News Forum - Big problems for expats and people needing British passport renewals

[Thaiger]

Some minor delays are now turning into a massive problem in the processing of British passports in the UK. It’s been an ongoing news item in the UK recently and is now affecting many British expats in Thailand. Authorities in the UK are blaming a rush to travel for the summer season and new Brexit-linked problems for British travellers heading to EU countries. The Thaiger has been contacted numerous times in the past few days by disgruntled UK citizens who are having their stay in the Kingdom threatened by the delays, lost paperwork and outright mistakes. One of the expats […]

The story Big problems for expats and people needing British passport renewals as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[Shade_Wilder]

Respectfully, Brits voted for Boris Johnson to be Prime Minister and run the government.

You have only yourselves to blame.

"A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6)

 

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by Shade_Wilder
Never quote the Bible. Never quote the Bible. Never quote the Bible. And bring me a Latte, immediately!

[L-Dogg]

Not sure if it's allowed in the UK, but here in the US you can have 2 passports. You just have to fill out a second application and say your passport gets lots of visas issued and can be tied up for weeks or months ( Like in this story) and you can legally have 2 passports issued to you. Since mine are 10 year passports, I renew one every 5 years to keep the cycle even. That way while one is being renewed, my other one has 5 years of validity on it, so I have lots of time to get that other one back. Just a suggestion as paying for a passport renewal has got to be cheaper than flights back and forth to the UK.

 

Looks like you can have 2, even up to 3 passports as a UK citizen. Link Below....

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1020932/Additional_Passports__V10_FOR_GOV.UK_PUBLICATION_.pdf

Edited June 11, 2022 by L-Dogg

[Thaidup]

Would never happen in Thailand.....    Whoops wrong story, should have read about farangs complaining about Thai bureaucracy.

[Pompies]

Having left the UK four decades ago the first thing I learned was that the Home Office regards you as equivalent to dead and the British embassies are even less interested. This chaos has existed to varying degrees ever since the passport issuing by Hong Kong &  other locations was centralised almost a decade ago into a perpetually under resourced office in Liverpool which has antiquated technology and equally incompetent staff. I have applied recently although I have 8 months left on my passport and it will be a miracle if the new one is issued this year. Thankfully I have no travel plans so no urgent needs. I feel for those who are in need of quick service because there is simply no chance of them getting it. And by the way Australians are having similar problems with their own passport service.

[Grumpish]

18 minutes ago, Pompies said:

Having left the UK four decades ago the first thing I learned was that the Home Office regards you as equivalent to dead and the British embassies are even less interested. This chaos has existed to varying degrees ever since the passport issuing by Hong Kong &  other locations was centralised almost a decade ago into a perpetually under resourced office in Liverpool which has antiquated technology and equally incompetent staff. I have applied recently although I have 8 months left on my passport and it will be a miracle if the new one is issued this year. Thankfully I have no travel plans so no urgent needs. I feel for those who are in need of quick service because there is simply no chance of them getting it. And by the way Australians are having similar problems with their own passport service.

Strange how all these streamlined, improved, centralised services never seem to quite work out. I renewed a passport at the British embassy some twenty years ago, when I was having a year long wander around SE Asia, it took less than a week to get turned round, and I spent less than an hour at the Bangkok immigration office getting the visa transferred to the new passport.  

[Rob2010]

Embassy will be a waste of time imho.

Way to go is to complete online application and immediately send - via Special Delivery if in UK - old passport. Nothing happens until old passport is received (and you need to be able to track and prove physical delivery to a government source). Fundamental problem is that HMPO staff are largely all workiing from home. Anything other than applications online will be lost for god knows how long.

I followed the process above submitting the application on April 1st. Was able to track application daily and received my new passport April 13th, having been advised to expect 5 week turnaround when applying.

I paid a premium to have my old passport returned - it arrived back last week...

UK government have spent a fortune putting all key processes online. Every time i hear of huge delays it seems to be because people have not cottoned on this new two track world as far as online/offline goes.

[cockneyboy]

20 minutes ago, Rob2010 said:

Embassy will be a waste of time imho.

Way to go is to complete online application and immediately send - via Special Delivery if in UK - old passport. Nothing happens until old passport is received (and you need to be able to track and prove physical delivery to a government source). Fundamental problem is that HMPO staff are largely all workiing from home. Anything other than applications online will be lost for god knows how long.

I followed the process above submitting the application on April 1st. Was able to track application daily and received my new passport April 13th, having been advised to expect 5 week turnaround when applying.

I paid a premium to have my old passport returned - it arrived back last week...

UK government have spent a fortune putting all key processes online. Every time i hear of huge delays it seems to be because people have not cottoned on this new two track world as far as online/offline goes.

how does that information help Uk passport renewal in Thailand, where you have to apply via  VFS, 

[Marble-eye]

I don't think we can pin the Blame on Boris or Brexit as much as many would like to for the passport backlog, it is all down to a chain of events, like with COVID-19 people have been rushing to get or renew their passports to have their long awaited jollies.

"There is no backlog in passport processing as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. However, we are now seeing unprecedented demand as more than 5 million people delayed applying for passports during COVID-19 because of restrictions in international travel. Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) anticipate 9.5 million British passport applications will be made this year and in March 2022 alone, HMPO processed more than one million new passport applications, the highest output on record."

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/passport-processing-times-and-unprecedented-levels-of-demand

 

[oldschooler]

7 hours ago, L-Dogg said:

Not sure if it's allowed in the UK, but here in the US you can have 2 passports. You just have to fill out a second application and say your passport gets lots of visas issued and can be tied up for weeks or months ( Like in this story) and you can legally have 2 passports issued to you. Since mine are 10 year passports, I renew one every 5 years to keep the cycle even. That way while one is being renewed, my other one has 5 years of validity on it, so I have lots of time to get that other one back. Just a suggestion as paying for a passport renewal has got to be cheaper than flights back and forth to the UK.

Looks like you can have 2, even up to 3 passports as a UK citizen. Link Below....

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1020932/Additional_Passports__V10_FOR_GOV.UK_PUBLICATION_.pdf

Have maintained two UK Passports for last 22 years. Started when working in Nigeria with one passport constantly processing on three month visa cycles.

Used them as Main & Reserve. Same validity achieved when decided to renew one three years early at same time as replacing stolen one. Just as well as would otherwise would have needed a remote renewal of reserve passport from Thailand during height of Covid. Never any need to worry about insufficient remaining pages forcing early renewal. Will keep renewing both at same time. 2028 next!

[dbrenn]

16 hours ago, Pompies said:

Australians are having similar problems with their own passport service

Not if you pay an additional $225 for priority processing over and above the $308 for the passport itself. Outrageous. 

[gazmo16]

This is unfortunately what you get when Countries close down during Covid and people are working from home. Certain government departments simply can not function WFH as can also be seen with the DVLC in the UK .

Every summer there is a rush to get passports renewed in the UK but if the staff aren't in the office delays are bound to occur. 

For those wishing to renew their UK passport in the Trendy Building in Bangkok (VFS) needless to say the delay will be even longer as their are more steps in the process so maybe apply with 6 months left on any visa just to be safe. 

[oldschooler]

18 hours ago, Pompies said:

Having left the UK four decades ago the first thing I learned was that the Home Office regards you as equivalent to dead and the British embassies are even less interested. This chaos has existed to varying degrees ever since the passport issuing by Hong Kong &  other locations was centralised almost a decade ago into a perpetually under resourced office in Liverpool which has antiquated technology and equally incompetent staff. I have applied recently although I have 8 months left on my passport and it will be a miracle if the new one is issued this year. Thankfully I have no travel plans so no urgent needs. I feel for those who are in need of quick service because there is simply no chance of them getting it. And by the way Australians are having similar problems with their own passport service.

“ equivalent to dead” ….. cue extended “ Mutley” laughter…..priceless

like UK Govt Depts & Banks who often regard any “ foreign” transaction as “ suspicious” before accepting as “ normal”. 

My last renewal was by personal appointment opposite London Victoria end 2018. 3 days to apply & receive.

was working in Madrid and used my 2nd uk passport to travel,  then renewed that by post via UK address three years early as very convenient then ( took two weeks) and you never know your status in 3 years. in middle of Covid stuck in Thailand as it happened. 

[oldschooler]

2 hours ago, dbrenn said:

Not if you pay an additional $225 for priority processing over and above the $308 for the passport itself. Outrageous. 

People physically in UK should be renewing their passport in one week by Paper Fast Track Personal Appointment at GBP 152 ( large 50 page ). That’s Only double the price or less than to do by regular online or postal method, don’t see the problem. how else to bypass present five million UK passport applications! 
 

[oldschooler]

17 hours ago, cockneyboy said:

how does that information help Uk passport renewal in Thailand, where you have to apply via  VFS, 

Use a Trusted UK Address as if you are in UK.

[Pinetree]

21 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Authorities in the UK are blaming a rush to travel for the summer season and new Brexit-linked problems for British travellers heading to EU countries.

Like they couldn't plan for that?  The Civil Service are incompetent puppets, that includes the Passport Service ( Haha, service, as if)  and now, with WFH, clearly a lazy bunch as well.  

[Grumpish]

18 hours ago, Rob2010 said:

Embassy will be a waste of time imho.

Way to go is to complete online application and immediately send - via Special Delivery if in UK - old passport. Nothing happens until old passport is received (and you need to be able to track and prove physical delivery to a government source). Fundamental problem is that HMPO staff are largely all workiing from home. Anything other than applications online will be lost for god knows how long.

I followed the process above submitting the application on April 1st. Was able to track application daily and received my new passport April 13th, having been advised to expect 5 week turnaround when applying.

I paid a premium to have my old passport returned - it arrived back last week...

UK government have spent a fortune putting all key processes online. Every time i hear of huge delays it seems to be because people have not cottoned on this new two track world as far as online/offline goes.

If you are in the UK - an even easier option is to use the Post Office service. Not much use if you are not in the UK at the time, though. 

[dbrenn]

53 minutes ago, oldschooler said:

People physically in UK should be renewing their passport in one week by Paper Fast Track Personal Appointment at GBP 152 ( large 50 page ). That’s Only double the price or less than to do by regular online or postal method, don’t see the problem. how else to bypass present five million UK passport applications! 
 

It's true that you get what you pay for. But it seems that these days you have to pay priority fees for everything that used to be easily obtained, or nothing happens for months, if ever. My family in Britain has to go private for medical treatment, or it's impossible to get an appointment. Thai passports are quick, cheap and easy.

It's a sign of the times, I guess.

[billyburi]

3 minutes ago, Transam said:

I sent my PP off to an agent by EMS on Thursday, they will get my stuff at their office on Monday, tomorrow.

I will try and remember this thread and report back when my new PP is in my hands...

Why didn't you go to Trendy Building.???

Agents, old bods brigade will be using them to get dressed on a morning next....

[Saltire]

2 minutes ago, Transam said:

Perhaps more to do with how many Thai folk get on a plane for their hols compared to Brits, I reckon a huge difference.

Then we have gov. worker's salary compared to the UK, I reckon a huge difference too, the good thing about the Brit PP is it lasts for 10 years, in LOS, 5 years, unless that has been changed recently... 

Yes, not sure when, but it changed to 10 years (option costs 1500 Baht) as my wife got her new one just a few weeks ago at the Pattaya office. Slick operation, in and out in an hour. Only question was why did she not renew till now as her old one was 10 years expired.

I feels like it also has double the pages, it's much thicker than the UK passport.

 

[dbrenn]

11 minutes ago, Transam said:

Perhaps more to do with how many Thai folk get on a plane for their hols compared to Brits, I reckon a huge difference.

Then we have gov. worker's salary compared to the UK, I reckon a huge difference too, the good thing about the Brit PP is it lasts for 10 years, in LOS, 5 years, unless that has been changed recently 

Thai passports now last 10 years. Not sure about the travel statistics but you're probably right that more British travel. Thai passports are so much cheaper though - government workers salaries, as you say - 1,500 Baht for a 10 year one.

[oldschooler]

1 hour ago, billyburi said:

Why didn't you go to Trendy Building.???

Agents, old bods brigade will be using them to get dressed on a morning next....

If I could delegate wiping my arse here I would. My talented lady handles all our operations & projects here, under my direction, except my personal govt / private business.

Thais don’t really “get” Insurance “ or Medical / Dental Checks. “Not Happen / No Need” !

But Couldn’t have got my Yellow House Book without herno agent would go near THAT.

I Use agent ONLY for Retirement Stay. Passport Agent ? Forget That! Would Pretend I’m in UK and do Online + Passport Mailed via UK Address. 

 

[TSS]

"Since mine are 10 year passports, I renew one every 5 years to keep the cycle even. That way while one is being renewed, my other one has 5 years of validity on it"

 oh man, I don't know about that- for US passport renewal, you need to submit your old one, expired or not. old one is punched/invalid. Sent back with a new one. That's been my experience of 55 yrs. US passport renewal in US is backlogged as well but I just renewed mine through BKK embassy via mail- took about ten days

[TSS]

I stand corrected on holding 2 valid US passports. I will check this out:

"Although often called Duplicate US Passports, a second passport is not a duplicate passport. The second passport will have its own dates of issue and expiration and their own passport numbers. This is a critical difference between a second passport and a duplicate. In order to get a second passport, the applicant must prove that they are in possession of their standard 10-year passport and that they truly need the second passport...

 

[Giltee]

23 hours ago, Shade_Wilder said:

Respectfully, Brits voted for Boris Johnson to be Prime Minister and run the government.

You have only yourselves to blame.

"A man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6)

I wasn’t aware that Boris Johnson made passports? Tell me more. In New Zealand the passport production isn’t run by a political party but they’d have a massive problem if millions suddenly wanted a passport.