local ID card as well within the time limit.

I'll keep you all posted.

@TheWhalrus there are no special arrangements for passports coming from abroad, it's one of the many things that really pisses me off about HMPO. They decided to streamline the process and stop issuing passports at Embassies but made no provision for people for whom not having a passport in hand at all times can cause major issues. Even as a resident of some countries you are expected to always have a current passport.

I agree. Other countries can renew passports at embassies with a relatively short turnaround. Many people living abroad may need to be able to travel home at short notice, or else they travel for work. Remaining without a valid travel document for long periods causes hardship and in some countries may be illegal. 10 weeks is an absurdity, particularly as you need to send off your current passport.

Just to update 4 weeks have passed and I’m still no wiser as to when I’ll get my new passport. I sent my old passport via courier so it would arrive the next day, which it did, but it somehow took the passport office a week to register its arrival. To date they’re still checking my documents and there has been no further update on the website. Surely they could update status to at least “processing”.

has anyone gone from checking docs on the passport office page to their new passport suddenly arriving? I’ve reluctantly moved my trip to the end of the month but I’m beginning to wonder if it will take the whole 12 weeks and if I dare book for Xmas.

@Melassa a week for confirming receipt actually isn't that bad. DS's took that long last October and DH's sent in Jan took closer to 2 weeks for that update.

Hi All, Just to update you, I received my new passport yesterday (october 10th), It was delivered via post and it could have arrived as early as the 8th as we were away for the weekend. This would be a turnaround of slightly less than a month. I think I completed my application and sent my old passport on September 12th. I'm in Germany.

Did you get your passport @Melassa?

Mid August for me.......still waiting....

@Thatisme I got notification that it was printed and would be sent shortly. I guess that would mean next week. I hope it is as I’m supposed to be travelling over the long weekend and I was wondering if I should postpone again.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you Melassa

New passport finally arrived! Only about 6 weeks I think, not the whole 11 weeks indicated when applying, but still ages.

one comment is how many times do they need to stick my photo on there? Had I known how unflattering the various renditions of my mug were going to be, I’d have made more effort. One seems to be a hologram, even! It’s possibly the ugliest passport I’ve had!

Great news its finally arrived........I am still waiting....