UK Passport renewal - email received 'send us your passport' 2 weeks after applying?

[Digitalbanana]

  On 4/18/2025 at 11:49 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

  On 4/18/2025 at 10:17 AM, kidneyw said:

I submitted my documents to VFS Global exactly nine weeks ago and still waiting for new passport to be approved. Multiple emails asking for more documentation from me; filling in a form to say my passport is lost; dealing with seven different teams at passport renewal in UK.

The list goes on and on.

What a shambles.

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I agree it is a shambles !

Blamed partly on the move from Liverpool to Corby but it goes deeper than that, losing your passport has to be the ultimate f### up !!

 

What next ?

Presumably they are fast tracking a new passport for you ?

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 Unless I am mistaken @kidneyw is not saying he lost his passport but the UK is asking for lost passport forms to be completed for some mistaken reason on the UK side? I assume he applied normally through VFS, showed his real pp, still holds it and sent off copies and everything else as verified by VFS.

[Andrew Dwyer]

  On 4/18/2025 at 12:36 PM, Digitalbanana said:

 Unless I am mistaken @kidneyw is not saying he lost his passport but the UK is asking for lost passport forms to be completed for some mistaken reason on the UK side? I assume he applied normally through VFS, showed his real pp, still holds it and sent off copies and everything else as verified by VFS.

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Yes, that makes more sense.

Needs more info from @kidneyw to understand what went wrong.

[kidneyw]

  On 4/18/2025 at 12:36 PM, Digitalbanana said:

 Unless I am mistaken @kidneyw is not saying he lost his passport but the UK is asking for lost passport forms to be completed for some mistaken reason on the UK side? I assume he applied normally through VFS, showed his real pp, still holds it and sent off copies and everything else as verified by VFS.

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You got it sir.

[Digitalbanana]

  On 4/19/2025 at 1:20 AM, kidneyw said:

You got it sir.

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Please keep us updated kind sir how this turns out for you. Some of us are applying like you later in the year and next year.

[scubascuba3]

Sounds like the new passport office have got people being an al and not pragmatic at all, possible when new people take over, glad I'm not renewing mine until later in the year 

[BritTim]

  On 3/31/2025 at 12:54 PM, DrJack54 said:

Could the OP mail the pp to avoid in person VSF .

Did you look into that option? 

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Officially, that is not supposed to be allowed. However, several years ago, I know of two cases where a successful renewal from Thailand was achieved by applying direct to the Passport Office in the UK. Since your old passport needs to be provided in such an application, even if successful, it would put you in violation of Thai law which states that you need to have your passport available at all times. I would personally also be nervous about being without my passport for an indeterminant period of time, possibly many months if the UK officials decide to strike again.

[DrJack54]

  On 4/21/2025 at 9:13 AM, BritTim said:

Officially, that is not supposed to be allowed.

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Bit of misunderstanding. I meant post the pp from somewhere in Thailand to VFS in Bangkok.

Guess some folks use agent to deal with the application at VFS. 

Especially if located upcountry. 

[OJAS]

  On 4/18/2025 at 12:36 PM, Digitalbanana said:

the UK is asking for lost passport forms to be completed for some mistaken reason on the UK side?

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For which @kidneyw would need to obtain a police report of his fictitious passport loss, which he would then have to get translated into English in all probability! 

 

HMPO are clearly soaring to previously uncharted stratospheric heights of bungling incompetence and ineptitude even by their standards, when it comes to the passport renewal process from Thailand, I think.

 

[OJAS]

  On 4/16/2025 at 4:38 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Note: i didn’t request the return of the passport and expected them to cancel and dispose of, am still deciding whether or not to bother going but probably will if only to use the opportunity to complain face to face about their service.

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Not sure whether you would gain much from complaining to VFS. It is their HMPO masters who are responsible for the whole bloody passport renewal shambles, and a face-to-face complaint to them would, of course, necessitate a trip back to the UK!

 

[scubascuba3]

  On 4/24/2025 at 2:35 AM, OJAS said:

 

Not sure whether you would gain much from complaining to VFS. It is their HMPO masters who are responsible for the whole bloody passport renewal shambles, and a face-to-face complaint to them would, of course, necessitate a trip back to the UK!

 

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Complain to the embassy, surely they'd show interest in this current problem for many Brits

[Andrew Dwyer]

  On 4/24/2025 at 2:35 AM, OJAS said:

 

Not sure whether you would gain much from complaining to VFS. It is their HMPO masters who are responsible for the whole bloody passport renewal shambles, and a face-to-face complaint to them would, of course, necessitate a trip back to the UK!

 

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Well in my case both VFS and HMPO were guilty of errors.

VFS informed me that i was okay to renew one passport while retaining 2 valid passports with a covering note on the application form, the correct information should have been that i needed a covering letter from my employer stating why i needed 2 passports, which countries i would be visiting and for how long.

As a letter from my employer wasn’t an option i then had to send my “2nd” passport to HMPO for cancellation.

While HMPO were terrible at communicating and noted my email address incorrectly ( so i didn’t receive any emails from them, only SMS messages pointing me to emails that didn’t arrive ) VFS initiated the whole comedy of errors in my case.

 

VFS also didn’t contact me to collect my  cancelled/returned passport while in their possession, but that could have also been a HMPO lack of communication as this passport didn’t go through the VFS system initially.

[kidneyw]

  On 4/24/2025 at 2:39 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Complain to the embassy, surely they'd show interest in this current problem for many Brits

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  On 4/24/2025 at 2:39 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Complain to the embassy, surely they'd show interest in this current problem for many Brits

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I tried this already. No response.

[Hamus Yaigh]

  On 4/24/2025 at 2:35 AM, OJAS said:

and a face-to-face complaint to them would, of course, necessitate a trip back to the UK!

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Isn't that what the British Embassy is for? Or is it now impossible to get a face to face meeting there also?

[rwilem]

  On 4/24/2025 at 2:46 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

VFS informed me that i was okay to renew one passport while retaining 2 valid passports with a covering note on the application form, the correct information should have been that i needed a covering letter from my employer stating why i needed 2 passports, which countries i would be visiting and for how long.

As a letter from my employer wasn’t an option i then had to send my “2nd” passport to HMPO for cancellation.

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A bit off-topic to the main point of the thread. Just wondering, how does someone have, how do you end up having two valid passports? Has to be an unusual situation. (Seems in the end they didn't allow you to keep the second one?)

[Andrew Dwyer]

  On 4/30/2025 at 6:00 AM, rwilem said:

A bit off-topic to the main point of the thread. Just wondering, how does someone have, how do you end up having two valid passports? Has to be an unusual situation. (Seems in the end they didn't allow you to keep the second one?)

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I have had 2 U.K. passports for around 30 years i think, as a part of a team who travelled to many countries including those that could cause problems for entry to others ( Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia etc ). Many of these travels were at short notice, 1 passport kept with me, the other kept at work to enable visas or travel permits, the secretary became very adept at forging our signatures ….. allegedly.

Not uncommon to have 2 passports, i think in extreme cases 3 is possible.

 

 The validity of the passports was staggered but one passport became full and in 2015 they were both renewed. ( 1 expiring July 2025 and the other Jan 2026 )

 

One passport had a non imm B visa for Thailand added in July 2015 as one of my last work trips.

I retired in April 2016 and moved to Thailand shortly after, the passport with the non imm B became my primary passport with Tourist visa, OA visa + extensions and O visa + extensions. The other passport with a handful of stamps was not used since 2015.

 

So, this year my primary passport due to expire July 2025 while the other ( exp Jan 2026 ) remained virtually unused.

I could have moved all my stamps to the other passport and let the primary expire naturally but would have still needed to renew shortly after.

Figuring there might have been some confusion moving stamps to a passport with somewhere between 6 and 10 months validity i decided to seek advice from VFS.

 

The rest is history …..

 

(yes, without the covering letter from my [former] employer my only option was to provide my other passport for cancellation )

[rwilem]

  On 4/30/2025 at 6:24 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

I have had 2 U.K. passports for around 30 years i think, as a part of a team who travelled to many countries including those that could cause problems for entry to others ( Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia etc ).

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Wow, amazing story, thanks for sharing that. 

 

  On 4/30/2025 at 6:24 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Figuring there might have been some confusion moving stamps to a passport with somewhere between 6 and 10 months validity i decided to seek advice from VFS.

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Yep, good call. And as you say, the rest is history. Or, as back in the day the American radio news/commentary great Paul Harvey would say, "And now you know the rest of the story."

[scubascuba3]

How long does it take to get an appointment with VFS? I'm wondering how long in advance of the date i want to go to apply

[richard_smith237]

  On 7/4/2025 at 8:43 AM, scubascuba3 said:

How long does it take to get an appointment with VFS? I'm wondering how long in advance of the date i want to go to apply

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I think allow 2 weeks to make a VFS appointment. 

Allow at least 3 months ahead of Passport Expiry...  renewal should take about a month, but they are notorious for delays due to payment or photo issues (mine took 2 Month Oct to Nov '24).

 

Here was my latest timeline:

 

02-Oct: Submitted application at VFS

18-Oct: Received HMPO e-mail - unable to process payment (given link to government portal for payment)

23-Oct: Received HMPO e-mail - Confirmed Payment 

24-Oct: Received HMPO e-mail - Request to Post new photos (current photos unacceptable)

02-Dec: Received HMPO e-mail - Collect Passport from VFS.

 

But also consider it you might have to travel to any country that insists on 6 months validity in the Passport while you have a renewal application underway.

 

 

[garygooner]

  On 7/4/2025 at 8:59 AM, richard_smith237 said:

current photos unacceptable)

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Any idea why? 

[sammieuk1]

I couldn't face being passportless here so I bit the expensive bullet and went back to the UK' for 3 weeks, did the 4 hour no stress renewal at the Peterbrough office £222 then came back bussniess class and had 64kg baggage allowance to cushion the blow easy but expensive 🤔

 

[Will B Good]

Application: You submit your application with current passport + full-page photocopies

Waiting Period: You retain your old passport

Collection: Old passport is clipped/inactivated when you pick up the new one

After Collection: Immigration will transfer any Thai visa stamps

 

Did mine last December and I'm 99% sure I was kept my old passport and only had it clipped when I returned to pick up the new one.

[Nick Carter icp]

  On 7/5/2025 at 5:09 AM, sammieuk1 said:

I couldn't face being passportless here so I bit the expensive bullet and went back to the UK' for 3 weeks, did the 4 hour no stress renewal at the Peterbrough office £222 then came back bussniess class and had 64kg baggage allowance to cushion the blow easy but expensive 🤔

 

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   You could have got s new passport within 9 days for the normal price 

[Andrew Dwyer]

  On 7/5/2025 at 5:19 AM, Will B Good said:

Application: You submit your application with current passport + full-page photocopies

Waiting Period: You retain your old passport

Collection: Old passport is clipped/inactivated when you pick up the new one

After Collection: Immigration will transfer any Thai visa stamps

 

Did mine last December and I'm 99% sure I was kept my old passport and only had it clipped when I returned to pick up the new one.

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Yes exactly, did my renewal in March 2025 at VFS, you retain your old passport and when the new is given to you they cut the corner of the old.

 

But of course 2 trips to Bangkok ( or Chiang Mai I believe ) are required and this can be an expense in itself for some. 

 

[Will B Good]

  On 7/5/2025 at 5:28 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Yes exactly, did my renewal in March 2025 at VFS, you retain your old passport and when the new is given to you they cut the corner of the old.

 

But of course 2 trips to Bangkok ( or Chiang Mai I believe ) are required and this can be an expense in itself for some. 

 

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Living in Isaan, those two trips to BKK are an absolute Godsend....555

[scubascuba3]

  On 7/5/2025 at 5:09 AM, sammieuk1 said:

I couldn't face being passportless here so I bit the expensive bullet and went back to the UK' for 3 weeks, did the 4 hour no stress renewal at the Peterbrough office £222 then came back bussniess class and had 64kg baggage allowance to cushion the blow easy but expensive 🤔

 

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Easier and cheaper just to do it in Thailand?

[scubascuba3]

  On 7/4/2025 at 8:59 AM, richard_smith237 said:

 

I think allow 2 weeks to make a VFS appointment. 

Allow at least 3 months ahead of Passport Expiry...  renewal should take about a month, but they are notorious for delays due to payment or photo issues (mine took 2 Month Oct to Nov '24).

 

Here was my latest timeline:

 

02-Oct: Submitted application at VFS

18-Oct: Received HMPO e-mail - unable to process payment (given link to government portal for payment)

23-Oct: Received HMPO e-mail - Confirmed Payment 

24-Oct: Received HMPO e-mail - Request to Post new photos (current photos unacceptable)

02-Dec: Received HMPO e-mail - Collect Passport from VFS.

 

But also consider it you might have to travel to any country that insists on 6 months validity in the Passport while you have a renewal application underway.

 

 

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Are you able to select a date and time for the appointment? I'm trying to coincide it with a planned trip to Bangkok

[Will B Good]

  On 7/5/2025 at 5:38 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Easier and cheaper just to do it in Thailand?

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Agree....I found it absolutely no hassle at all......nothing like dealing with banks, immigration, Ampurs.

[hotandsticky]

  On 7/5/2025 at 5:46 AM, Will B Good said:

 

Agree....I found it absolutely no hassle at all......nothing like dealing with banks, immigration, Ampurs.

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Agree  - as long as you prepare properly by reading the document requirements. (I still think photocopying blank pages is a waste of everyone's time).

[a269652]

  On 7/5/2025 at 5:28 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

Yes exactly, did my renewal in March 2025 at VFS, you retain your old passport and when the new is given to you they cut the corner of the old. 

 

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Please confirm that one is permitted to retain their expired passport when the replacement is issued. 

 

The last time I renewed was in 2015, and as I recall the office staff in a building near to BTS Nana clipped my old passport at the time I applied for a new one, and then once I picked up the new, my old one was retained. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

  On 7/5/2025 at 6:24 AM, a269652 said:

Please confirm that one is permitted to retain their expired passport when the replacement is issued. 

 

The last time I renewed was in 2015, and as I recall the office staff in a building near to BTS Nana clipped my old passport at the time I applied for a new one, and then once I picked up the new, my old one was retained. 

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I retained my old passport definitely, had to show it to immigration a few days ago when doing my retirement extension even though they had transferred the relevant stamps a few months ago.