Passport- Have you got yours?

Have you got yours yet?

With the new changes in legislation regarding passenger details before they travel, is is now more than ever more important to ensure your passport is up to date before you book your holiday.

If you are travelling outside the EU you are required to have 6 months valid on your passport from the date you are due to return. Many EU countries require 3 months, but it is always best to check, and be safe with 6.

From our last post, The New UK Passports, if you haven’t already renewed your passport since 2006, you will see a significant change in the design and features of passports.

I recently had to renew my passport., I have changed mine a few times, and there I have certainly noticed the difference from 10years ago.

The forms are in fact much simpler than they used to be, with a very detailed guidance booklet on how to fill in the details correctly. Interestingly it stated that every year 250,000 passports are returned every year due to not filling the details correctly! So read before you start!

To renew your passport is very straight forward, fill in 1 section about yourself and your address, then your old passport number- add 2 (hideous) passport approved photos of yourself, cheque for the correct amount- then send! job done.

If this is your first passport, again it seems fairly straight forward compared to how these forms use to be. However, each new applicant will be different depending on their circumstances. Please follow the guidance notes and read before you embark on filling the form.

For my renewal, I was very impressed with the quick turn around! I have heard people say they have received theirs within 2 weeks, some cases 3.. but mine came within 5 days!!

The post office 'recommends' that you send your old passport and forms recorded delivery. For me this cost £5. You can also have the added peace of mind by using the check and send service that many of the post offices offer. I chose not to. This is an extra cost.
The passport office also offers you the option to have your old passport sent by special delivery. This is an extra cost, which you have to include in your passport fees. Again I chose not to do this. This was an extra £6 per passport, but again, not really necessary.

Passport fees were a bit of a mystery. I hunted, read and re read the booklet looking for how much the renewal was going to cost me, it was not there! how very confusing! what I didn’t see was that they have now created a 24 hour automated telephone service telling you the price. The nice voice tells you that

Adult £77.50 (new or renewal)
Child is £49
£6 per passport special delivery if you wish to use this service
(prices are subject to passport and identity services, and from experience purposes only. You should consult the 24 hour telephone service provided by the passport office and guidance booklet given before you apply)

This service has pros and cons. I wanted the price there and then, I’m used to looking on a form and being told in writing how much it is. I didn’t want to ring and write it down myself, to only ring again 3 days later just in case the price had gone up and I had written it down correctly..
However, I can also see the point of view, that of course prices change and this keeps it in one place and then there is no waist of paper in re printing.

Another good point to make, is in the booklet, there is also the option to use your credit card to pay for the passports. Which is a good idea, as I remember way back when this function was not available. Who really pays by cheque any-more??

So, there you have it a new style of passport, and a new 21st century way of applying, whether for renewal or for the first time... I’m still impressed by the 5 day turn around! this I was not expecting...

My advice, as always, follow the instructions in the guidance booklet provided- every person circumstances are different- the above are my experiences...

I paid the bear minimum I needed to pay- my mother in-law, being of that generation, paid for every service going! , she paid £6 for next day recorded delivery, the £16 (£8per passport) check and send service, along with another £12 for special delivery on passport returning safely... This is a whopping £111.50! each passport! I paid just the £77.50 (and postage)this was enough to spend...

Be confident you have filled the details correctly and you will get it sooner than you think... :-)