French passport renewal

Wig

Need advice,

French citizen resident in UK needs passport renewal for travel in June 2011

Consulat general website says they must be collected in person

• Don't want to go to London if we can avoid it.
• How long will it take to get issued if we can't avoid it? Website does not give any indication
• seem to remember last time she renewed she did it whilst in France on holiday
• Anyone know if it can still be done in a few days whilst in France and what the procedure would be?
• Could it be done by someone else in France by post using French Address....So we wouldn't have to go to France. Like we can do it in UK by post for British Passports... what's the procedure?

Thinking if we have to..... of going to France this month for a brief visit to get passport renewal, at least it would be instant and would guarantee travel in June.


Thanks

mostlycheerful

Wig wrote: »

Need advice,

French citizen resident in UK needs passport renewal for travel in June 2011

Consulat general website says they must be collected in person

• Don't want to go to London if we can avoid it.
• How long will it take to get issued if we can't avoid it? Website does not give any indication
• seem to remember last time she renewed she did it whilst in France on holiday
• Anyone know if it can still be done in a few days whilst in France and what the procedure would be?
• Could it be done by someone else in France by post using French Address....So we wouldn't have to go to France. Like we can do it in UK by post for British Passports... what's the procedure?

Thinking if we have to..... of going to France this month for a brief visit to get passport renewal, at least it would be instant and would guarantee travel in June.


Thanks

Well just phone them up, politely, and ask your questions, simples. And that's it. And if for some unusual reason they fail to answer your questions satisfactorily then phone up one or two embassies and French social help orgs. Innit. Geezer. An ting an ting.

Wig

Are they open now?
How do I phone if I am working all day and don't have enough time to phone in lunch? Assuming I get through to someone who can answer the qu's
Will the London Consulat know the answer to renewing in France
Will the London Consulat be able to give advice on the slightly dodgy method of renewing by post in France except to say that you can't do that because she's not resident in France - we already know that but want to know if it would otherwise be theoretically possible.

Isn't the reason I'm asking here obvious that I want to have advice now, tonight from people who have been there done that, so that now, tonight I have a better idea of what I'm doing and can take the next steps - possibly including phoning tomorrow or Friday?

Do you think you are being helpful?

mostlycheerful

Wig wrote: »

Are they open now?
How do I phone if I am working all day and don't have enough time to phone in lunch? Assuming I get through to someone who can answer the qu's
Will the London Consulat know the answer to renewing in France
Will the London Consulat be able to give advice on the slightly dodgy method of renewing by post in France except to say that you can't do that because she's not resident in France - we already know that but want to know if it would otherwise be theoretically possible.

Isn't the reason I'm asking here obvious that I want to have advice now, tonight from people who have been there done that, so that now, tonight I have a better idea of what I'm doing and can take the next steps - possibly including phoning tomorrow or Friday?

Do you think you are being helpful?

Yes, I think I'm being helpful.

Yes, I think I'm the only person who has made the effort to answer your request here.

Yes, I have previously helped about 100 or 200 people here on this website and about 500 or 1,000 in real life as well.

Yes, I also make jokes as I go along.

Right, your situation, one by one, your points.

"How do I phone if I am working all day and don't have enough time to phone in lunch?"

Nlot at work and not at lunch as there is no time at lunch. Despite most normal people having a half hour, or an hour, or in my case, when I did wageslave jobs such as yours, two hours lunch on flexi time, apparently during lunch you are far too busy to make a phone call. The question of what you are doing at lunch that makes you far too busy to make a phone call is an interesting one arising and if you are capable of answering it then I'm sure we'd all be very interested to know what you are doing at lunchtime that is so much more important than making this vital phone call that you so want to do but are, sadly, unable to do.

"at other times."

Yes, you are correct, you will have to make your phone calls at other times. Yes, you already know the answer to your own question. Well done.

"Assuming I get through to someone who can answer the qu's
Will the London Consulat know the answer to renewing in France
Will the London Consulat be able to give advice on the slightly dodgy method of renewing by post in France except to say that you can't do that because she's not resident in France"

I have no idea and, according to your statement, neither do you. So if you want to find out then you should now do so, by phoning up. Or you could email or write if you prefer.

"- we already know that"

Ok, fine. So what's the prob.

"but want to know if it would otherwise be theoretically possible."

So phone up and ask. Or email. Or write. But ranting numpty idiocy on this English money saving website in your patently absurd ridiculous stressed out manner is just making a fool of yourself in public. You are barking up the wrong tree here, matey. You now need to take a deep breath, calm down, have a cup of English tea, and sort yourself out.

"Isn't the reason I'm asking here obvious that I want to have advice now, tonight from people who have been there done that"

Yes, correct, but this is a money saving website, not a helpline for French problems and situations.

"so that now, tonight I have a better idea of what I'm doing and can take the next steps - possibly including phoning tomorrow or Friday?"

Yes, correct, so, as you say, phone tomorrow or Friday. And that;s it. Stressing yourself out here is not helping you and although possibly a French person who has previously done exactly this thing that you are wanting do may be able to come on here and tell, yes, it is doable, at the moment I'm the only person bothering to talk to you. So be polite and respectful and grateful that I am giving you my help and attention. I always stop and interrupt what I'm doing to help people on the street when they ask me for directions and information and help, I am a major league good Samaritan. Which is why I am now interrrupting my evening to make the effort to type ups all this stuff, just for you. And what I have just said is true and you can check that this is the case if you have a quick trawl through my post history. You'll see that most of what I have been doing is chat and laughs and comedy but also, a bit further back, you will also see some simple help, such as this comment.

"Do you think you are being helpful?"

Yes, I'm one of the top 10,000 most helpful people on this here website. And many people would say so if asked. Yes, out of 5 million people using this website I'm in the top ten thousand of most helpful people. I'm probably somewhere about nine thou, at a guess. Now take your idiotic crappy attitude somewhere else and don't waste any more of my time with your stupid bad attitude numpty crap. You rude twit.

Wig

mostlycheerful wrote: »

Yes, I think I'm being helpful.

Strange, when I look at your post history, the 30 or so posts on the first page are all not helpful. Didn't bother to look at page 2.

FYI just telling someone to phone up and ask is not helpful, especially not at 7pm, it's a crass dumb thing to say, not least because it's just stating the obvious.

Yes, correct, but this is a money saving website, not a helpline for French problems and situations.

So, you don't see me wanting to save money/time in the OP? For example wanting to do it by post instead of personal travel?

Yes, I think I'm the only person who has made the effort to answer your request here.

You haven't made an effort to answer at all. You speak from a position of ignorance on the subject and you suggest an impossibility given what the time is.

January20

Wig, I'm French.
Where do you live in the uk? There are other places you can renew apart from London.
Not sure how long it will take in France because I always renew in the uk. will do an internet search for you
She will have to apply in person. I don't believe they will post it out. They certainly don't do that in the uk. I had to go and collect mine. So had my dd.
Sorry I can't be of more help at the moment.
Oh and if the perhaps has an id card, they can use it too within the E.U instead of a passport.

January20

ok, quick search over
The person has to be there when they apply for the passport.
The delay getting new one back depends on where you apply.
The person has to be there to get it as they have to sign it there too (there being where they applied for it)
Get your friend to look at this website: http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/F21091.xhtml

Wig

Thanks Jan,

In South Wales UK

She doesn't have an I.D. card, but that was something I didn't know - but was wondering about.

How long does it take you to renew in UK?

January20

Wig wrote: »

Thanks Jan,

In South Wales UK

She doesn't have an I.D. card, but that was something I didn't know - but was wondering about.

How long does it take you to renew in UK?

Well, I live in Newcastle. We have a branch of the consulate here so that's easier re travelling but I think the last time it must have taken about 3 weeks at least, but we had 2 passports and one id card as I knew that my dd's passport would only be valid for 5 years and her id card would be for 10 (I think).

The best thing for your friend to do would be to renew her passport, then in 2 or 3 years apply for an id card so that she doesn't face this problem again as they would overlap each other.

Wig

Been looking at that website....
found this http://www.mfe.org/index.php/Annuaires/Ambassades-et-consulats-francais-a-l-etranger/(country)/ROYAUME-UNI

Newcastle not mentioned, any way of finding out where other branches in the UK are?

Also read about the mairies with biometric facilities, and will try to phone one of them soon to ask how quickly it can be done in person in France.
Do you know if it is mandatory to be biometric now, it would appear so, as they say it can only be done at a mairie with biometric facilities.

EDIT: Excellent suggestion Re: get an ID card in a few years time, will do that.

January20

You have no option but to get a "passeport biometrique" now.
I'll see if I can find out about other branches in the uk.
There is a "consul honoraire" ie branch in Cardiff according to this: http://www.france-gb.com/infos/Conshon.htm