Phone photos accepted for online passport renewals - don't send selfies 25 January 2017 at 12:31PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning 27 replies 26.4K views

2013yearofthehouse

I renewed my passport 3 years ago using a selfie!

I used a 10 mega pixel compact camera, rather than a phone, but the photo was accepted no problem. I just took the photo against a cream wall in my house, cropped the photo down to the required size (which removed my arm showing that I was holding the camera myself) and printed it out at home to send off in the post. Same photo used for my drivers licence too.

Being able to do it online next time will be useful - will still probably use a selfie though!

Pincher

My expectation is very low.

They probably subcontracted G4S to hire minimum wage slaves who barely glance at these photos.

One of these days, your passport will turn up with the picture of a cute puppy, or whatever happened to be on your phone.

If a post office did, it, I could check it before it's sent.

novelty-socks

I used this a few months ago. Really impressed by the speed and ease of use of the service. I assume it's one of the areas where the GOV.UK digital team has been implementing it, rather than relying on Capita or some other outsourcing rubbish.

smudge56

fabsaver wrote: »

My passport has my signature pre-printed on the photo page. I don't recall have to sign anything at the time, so they must have had my signature stored already. Likewise my new driving licence has my signature printed on it, but my application was completed wholly online.

All passports issued from Monday will have to be signed after receipt no matter how you submitted your application.

agrinnall

smudge56 wrote: »

All passports issued from Monday will have to be signed after receipt no matter how you submitted your application.

What's your source for this? I don't disbelieve you, but I have just received my new passport and it already included my signature so I'm not sure why that system would be stopped.

Katiehound

smudge56 wrote: »

All passports issued from Monday will have to be signed after receipt no matter how you submitted your application.

Having just posted application form off today I hope that is not the case. At least when it was scanned in it was protected by the lamination. If it is added later there is a greater chance to get messy /wear off!

smudge56

agrinnall wrote: »

What's your source for this? I don't disbelieve you, but I have just received my new passport and it already included my signature so I'm not sure why that system would be stopped.

Your passport will have been issued and printed before 30th January. Any issued and printed after that date will no longer have the signature printed on them. These will have to be signed with a black ball point pen. Using a black ball point pen avoids fading apparently

leylandsunaddict

Katiehound wrote: »

Having just posted application form off today I hope that is not the case. At least when it was scanned in it was protected by the lamination. If it is added later there is a greater chance to get messy /wear off!

It will need to be signed with a black ball point pen.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/signing-your-new-passport/signing-your-new-passport

katies_mum

Applied for renewal passport last Monday 30th January. My daughter took about 10 photos of me with her phone and we downloaded the one we thought was the best, it was easy to do and was approved subject to them checking the likeness to my old passport. Posted my old passport the same day.
Today I have received my new passport (just got to sign it). What brilliant service from the Passport office at the moment, it took 1 week.

Aksta

Is this service still available and if so how do you use it? I am near the end of my online application but it still says that I will have to send in my photos