UK passport price to rise to £51

jammybunn

calm down folks, im actually typing this from the reception desk at my passport office (dont want to say which one in case i get in bother but a look at my profile will tell you)

the prices have gone up for the first time in 2 years and it is because the new biometric passports will have a chip inserted into the bio details page which will contain the same info that the photo page shows to deter passport manipulation. The new passports will be fully "rolled out" by july of next year but will be sporadically issued up until that point. You wil still be able to travel on the old passports but if you do want to renew it we can carry over 9 months validity onto your new passport and for those applying by post, there is a grace period of uptil the 3rd december so as long as you post it by then the price will remain as is currently, any other questions, let me know. (not out here all day so it might be a while before i can answer)

hope that helps

TLJester

Will it be possible to request a Biometric passport in Feb?
I travel to the US a lot (wife is American) and dont want to have to renew my passport yet again as its about to run out. Do you know just what the US's stand is on biometric passports and when you will be forced to have one for entry ?

Andrew

jammybunn

as it currently stands, anyone who has a machine readable passport is eligable to travel to the us under the visa waiver scheme, they have extended this scheme every year so far and the usual restriction is that a passport issued before a certain date is ok to use there old passport. with regard to specifically requesting a ppt in feb- i honestly dont know what the situation will be, probably be that some offices are using them fully be then. I can only imagine that the states will say that if you have a machine readable passport with a digital image issued before say 30/07/2006 (due date for full roll out) then you will still be eligable under the visa waiver scheme. As we will be the first country I know of to be fully biometric, they will still allow valid passports issued beofre this option was available.

mae

Thanks jammybunn for all the info I'm going to the liverpool office today to try and get my son a first time passport urgently. Do you know if I will be able to get it today? Or at the worst will I be able go back pick it up on Friday? My sons grandma has just offered to pay for him to go on holiday with her but unfortunately his passport was on his dads and it has run out? So she is flying on Wed and if I can't get his passport today I am hoping to pick it up friday and get him a flight out on his own on Saturday. Any info would be appreciated Thanks

jammybunn

thats my office, what time are you in???
ok, how old is your son? if he is under 16 and included on dads passport- if the form is in order then he is eligable for the same day service costing £71. you need a fully completed form with countersignatory, his full birth certificate, 2 photos and dads passport. If mum and dad were never married then we also need mums passport details or birth certificate- dads passport has expired, but has it been replaced? this may effect the application as first time apps are usually 7 days

mae

I'm in at 1.30. Son is 14. Yes I've got everything I need (hopefully). We are married and yes dads passport has expired and not been renewed yet but I will bring the expired one with me?

meerustar

I married in July and have to change my name on my passport as I am going to Dublin at the end of December and told I need a valid passport. I have 6 years left to run on my passport, do I have to pay full price for a new one or do they take into consideration the time left on it.

Also, can i just take my old one to the post office with my marraige certificate and money and they sort it there??

Isn't it wonderful having a passport employee on the board when you need them, lol.

TIA

Fran

You won't need to show your passport if going from Manchester to Dublin.

bobdauilda

Jammybun
Have just checked-my passport runs out 2014 but my partners in Aug 2007. We are not married but have one 10mthold wth another due in Jan, we plan on emigrating to NZ next year and may fly via US, will there be probs with our passports if they arent biometric ?

meerustar

Fran wrote:

You won't need to show your passport if going from Manchester to Dublin.

That's what I thought, but the lady who is booking our trip for us tells me that it NEEDS to be valid for when I fly. I think its more to do with the photo ID than anything else, however, she did say my photo driving licence can't be used.

I may as well renew it now though as I can't use it anyway until I've changed my name on it.