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Another British Passport renewal help "needed post" - HELP!!


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Posted

Got my marriage visa extension this morning but not for a year but only until my passport expires in mid January. Didn't think about that but ok, makes sense. So read up on requirements for renewing a passport and found a major snag it seems. I have aged facially in the last 10 years, going from 69 to 79 and need new photos. Problem is the requirements for a photo are a professional person, may be retired, from UK,,Ireland, US, Commonwealth or EU - who has to fill in a form, supply a colour copy of their passport, and sign to say "yes, this is he" on the form and back of one photo.

 

What has everyone else done to solve this as it must occur quite often? I do not know anyone here, the only foreigners I know, one is a retired carpenter, and one a German bus driver who has returned  to Germany to carry on driving buses. I know professional Thais here but it seems they are not acceptable to HMPO.

 

What can I do? Getting worried, I'll be 80 before the passport expires - no age to be kicked out and nowhere to go anyway. Anyone able to help here?

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Posted

While UK passport holders are recommended, you can use professional non-UK citizens to countersign your photos.  You'll need to provide their passport details and contact information and it may mean that the renewal process takes longer.

 

Alternatively, why not use an agent, as I'm sure they can facilitate this for you.

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Posted
4 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Alternatively, why not use an agent, as I'm sure they can facilitate this for you.


That's what I did. Got the photos from a small shop in Mae Hia (floor above Rimping) for 150 THB. The agencies have all the forms, do all the photocopying, and just point to where you need to sign. That's it! Sit back and relax as you wait for your new 10 year passport to return.  

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Posted

Ok, I have in the meantime solved the problem albeit in a somewhat long winded way. I send a printed copy of the form to my former friendly UK Accountant (I was a director in a small company before retiring) along with a photo and he will do the countersigning for me. Nominal cost only, he will then post the form to my daughter in the UK who will post it back to me signed for post. Then I can toddle off to VFS and give them the papers. Meanwhile been laboriously scanning all 47 pages of my passport, only used 19 of them but HMPO want colour copies of every blank page too. 

 

Crazy!

 

They are more anal about paper than Thai Immigration!

 

So hopefully problem has gone away. Thanks for your input.

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Posted
1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Where are you located?

 

Sorry, almost missed that. I'm in Khlong Sam Wa Tawan Ok, essentially in between Minburi and Rangsit on a gated village Kc Garden off Nimit Mai

 

You wouldn't be a "professional person" perchance?

 

Posted
1 hour ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Not sure I understand the need for the countersigning of photos, I understand you have aged 10 years, we all do.

What am i missing ?

 

 

My face has substantially aged in the last 10 years from age 69 to age 79 and my current photos have to be countersigned by a "professional person" to say' yup,l I know this person for over 2 years and this is a true likeness and this is my passport photo copy.' 

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Posted
41 minutes ago, cliveshep said:

My face has substantially aged in the last 10 years from age 69 to age 79 and my current photos have to be countersigned by a "professional person" to say' yup,l I know this person for over 2 years and this is a true likeness and this is my passport photo copy.' 


Okay, thanks.

Posted
1 hour ago, cliveshep said:

Ok, I have in the meantime solved the problem albeit in a somewhat long winded way. I send a printed copy of the form to my former friendly UK Accountant (I was a director in a small company before retiring) along with a photo and he will do the countersigning for me. Nominal cost only, he will then post the form to my daughter in the UK who will post it back to me signed for post. Then I can toddle off to VFS and give them the papers. Meanwhile been laboriously scanning all 47 pages of my passport, only used 19 of them but HMPO want colour copies of every blank page too. 

 

Crazy!

 

They are more anal about paper than Thai Immigration!

 

So hopefully problem has gone away. Thanks for your input.


Remember to have some proof of your address in Thailand, a Thai drivers license will do.

 

Wish you luck, there has been quite a few problems recently as HMPO has moved from Liverpool to Corby.

Hopefully the system will be back to normality soon.

Posted
19 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

 

Where did you get this information from? I've never heard of passport photographs having to be countersigned except when the applicant has never held a UK passport before.

 

HMPO have the FR technology that compares the photograph that you submit with the photo in your current passport and are able to confirm that you are the same person.

 

I would check your facts again @cliveshep

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ca3689540f0b625df8d8610/6.4824_HMPO_Overseas_Guidance_Booklet_Applying_outside_the_uk.pdf

Posted
2 minutes ago, cliveshep said:

Yes I've read that. Do you really think that you have changed that much that you can no longer be recognized? I would posit that you would need to have had plastic surgery or a serious accident for your features to have changed to that degree.

 

Remember the recent case of Richard Burrows? The police managed to recognize him using a mug shot from nearly 30 years ago!

 

My own passport is coming up for renewal next year, when I'll be 80. This is not something I shall be worrying about.

Posted
1 minute ago, Moonlover said:

Yes I've read that. Do you really think that you have changed that much that you can no longer be recognized? I would posit that you would need to have had plastic surgery or a serious accident for your features to have changed to that degree.

 

Remember the recent case of Richard Burrows? The police managed to recognize him using a mug shot from nearly 30 years ago!

 

My own passport is coming up for renewal next year, when I'll be 80. This is not something I shall be worrying about.

 

Ok, What does the team think? Left - old pic, right current pic.

 

ClivePassportoldpic.jpg.ae23355262f4a261229b934674a0946c.jpgClivenewpics2025.jpg.b7bc7f959097af3ff4444b8329252fb5.jpg

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Posted
18 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:


Remember to have some proof of your address in Thailand, a Thai drivers license will do.

 

Wish you luck, there has been quite a few problems recently as HMPO has moved from Liverpool to Corby.

Hopefully the system will be back to normality soon.

Wasn't there a rumour that British passports were being processed in India? 

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Posted
3 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

While UK passport holders are recommended, you can use professional non-UK citizens to countersign your photos.  You'll need to provide their passport details and contact information and it may mean that the renewal process takes longer.

 

Alternatively, why not use an agent, as I'm sure they can facilitate this for you.

I renewed a lost Passport at HMPO in  Liverpool in 2018, no countersigning needed.

Just need to renew a washing machine victim Passport using Thai Visa Express, Bht 6000 for the Passport, Bht 6000 for them, saving me two trips to Bangkok and back. They do all the photocopying, and sorted the photo I sent them, taken by my Mrs and printed on photo paper. Got a email from VFS saying all is in order.

Posted
13 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Wasn't there a rumour that British passports were being processed in India? 


I do recall something about India a while back, not sure if it was HMPO though.

I did have to send a U.K. passport back to HMPO recently for cancellation and the address they sent me was Corby.

Posted
3 minutes ago, norsurin said:

Sorry, but dont u have a British embassy in Bangkok that would help u?

If i had a problem like this my embassy would help me out about this 

The British Embassy can issue Emergency passports, for immediate travel, but that's it.  HMPO is UK based.

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Posted
2 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Not sure I understand the need for the countersigning of photos, I understand you have aged 10 years, we all do.

What am i missing ?

 

 

HMPO advice:

 

You must get your paper form and one of your 2 print photos counter-signed if you’re applying for a:

  • first adult passport
  • first child passport
  • replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged passport
  • renewal of a passport for a child aged 11 or under
  • renewal of a passport if your appearance has changed and you cannot be recognised from your existing passport
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Posted
1 minute ago, brewsterbudgen said:

The British Embassy can issue Emergency passports, for immediate travel, but that's it.  HMPO is UK based.

I understand.What a difficult system.When my 2 kids who at that time stayed in Thailand needed new passport it only took a week before their new passport arrived my embassy.

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Posted
14 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

HMPO advice:

 

You must get your paper form and one of your 2 print photos counter-signed if you’re applying for a:

  • first adult passport
  • first child passport
  • replacement for a lost, stolen or damaged passport
  • renewal of a passport for a child aged 11 or under
  • renewal of a passport if your appearance has changed and you cannot be recognised from your existing passport

Regarding a child's first UK passport. It lasts for 5 years, so photo taken when the baby is one month old, and must be used til kid is 5, so appearance will have changed considerably needing a countersigned photo at 5, Another 5 year one takes them to 10, another for 10-15. Then a ten year cannot be issued until child is 16, so what happens to the 15-16 year? Crazy. 

Posted
1 hour ago, cliveshep said:

 

Ok, What does the team think? Left - old pic, right current pic.

 

ClivePassportoldpic.jpg.ae23355262f4a261229b934674a0946c.jpgClivenewpics2025.jpg.b7bc7f959097af3ff4444b8329252fb5.jpg

Yes it gets my vote too. Recognizable. And my wife agrees.

Posted
52 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:


I do recall something about India a while back, not sure if it was HMPO though.

I did have to send a U.K. passport back to HMPO recently for cancellation and the address they sent me was Corby.

It's visa applications that are processed in India I believe.

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