Passport Renewal Quick Tips

oldernowwiser

This is just a guide but from speaking and dealing with recent Passport Renewals, some advice given to me beforehand has cut my passport renewals to 2 weeks. 

This is is straight forward passport renewals now not dual national or any complicated application that will need checks.

If you want to renew, do it online if at all possible, and save any paper or further documents. 

Take several photos on your mobile, head shoulders and a little bit of body, no bright lights above to cause shadows and should be clear, try with and without flash, take 20 and check down to 1-2 photos that are best. 

When doing online application it will grab the one that is best quality and also fits you head shoulders in etc. It technically crops it automatically. 

When doing application dont don’t worry about fast appointments etc, there’s a backlog and they only print so many. 

Choose the 50 page thicker passport and pay £10:extra for kids and adults. Child £49 std £59 50 pages, adult £79 std £89 larger 50 pages.

send off application online and post your old passport the next day special delivery. Take photo of bio data pages to make sure you have a copy of the original. 

You should get get an email or text saying to send off passport and makes sure you add the PeX code and number on front of envelope.

you should get message they have received passport and to wait to process passport, possibly sent to Peterborough office. 
Passports that are std have a massive backlog and seems to be done from one office, or possibly all std passports have delays in all. 

I sent mine off on a Monday all documents were checked when received on Thursday and on Tuesday the following week it says it’s being printed and they would notify once sent by courier TNT who are not great, but all told from application to receipt has been two weeks. 

Quicker than fast fast track interview, £50-£60 cheaper, and all from my phone. 

This has worked for 4 renewals with kids and adults and first one I completed took 8 weeks. 

I am saying this as guide as I have read many forums and seems the 50page gets done separately and all within 2 weeks. 

Now we we have left the EU your likely to be stamped in and out of each country or entry which we never had before to check 90 day entry in 180 days so the larger one is possibly going to be better in the long run. 
I would send proof of the contact received in two weeks from start to finish but as new I am not sure how that’s done.

Hatti_e

Hi
I used the Post Office Service, had 13 photos rejected even though they were accepted on the system as good, eventually went to Timpsons who load direct onto the passport site, guaranteed approval, submitted my application again with the photograph code given and it was approved and printed on the same day, all less then 4 weeks waiting

smudge56

Choose the 50 page thicker passport and pay £10:extra for kids and adults. Child £49 std £59 50 pages, adult £79 std £89 larger 50 pages.

Why would you think that paying for a jumbo passport is quicker?  Its the same process and doesn't speed anything up.

oldernowwiser

Unfortunately, it’s not the same process. 
Passport are printed in batches, std or larger. You will see std likely to go Liverpool with long delays and Peterborough and others do the larger. Less delays. I think I was told 5% are larger. 95% then std. 
once checked it’s you, the details get sent electronically in batches so one machine filled up say with 9500 passport the other machine has 500. 
The delay is for example 9500 getting printed checked and then packaged ready for courier. Now the other is 500. 
The machines are not mixed std and larger do not get printed in same machines. 
When i was told they actually said to look online, there is some videos on YouTube etc making notes and passports. And also shows how they are done a
say in the embassies around the world who load smaller machines for printed in emergencies etc. 
The one thing which is good online is the renewal that shows the passport photo is good or not as you upload it, once it’s over 90% it won’t be rejected. 
Clearly something must speed up larger passports as clearly 4 different applications sorted within 2 weeks, and done different days, oh and the original std one I did went to Liverpool all larger to Peterborough so I assume there must be differences as to where they go to

grandadgolfer

My standard passport application went to Peterborough but 2 months later the wife's went to Liverpool so it seems its pot luck

diystarter7

Got mine with 7/9 days but that was around May time last year.

daveyjp

Far shorter version.

Go through the online system properly and you should see a quick turnaround.

I sent a renewal at the height of the panic in mid April and it took two weeks from Glasgow.

When you get a new passport you will see the ID page is printed separately as it is much thicker and then inserted into the blank pages.  The cover is then stuck on. 

 It looks like the work of a child sweatshop. 

eDicky

oldernowwiser said:

Unfortunately, it’s not the same process. 
Passport are printed in batches, std or larger. You will see std likely to go Liverpool with long delays and Peterborough and others do the larger. Less delays. I think I was told 5% are larger. 95% then std......

You're trying to lecture an actual HMPO officer whose obvious knowledge and advice here has been more reliable than urban myths born on forums and YouTube. There are many variables, we've had reports here of renewals taking two weeks or so for a standard size passport recently, others taking much longer. Embassies have not issued passports for many years, only emergency one-way travel documents. A jumbo passport is of course useful to avoid quickly filling up with full-page visas, but European entry/exit stamps are compact.

eDicky

daveyjp said:

When you get a new passport you will see the ID page is printed separately as it is much thicker and then inserted into the blank pages.  The cover is then stuck on. 

 It looks like the work of a child sweatshop. 

The greater thickness of the title page results from it containing the RFID circuit.

oldernowwiser

HMPO Officer should not be stating that on here!

eDicky

oldernowwiser said:

HMPO Officer should not be stating that on here!

He never has, doesn't need to when it's obvious. Factual advice on specific issues and dispelling fallacies benefits everyone, including HMPO.