Renewing a UK passport while travelling

[randymarsh]

I dont live here permanently but travelling long term (holiday).  

 

Does anyone have any experience renewing a passport while not in the UK?  

 

On the gov.uk site, there is a list of accepted identity documents.  I can give my current passport, but i need one other from the below.  Do these accepted documents relate to the country I'm in now e.g. a letter from government office in Thailand sent to my Thai address?  Looking through them, I can't see how anyone on holiday would have any of these things... Wonder if this service is only for expats.

 

 

Your British passport (if you are renewing) • Non-British uncancelled passport • National identity card or equivalent (or colour photocopy) • Visa or residence permit (or colour photocopy) • Tax record eg a letter from a tax authority • Educational record eg school report • Employment record eg official letter from your employer • Letter sent to you from a central, regional or local government department • Medical/health card • Voter’s card • Immigration documents

[parryhandy]

yup technically renewing your passport whilst travelling is not possible because you don't have a  permanent address so there will be no proof you live there. How they are allowed to get away with this is disgusting IMO. Having a passport to travel is a legal requirement so being able to replace it without ridiculous expense ( travelling back to the UK )should also be legal requirement on the government side.

The only option is an emergency travel document https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document to get you home.

Discussed at great length here 

 

 

 

[Jip99]

I recommend that you email HMPO explaining the situation and setting out your travel itinerary.

 

I think if you can show that you are based in Thailand for the duration of the application process (and can get to Bangkok twice - or use an agent) they will play ball.

 

Email:-  [email protected]

 

I have found them to be very helpful in a few 'grey area' cases.

 

You can only get an Emergency Travel Document once your passport has expired (or lost/stolen)..... frankly, I don't think that will be necessary.

 

Obviously it would have been smarter to renew your passport BEFORE traveling if you knew the renewal was necessary during your travel period, but that horse has bolted

 

 

Good luck.

 

Edited November 4, 2017 by Jip99

[anfh]

I got a new passport in Bangkok last year. This took about 8 days in total. There is an office in Soi 15 that deals with them. But I have a property in Thailand , so can prove an address there,  as it  is a necessary requirement of a new passport. I am therefore not sure how you would get on, even though you could prove your address in the UK.

 

Personnally, i dont see why the proof of address is necessary, if you already have a passport etc then you have obviously passed the security checks etc and are a UK citizen, so it does not matter where you actually live.

 

you also need a photocopy of every single page in your existing passport. They then send them away and advise you on their return etc. Very quick and efficient. But as stated. You will need to check on the proof of address situation. 

[KarenBravo]

Firstly, the agency that you have to go to to get your new British passport is in Sukhumvit Soi 13, not 15. It's in the Trendy building.

By Thai law, you're supposed to have your passport at all times, therefore, the UK government will accept a photocopy of your old passport.

You can travel around on your old passport during the process to get a new one, but, you can't leave Thailand.

On the passport application, it says that you cannot travel internationally on your old passport as it will be cancelled during the application process.

[NanLaew]

7 hours ago, parryhandy said:

yup technically renewing your passport whilst travelling is not possible because you don't have a  permanent address so there will be no proof you live there. How they are allowed to get away with this is disgusting IMO.

It is possible in Thailand.

 

17 hours ago, randymarsh said:

Visa or residence permit (or colour photocopy)

Thai Immigration offices (Jomtien for one) will issue letters of residence to support foreign passport renewals. Normally printed in Thai, if you tell them that it is for foreign consular business, they will print it in English. There's been a few reports of Immigration offices accepting hotel receipts, short-term rental agreements and even hotel business cards to support the issuance of the above letter.

 

The vagaries of the Thai Immigration proof of residence process is much more precarious than the actual on-the-fly UK passport renewal. One just has to try a bit harder, do a bit of local Immigration office due diligence and not throw your hands up and say it's impossible too quickly.

Edited November 4, 2017 by NanLaew

[randymarsh]

Will email the UK passport office and ask them what they think.. thanks

[parryhandy]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

It is possible in Thailand.

 

Thai Immigration offices (Jomtien for one) will issue letters of residence to support foreign passport renewals. Normally printed in Thai, if you tell them that it is for foreign consular business, they will print it in English. There's been a few reports of Immigration offices accepting hotel receipts, short-term rental agreements and even hotel business cards to support the issuance of the above letter.

 

The vagaries of the Thai Immigration proof of residence process is much more precarious than the actual on-the-fly UK passport renewal. One just has to try a bit harder, do a bit of local Immigration office due diligence and not throw your hands up and say it's impossible too quickly.

yup thats the way ive done it before (residence letter) . but getting this proof of residence, getting to Bangkok to apply then waiting for your new passport to return is going to take at best 2 weeks probably longer.I had 90 days to get my passport but most people travelling will have 30 day stays and so it all depends when you renew/lose your passport. Lose it anywhere near your permission to stay date and you're screwed.

Obviously if just renewing you can plan ahead.

 

come to think of it without the passport there's no way I could have got the residence letter.

 

oh and what I should have said earlier is its technically impossible if the passport office strictly follow their proof of residence requirements.

 

Edited November 4, 2017 by parryhandy
afterthought

[parryhandy]

2 hours ago, randymarsh said:

Will email the UK passport office and ask them what they think.. thanks

and they can tell you anything they please because there's no accountability or recourse (its just a helpline) and they have no real knowledge of what the person in charge will accept. They told me absolute rubbish when I rang years ago and were no help whatsoever but there again I renewed mine just after they changed the rules and there were 2 month delays and chaos.

Hopefully HMPO are a bit more understanding now especially as the proof of address requirements are total bollux as regards to foreign countries and the fact they have no jurisdiction to verify any proof  and so easily circumvented by the sort of people they're trying to stop. 

Pretty sure immigration would have given me a residence letter for the moon as long as they got their 500 baht.

Edited November 4, 2017 by parryhandy

[mikecha]

well if you travel so much maybe a second passport is an option 1 overlaps the other  

 

thats the problem for embassies permenant adress  

[jippytum]

If you went to an agency such as key visa in Pattaya they would do the work for you duration approx. two weeks and post the new passport to you within Thailand .You do not require to send your old passport with your application .

[jacko45k]

There is a Visa agent in the Pattaya area that renews UK passports, I believe the fee is 5000 baht.

Many will say you are paying a lot for services you can achieve yourself, but not having to travel down to Bangkok may suit you.  It will provide a place to have the passport sent to.

He may offer advice on how to achieve this.

 

Doubt if I can post a link but a search is key.

[keithcresswell]

I am currently in the process of renewing my British passport and the UK government website lists supporting documents as being Photo evidence (current passport) and "Name and address and/or residency evidence". It then gives a list of which  "Visa or resident permit" is shown as acceptable.

I am taking this as meaning that proof of address is not required if you can show a Thai visa.

 

 

 

[parryhandy]

9 hours ago, keithcresswell said:

I am currently in the process of renewing my British passport and the UK government website lists supporting documents as being Photo evidence (current passport) and "Name and address and/or residency evidence". It then gives a list of which  "Visa or resident permit" is shown as acceptable.

I am taking this as meaning that proof of address is not required if you can show a Thai visa.

 

 

 

Only if the visa shows your address.

[KarenBravo]

I just used a bill with my name and address on it.

[parryhandy]

2 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

I just used a bill with my name and address on it.

yup perfectly acceptable but not something a traveler is likely to have. 

[NanLaew]

14 hours ago, parryhandy said:

yup perfectly acceptable but not something a traveler is likely to have. 

Also, there's an issue with Thai bills being in Thai and getting it translated, etc.

 

Been there, done that... albeit on a non passport-related personal ID issue from the UK.

[keithcresswell]

17 hours ago, parryhandy said:

Only if the visa shows your address.

Are you speaking from experience or just guessing? If you take what they said literally it says name and address OR residency evidence. 

[parryhandy]

you have to have something official which has your address on it . I have a non o visa based on marriage which doesn't have my address on it. It does not prove residency.

[KarenBravo]

On 11/6/2017 at 8:34 AM, NanLaew said:

Also, there's an issue with Thai bills being in Thai and getting it translated, etc.

 

Been there, done that... albeit on a non passport-related personal ID issue from the UK.

I didn't need to have a translation.

The numbers on the Thai bill were the same as my address in English.

House, Soi and moobahn all matched, so, at the application interview in the Trendy, they used their common sense.

[parryhandy]

6 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

I didn't need to have a translation.

The numbers on the Thai bill were the same as my address in English.

House, Soi and moobahn all matched, so, at the application interview in the Trendy, they used their common sense.

lol its not about common sense its the fact that it's not their problem if they're wrong. 

[Eff1n2ret]

The requirements for documentary evidence are set out here:-

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/564956/OS_Guidance_G2_10.16.pdf

 

-and the second panel on Table A starts:-

 

Name and address and/or residency evidence Please provide one of the following:

• visa or resident permit (or colour photocopy)

 

Note the "and/or" - a visa or marriage/retirement extension would satisfy this requirement, arguably a 30-day entry stamp wouldn't because it might not be classed as a visa.

 

UK residents in Thailand can't apply by post, they have to apply in person or via selected agents at the agency in Trendy Tower, as already stated. So your address in Thailand is irrelevant as far as HMPO is concerned. They're not going to send the passport there. In effect, your visa or residence permit is sufficient to demonstrate that you are legally present in Thailand.

 

Incidentally, my wife (dual national) has just renewed her UK passport. As evidence of name and address she supplied her housebook with a translation. The housebook is dated 2006, which doesn't comply with the heading "dated within the last year", but it was accepted without question. From application to notification that the new passport was available for collection took just over two weeks.

[sanemax]

On 11/6/2017 at 8:34 AM, NanLaew said:

Also, there's an issue with Thai bills being in Thai and getting it translated, etc.

 

Been there, done that... albeit on a non passport-related personal ID issue from the UK.

I did get a bank statement with my name and address written on it , which was in both Thai and English and therefore I didnt need to get it translated .

   Cost me 100 Baht though , Bangkok Bank

[OJAS]

On 11/4/2017 at 3:11 PM, anfh said:

Personnally, i dont see why the proof of address is necessary, if you already have a passport etc then you have obviously passed the security checks etc and are a UK citizen, so it does not matter where you actually live.

All the more ridiculously pointless since HMPO won't, of course, actually send your new passport to the address which you are required to prove!

[randymarsh]

I had a response from the passport office.  They will renew my passport - they just said include a booking receipt / print out for whatever hotel I happen to be in.  They're not fussed at all as they mentioned they post it back to the Immigration office anyway!

 

GOOD TIMES

Edited November 10, 2017 by randymarsh

[parryhandy]

very good . sounds like common sense has prevailed.

Lets hope the same person that gave you that advice is the same person actually reviewing your application.

let us know when you get your passport if you wouldn't mind.

Edited November 11, 2017 by parryhandy

[Neeranam]

On 05/11/2017 at 4:56 AM, jacko45k said:

There is a Visa agent in the Pattaya area that renews UK passports, I believe the fee is 5000 baht.

Many will say you are paying a lot for services you can achieve yourself, but not having to travel down to Bangkok may suit you.  It will provide a place to have the passport sent to.

He may offer advice on how to achieve this.

 

Doubt if I can post a link but a search is key.

Ridiculous price. I had to get two new ones which he was going to charge me 10,000 baht for.

Simple process, 12 day wait. 

I used my Thai house book, which I translated myself.

Edited November 11, 2017 by Neeranam

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Ridiculous price. I had to get two new ones which he was going to charge me 10,000 baht for.

Simple process, 12 day wait. 

I used my Thai house book, which I translated myself.

I suppose it is simpler the closer you live to Bangkok.

I would be interested to hear if those in Chiangmai find it simple, or those physically unable to travel far.

Not many here can do their own translation, so it appears you are special.

I don't believe the price is ridiculous.  I would end up spending more myself paying for a hotel and perhaps a night on Cowboy.

Edited November 11, 2017 by jacko45k

[baneko]

This is the link you need. Can only be done by appointment. Easy and quick.
http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/thailand/applicationcentre.html

Sent from my SM-G950F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[grb944]

On 04/11/2017 at 3:29 PM, KarenBravo said:

 

You can travel around on your old passport during the process to get a new one, but, you can't leave Thailand.

On the passport application, it says that you cannot travel internationally on your old passport as it will be cancelled during the application process.

Has anyone tested this and failed to get through passport control with old passport during renewal process? - I will need to pop to Cambodia a couple of times during the processing period of my new passport .

I know and have read many times that they you can not travel - but do they really do something electronically to old passport before new one arrives 

I don't mean after the corner has been cut-off .. I know for a fact they won't do that until you physically collect new passport