Renewing a UK Passport online - Photo Question

londoner2009

My passport runs out in approx 8 months, so time to get a new one.

I was going to do the Post Office Check & Send and already had some passport photos taken and printed - However when I looked at the passport website today - I noticed they have a Beta Service that says you can take your own photo and do the application online - it's £10 cheaper the Check & Send but the main benefit seems to be that if you use their online service it's fully trackable and perhaps a little quicker?

https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/renew/

Has anyone used this service? If so do you need to send them your old passport?

I know you're not supposed to alter your own appearance in a passport photo but can you even out the background if you've got a cloth background and a slight crease?

I didn't have a nice plain wall so used a cloth background which is for the most part excellent but there is a small area of crease which I can easily remove using lightroom - I wouldn't touch the area of my head or face at all - if I smooth this out would it be picked up by their system? Face, hair, clothes, etc would be totally untouched.

agrinnall

I'm no expert but I would expect the EXIF metadata to show that the photo had been edited. Whether they would bother to look I don't know. I believe there may be ways to edit the EXIF data to get round it but they might be able to catch that too. I'm not sure it would be worth the risk.

DomRavioli

Just retake the photo. It isn't a hardship really is it?

silverwhistle

You'll always need to send in the old passport, but they will return it once they've clipped the corner.

I renewed my passport recently: paid on-line, printed and completed form and posted it with photos and old passport. I can'r remember how long it took, as I'm not intending to go anywhere until the autumn, but it was a quick service. The passport itself was delivered by what looked like a dedicated courier (small car) and the returned document by normal post (I didn't bother with registered).

peachyprice

Unless it's changed since my son used it last week you still have to send them physical photos, you don't upload them. Once you've filled in the form and paid you print the form off and send it to them with your printed photos and old passport.

They won't know the photo has been touched up.

smudge56

peachyprice wrote: »

Unless it's changed since my son used it last week you still have to send them physical photos, you don't upload them. Once you've filled in the form and paid you print the form off and send it to them with your printed photos and old passport.

They won't know the photo has been touched up.

There is a beta service where you can upload your photos. It just means the new passport won't have a signature printed on it.
It has to be signed after receipt. You still have to submit your old passport. It's not any quicker a service than sending the form or printed declaration

glentoran99

How is it certified when uploading your own photos?

smudge56

glentoran99 wrote: »

How is it certified when uploading your own photos?

It's for straightforward adult renewals at the moment. There's no need for certification

peachyprice

smudge56 wrote: »

It's for straightforward adult renewals at the moment. There's no need for certification

Ah, that must be why my son had to send actual photos, he'd lost his last expired one.

peachyprice

glentoran99 wrote: »

How is it certified when uploading your own photos?

If you are still recognisable you don't need photos certified, I would imagine if you tick 'no' to the 'are you sill recongisable' question you will have to send physical certified photos.

eDicky

Your passport photo is used for biometric facial recognition, don't try to submit one that has been modified in any way.