Can a UK Passport Be Renewed Online in Thailand?

[renaissanc]

There is a UK government website to renew your passport online. VFS websites in Thailand only talk about renewing a UK passport in person with paper documents. Does anyone know if online renewal can be done in Thailand?

If it can, are scanned paper photos allowed on the online website? I've heard talk about digital photos with a code number being required.

 

I appreciate your help.

 

My warmest regards,

Peter

[Foxx]

It can not be done online.

[Upnotover]

All you need to know is here;

 

https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/overseas/information/thailand/renew/adult

 

(and btw, if you could apply online which you can't, you don't need a coded photo, you can take your own photo with your phone)

[Chivas]

Clearly it can be done online within the UK having done it last year

I'm just trying to recall the process

You do need to send the old passport back along with the code you mention

 

I'm surmising that if you have family within uk for forwarding purposes you could do it ?

[renaissanc]

Thank you all very much for your help. I'm very grateful.

It turns out that it's not allowed in Thailand. VFS sent a second email after telling me that they would not reply to my question. I received a very helpful reply. Here it is in case it helps anyone else with the same question.
 

To apply for or renewal the British Passport in Thailand ,there are no online passport applications available and unable to process the application by post hence you may need to attend our office to lodge the application and documents in order to renew your passport. 

 

You can either attend our office in person or authorize someone to do it for you but in the condition that you fill in the application completely and send the physical/original document to a third person who authorized it.   

 

All information about how to complete the application form and required documents are detailed under the relevant country page here: https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports 

 

Once your convenience, send us your full name/applicant’s full name and 3 alternatives date and times you would like to attend our office and we will confirm back to you based on our availability.     

 

Our office hours are from Monday to Friday from 08.30 -14.10 hours. (Except for Public holidays).  

Please check our public holidays and closures at https://visa.vfsglobal.com/tha/en/gbr/attend-centre/bangkok  

 

Please note that the UK Visa Application Centre (HMPO) will be closed on Monday, 29^th July 2024 as a public holiday. 

 

Reminders:  

-Please secure an appointment before visiting VFS.   

-The timescale is currently published on GOV.UK for Thailand passport renewal is 4 weeks as suggested, though this is not guaranteed and could take longer.  

-If you are submitting your current British and Non-British passport, please bring the original and a full colour photocopy of the entire passport (every page including blank pages).  

-Please collect your passport within 30 days from the date when you receive the notification email from VFS, after that we must return the passport back to the Passport Office in the UK. 

 

Best Regards, 

 

HMPO Officer 

[prakhonchai nick]

Do note however that when the new passport is returned to VFS Bangkok, and is available for collection, their normal office hours ..Monday to Friday from 08.30 -14.10 hours..do not apply.  According to the message you will receive--- passports can only be collected between 14.00-16.00 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Plus they CANNOT be couriered back to the applicant!

 

That is so helpful and useful for those that live a very long way from Bangkok and would like to do it in one day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Andycoops]

Not while in Thailand.

 

I recently renewed mine it only took 3 weeks.

You get 30 days to collect the new one, after that it's returned to the UK.

2 trips to BKK but some R&R and shopping makes a change from the Isaan village.

[nickmondo]

if you can do it online, you will need to do it behind a UK VPN.

the Passport office can tell where you log in from.

 

[nickmondo]

1 hour ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Do note however that when the new passport is returned to VFS Bangkok, and is available for collection, their normal office hours ..Monday to Friday from 08.30 -14.10 hours..do not apply.  According to the message you will receive--- passports can only be collected between 14.00-16.00 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Plus they CANNOT be couriered back to the applicant!

 

That is so helpful and useful for those that live a very long way from Bangkok and would like to do it in one day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what a ridiculous, pointless moan.  if you dont like it, go back to the UK and get it done.

[DPKANKAN]

18 hours ago, renaissanc said:

There is a UK government website to renew your passport online. VFS websites in Thailand only talk about renewing a UK passport in person with paper documents. Does anyone know if online renewal can be done in Thailand?

If it can, are scanned paper photos allowed on the online website? I've heard talk about digital photos with a code number being required.

 

I appreciate your help.

 

My warmest regards,

Peter

My Thai Visa. All by email and post. Simple

[alanrchase]

18 hours ago, Chivas said:

Clearly it can be done online within the UK having done it last year

I'm just trying to recall the process

You do need to send the old passport back along with the code you mention

 

I'm surmising that if you have family within uk for forwarding purposes you could do it ?

It can be done online from abroad as well. My sister did hers online from the US a few years ago. My understanding is one reason for not being able to do it online from Thailand is the (unenforced) requirement to carry your passport. Online renewal leaves you without a passport until the new one is delivered.

[Upnotover]

2 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Do note however that when the new passport is returned to VFS Bangkok, and is available for collection, their normal office hours ..Monday to Friday from 08.30 -14.10 hours..do not apply.  According to the message you will receive--- passports can only be collected between 14.00-16.00 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Plus they CANNOT be couriered back to the applicant!

 

That is so helpful and useful for those that live a very long way from Bangkok and would like to do it in one day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's not a bad excuse for a night out once every 10 years.

[Will B Good]

Just done mine.....quite easy and straight forward other than I had to apply and collect in person....not sure how you get around that.

 

Suited me though....any excuse to go the BKK..... twice.

[sandyf]

40 minutes ago, alanrchase said:

Online renewal leaves you without a passport until the new one is delivered.

Being in any foreign country without a passport would be a risky business for most people.

[hotandsticky]

2 hours ago, nickmondo said:

if you can do it online, you will need to do it behind a UK VPN.

the Passport office can tell where you log in from.

 

 

You are recommending something that involves a false declaration.

 

The world is full of smart-arsses trying to beat the system.

 

Here is the official response from UKPA:-

 

Thank you for your enquiry.


The Home Office advise that for security purposes a passport must not be taken over a border without the holder in possession.

If you post your passport to a residential address in another country it potentially could be retained by the Border Agency and cancelled, This could influence that actual granting of a UK Passport as there is no absolute entitlement.

The package you use could also be damaged during the delivery process and be compromised or end up in the possession of a 3rd party which could lead to identity theft.


To confirm the notes on the declaration form that you need to read before signing;


When the application form is completed and signed by yourself, if you are not resident at the address you provide, you are making a false statement for which you could be prosecuted and a potential prison sentence.

If the passport is lost in transit or has a delivery issue you will need to attend in person to collect it. As you possibly will not have any other travel documents to return to the UK it would leave you in a difficult position.


Taking the above into account and you state that the action you are suggesting will save time and money, the repercussions of being caught are severe.


I hope this has been of assistance and recommend strongly that you follow the standard process.


If you require any further information, please contact us through our helpline on +44 (0)300 222 0000 or via e-mail [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>


Kind Regards,

C Banks

Customer Service Management Team

HM Passport Office Operations

Her Majesty's Passport Office

[hotandsticky]

51 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

It's not a bad excuse for a night out once every 10 years.

 

Twice........ if you are submitting and collecting yourself.

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, alanrchase said:

It can be done online from abroad as well. My sister did hers online from the US a few years ago. My understanding is one reason for not being able to do it online from Thailand is the (unenforced) requirement to carry your passport. Online renewal leaves you without a passport until the new one is delivered.

 

See my post showing UKPA's view on that.

[hotandsticky]

2 hours ago, nickmondo said:

what a ridiculous, pointless moan.  if you dont like it, go back to the UK and get it done.

 

 

Not really.....just someone who remembers the convenience of passports being couriered back from Singapore.

 

Ridiculous, pointless whinge about returning to the UK!

[alanrchase]

21 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

See my post showing UKPA's view on that.

My sister is a resident in the US and used the information provided by the UK government to renew her passport. She completed the online process and posted her passport to HMPO in the UK. HMPO returned her new passport to her residential address in the US, no third party address was used.

[hotandsticky]

17 minutes ago, alanrchase said:

My sister is a resident in the US and used the information provided by the UK government to renew her passport. She completed the online process and posted her passport to HMPO in the UK. HMPO returned her new passport to her residential address in the US, no third party address was used.

 

We are in Thailand.

 

Which is where your passport stays.

[alanrchase]

9 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

We are in Thailand.

 

Which is where your passport stays.

My post said it can be done from abroad and gave an example, I also gave a reason why it cannot be done online in Thailand.

[Upnotover]

1 hour ago, hotandsticky said:

 

Twice........ if you are submitting and collecting yourself.

Even better.

[alanrchase]

3 hours ago, sandyf said:

Being in any foreign country without a passport would be a risky business for most people.

Not true. Thailand has a requirement that foreigners carry their passport with them, rarely enforced but plenty of discussions about it on AN. Many other countries have no requirement for a foreigner to carry their passport with them.

[hotandsticky]

2 hours ago, alanrchase said:

My post said it can be done from abroad and gave an example, I also gave a reason why it cannot be done online in Thailand.

 

 

Well done!

 

 

At least one part was relevant to this forum 😉

[alanrchase]

6 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Well done!

 

 

At least one part was relevant to this forum 😉

What are you on about? OP asked if it can be done online from Thailand. Another poster remarked that online renewal can be done in the UK. I replied to that post by mentioning that online renewal can also be done abroad but gave a reason why it is not allowed in Thailand. Then for some reason you stepped in and inferred I was wrong and should reference your post. 

[transam]

Use an agent, can be done by post from anywhere in LOS, their fee is around 5000bht + PP cost.....

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, alanrchase said:

Not true. Thailand has a requirement that foreigners carry their passport with them, rarely enforced but plenty of discussions about it on AN. Many other countries have no requirement for a foreigner to carry their passport with them.

You are delusional, no embassy in the world is going to provide assistance to someone without a passport.

Try looking at the bigger picture rather than your paranoia over passports in Thailand.

[Liverpool Lou]

18 minutes ago, sandyf said:

You are delusional, no embassy in the world is going to provide assistance to someone without a passport.

You are delusional, any national's embassy or consulate will provide assistance to their citizens in the case of a missing passport.

[alanrchase]

32 minutes ago, sandyf said:

You are delusional, no embassy in the world is going to provide assistance to someone without a passport.

Try looking at the bigger picture rather than your paranoia over passports in Thailand.

There is a legal requirement in Thailand to carry your passport with you when you are out and about. This is rarely enforced but is why you cannot renew online. Many other countries do not require you to carry your passport when you are out and about, you can leave it at your residence or at an hotel. Nothing to do with paranoia, I never carry my passport in Thailand unless I need it during my travel, eg. visiting the bank.

[sandyf]

19 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You are delusional, any national's embassy or consulate will provide assistance to their citizens in the case of a missing passport.

It is not a "missing" passport.