Passport renewal enquiry

[Binger]

Hello everyone let’s start with apologies if in wrong place.

anyway I’m English 59 and living up in sirattana i will need to renew my uk passport later this year.

I’m ok with what i need & process but what i wanted to ask is do i pay in thai bhat or pound sterling thank you for any help cheers ????????????

[transam]

You pay the UK end in pounds, with a bank card form to fill in....

[Binger]

Thank you transam for quick reply really appreciate it have a great songkran ????????????

Edited April 14, 2023 by Binger

[OJAS]

42 minutes ago, Binger said:

i will need to renew my uk passport later this year.

If I were you I would seriously consider doing this sooner rather than later. I applied to renew my passport last October even though it was not due to expire until next September - and am now mighty glad that I did so since the well-publicised delays in issuing replacement passports of recent times are now being further compounded by industrial action currently being taken by HMPO staff in the UK.

Edited April 14, 2023 by OJAS

[richard_smith237]

9 minutes ago, OJAS said:

If I were you I would seriously consider doing this sooner rather than later. I applied to renew my passport last October even though it was not due to expire until next September - and am now mighty glad that I did so since the well-publicised delays in issuing replacement passports of recent times are now being further compounded by industrial action currently being taken by HMPO staff in the UK.

I was told the ‘wait time’ is currently about 11 weeks.

 

Exactly as Trans mentioned - You fill in a payment form at VFS with your Credit Card details, the payment is taken at the UK end. 

Note: I couldn’t find the ‘payment form’ online - they have copies of this form at VFS. 

 

[Mahseer]

Was quoted 13 weeks turnaround time by VFS 3 weeks back which is what it is but current passport is cancelled on application which is a pain.

[sandyf]

33 minutes ago, Binger said:

Thank you transam for quick reply really appreciate it have a great songkran ????????????

Further to previous post details can be found here. 

I have been thinking about mine which is due in a year. They were saying 11 weeks before the industrial action was announced so I will probably make a trip to the UK.

[sandyf]

Just now, sandyf said:

Further to previous post details can be found here. 

I have been thinking about mine which is due in a year. They were saying 11 weeks before the industrial action was announced so I will probably make a trip to the UK.

Forgot the link

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-passport-creditdebit-card-payment-authorisation

[Dmaxdan]

26 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I was told the ‘wait time’ is currently about 11 weeks.

 

Exactly as Trans mentioned - You fill in a payment form at VFS with your Credit Card details, the payment is taken at the UK end. 

Note: I couldn’t find the ‘payment form’ online - they have copies of this form at VFS. 

 

I downloaded the payment form from the GOV.UK website. 

[Polar Bear]

I would not apply until the current industrial action is over. HMPO is disorganised at the best of times. When they have a backlog of documents, stuff just gets lost, and they are completely indifferent about it. Better to wait until things are working smoothly, albeit slowly. 

Alternatively, go back and renew in person. That's what I ended up doing. I paid extra for the priority service and picked up my new passport on the same day. It was expensive and inconvenient to go back to the UK to deal with it, but it would have been a much bigger problem for me if it had got lost in their system for months.

[QballQ]

16 weeks for my daughters to be processed.

 

[prakhonchai nick]

Apart from the wait for a new passport, which last year was around 12 weeks, but reduced to 6 weeks earlier this year, and may be back to 12 weeks or more now, be aware of the need to renew your permission to stay in Thailand. You can have 1 year but if there is less than 1 year validity on your current passport, then Immigration will only extend to passport expiry date..

[brianthainess]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

I was told the ‘wait time’ is currently about 11 weeks.

 

Exactly as Trans mentioned - You fill in a payment form at VFS with your Credit Card details, the payment is taken at the UK end. 

Note: I couldn’t find the ‘payment form’ online - they have copies of this form at VFS. 

 

What if you only have a Debit card.

[prakhonchai nick]

15 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

What if you only have a Debit card.

You can use a UK debit card, but beware...I have known 2 people using debit cards to pay, and not having enough money in their accounts

[blackcab]

Moved to the Home Country forum.

[brianthainess]

15 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

You can use a UK debit card, but beware...I have known 2 people using debit cards to pay, and not having enough money in their accounts

What if you only have a Thai Debit card ?

[richard_smith237]

(deleted)

Edited April 15, 2023 by richard_smith237

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

17 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

You can use a UK debit card, but beware...I have known 2 people using debit cards to pay, and not having enough money in their accounts

What if you only have a Thai Debit card ?

I used a Thai Credit Card - I don't see any reason for a Thai Debit card not to work. 

[transam]

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/190989/OS_Payment__Instruction_07.13.pdf

[richard_smith237]

18 hours ago, Polar Bear said:

I would not apply until the current industrial action is over. HMPO is disorganised at the best of times. When they have a backlog of documents, stuff just gets lost, and they are completely indifferent about it. Better to wait until things are working smoothly, albeit slowly. 

What gets lost ?...  (you don’t sent your passport with the application when applying from overseas).

 

18 hours ago, Polar Bear said:

Alternatively, go back and renew in person. That's what I ended up doing. I paid extra for the priority service and picked up my new passport on the same day. It was expensive and inconvenient to go back to the UK to deal with it, but it would have been a much bigger problem for me if it had got lost in their system for months.

You paid for flights and travelled back to the UK just because you were worried your passport would get lost in the system for months (when you don't even send your passport back?).

 

I’ve done the ‘one day Fast track’ in the past - but only when visiting the UK anyway - the VFS system still works, I’ve not heard of any application ever getting lost. 

[transam]

Last year I renewed my passport using an agent, all done by EMS post, I even used THEIR credit card for a small additional fee...

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/190989/OS_Payment__Instruction_07.13.pdf

That works...  ????

[richard_smith237]

20 hours ago, Mahseer said:

Was quoted 13 weeks turnaround time by VFS 3 weeks back which is what it is but current passport is cancelled on application which is a pain.

I don't think the Current Passport is actually ‘cancelled’ on application. 

 

But... The GOV.UK website does state << You can’t travel with it after you’ve applied for a new one - but you will be able to keep your existing passport for ID purposes >>

 

This potentially creates somewhat of a conundrum: 

I’ve applied for my Sons UK Passport 14 weeks before we need to travel.

 

IF his passport has not arrived before then we’ll have little choice but to travel back to the UK on his existing passport.

 

I’m not sure if this would be flagged upon arrival at Border Control UK (but they cannot refuse entry to a British National anyway). 

 

I’m wondering IF we could then apply again for a British Passport (in Person - Fast track service). 

 

OR... Simply exit the UK on his Existing Passport or his Thai Passport (and hopefully pickup his new passport at some point on return to Thailand). 

 

I can’t see where he ‘could be’ prevented travel. 

 

 

i.e. Even thought the Gov.uk website states ‘you can’t travel with it'  I don't see how they’d know.

 

 

NOTE: I was quoted 11 weeks (which is theoretically sufficient time).

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by richard_smith237

[Mahseer]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don't think the Current Passport is actually ‘cancelled’ on application. 

I was told by VFS Chiang Mai that my existing passport can no longer be used for international travel as of date of application for renewal. Equates to cancelled I believe.
 

As for your case of flying to the U.K. the question that needs to be answered is would the Thais stop your son departing if the passport is flagged cancelled? Not one for me to answer.

[Upnotover]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don't think the Current Passport is actually ‘cancelled’ on application. 

I have read previously (somewhere on GOV.UK) that it is definitely cancelled in the HMPO system as soon as the application is received in the UK, which makes sense as 99% of applications have the expiring passport attached to them.  However, as their database is not shared automatically with anybody only they know this and therefore the only place where it ought to be flagged up in on arrival in the UK.

 

See here;https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cancellation-of-passports

Edited April 15, 2023 by Upnotover
link

[richard_smith237]

33 minutes ago, Mahseer said:

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don't think the Current Passport is actually ‘cancelled’ on application. 

I was told by VFS Chiang Mai that my existing passport can no longer be used for international travel as of date of application for renewal. Equates to cancelled I believe.

I think there is some ‘miscommunication’ the exact phrasing on the GOV.UK website is... 

 

<< You can’t travel with it after you’ve applied for a new one - but you will be able to keep your existing passport for ID purposes >>

 

They have not stated the ‘passport is cancelled’....   I think its only cancelled after they cut the corner off etc..   That said, I imagine they ‘could’ put some sort of ‘cancel note’ on the Border-force system (depending on what lever of information sharing they have between HMPO and the Border-force systems etc)...

Also, there is no ’threat of a fine’ etc for travelling on a passport when there is an application in place for renewal...   (and usually the British love the threaten a ‘fine’ wherever there is legal scope to do so !).

 

I suspect this is one of those situations where what they really mean is ‘we don't want you to...’ but there is no legal control until the passport is physically cancelled. 

 

 

33 minutes ago, Mahseer said:

As for your case of flying to the U.K. the question that needs to be answered is would the Thais stop your son departing if the passport is flagged cancelled? Not one for me to answer.

I don't see how this could happen.

Son shows his UK Passport at Airline Check-in - there is no way for the Airline to recognise he has a renewal application in progress.

Son shows his Thai Passport at Thai Immigration (upon departure). 

 

There is nowhere for his UK passport to get flagged until he’s arrived in the UK, and even then I’m not sure an ‘existing open renewal application’ would flag on border-force Immigration controls... 

 

BUT... lets say it did - what can they do ???  - they can’t refuse entry to a British National. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by richard_smith237

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don't think the Current Passport is actually ‘cancelled’ on application. 

 

But... The GOV.UK website does state << You can’t travel with it after you’ve applied for a new one - but you will be able to keep your existing passport for ID purposes >>

 

This potentially creates somewhat of a conundrum: 

I’ve applied for my Sons UK Passport 14 weeks before we need to travel.

 

IF his passport has not arrived before then we’ll have little choice but to travel back to the UK on his existing passport.

 

I’m not sure if this would be flagged upon arrival at Border Control UK (but they cannot refuse entry to a British National anyway). 

 

I’m wondering IF we could then apply again for a British Passport (in Person - Fast track service). 

 

OR... Simply exit the UK on his Existing Passport or his Thai Passport (and hopefully pickup his new passport at some point on return to Thailand). 

 

I can’t see where he ‘could be’ prevented travel. 

 

 

i.e. Even thought the Gov.uk website states ‘you can’t travel with it'  I don't see how they’d know.

 

 

NOTE: I was quoted 11 weeks (which is theoretically sufficient time).

 

 

 

I'm in the same boat. Applied 2.5 weeks ago for my son's renewal and was advised 11 weeks. Not sure if the 11 weeks already accounts for the five weeks of industrial action or not but looking now they still say 11 weeks so hopefully it is accounted for as we want to go to the UK in the summer.

They do say your passport is cancelled upon acceptance of your renewal submission (moot for me as his had expired anyway) and you can't use it to travel. I do, however, know people who have travelled on their UK passport in SE Asia even after applying for a new one but it's a bit risky if you ask me. But as you are going to the UK that's a different story.

Hoping the 11 weeks is accurate but also annoyed at myself for not doing it earlier.

[josephbloggs]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don't see how this could happen.

Son shows his UK Passport at Airline Check-in - there is no way for the Airline to recognise he has a renewal application in progress.

Son shows his Thai Passport at Thai Immigration (upon departure). 

I would be careful with that as if you check in with one passport but switch it at departing immigration it can be an issue. Happened to me in Dubai after a holiday there. Checked in with Thai passports to avoid questions about Thai visas, presented UK ones at immigration (as we entered on UK passports) and they took me aside as these were not the same passports we checked in with. I had to go back to check in and they got a supervisor to rectify the situation. Was all a bit of a pain and took a while to resolve.

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

11 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don't see how this could happen.

Son shows his UK Passport at Airline Check-in - there is no way for the Airline to recognise he has a renewal application in progress.

Son shows his Thai Passport at Thai Immigration (upon departure). 

I would be careful with that as if you check in with one passport but switch it at departing immigration it can be an issue. Happened to me in Dubai after a holiday there. Checked in with Thai passports to avoid questions about Thai visas, presented UK ones at immigration (as we entered on UK passports) and they took me aside as these were not the same passports we checked in with. I had to go back to check in and they got a supervisor to rectify the situation. Was all a bit of a pain and took a while to resolve.

 

Noted:

We’ve done similar numerous times stopping over in Dubai...  having to show ‘destination’ passport at Check-in to prove there is no need for a visa etc but always use his British Passport as the ‘main travel document’... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JayClay]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

don't see how this could happen.

Son shows his UK Passport at Airline Check-in - there is no way for the Airline to recognise he has a renewal application in progress.

If the passport has been cancelled by HMPO then check in systems and Thai immigration systems will both be aware of this.

 

I would suggest getting an emergency travel document if the new passport hasn't arrived by the time they need to fly.