Help On Renewing Uk Passport

[siforcat]

I am looking for some help on the documents I need to send to Hong Kong to renew my UK passport.

I have looked at the UK Embassy in Bangkok's website and also the UK Embassy in Hong Kong.

Maybe I have misread it but it seems as if the UK Embassy in Bangkok says that you can send a photocopy of the identification page of your passport with the application form but the UK Embassy in Hong Kong says that you need to send the old passport with the application.

I would be grateful if anyone who has renewed their UK passport in Hong Kong recently could tell me what documents they sent.

The idea of sending my actual passport to Hong Kong and not a copy doesn't seem right to me as it would mean I would be in Thailand with no passport.

Any help from those who have recently renewed their UK passport would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[chippy1941]

There was a thread on this somewhere but I can't find it. Download the passport renewal form & payment form from the British Embassy website. I sent a copy of the information details of my old passport plus a copy of the last page to prove that it was full. I sent it direct to the Embassy in Hong Kong by ordinary post[ cost 32 baht[you can send by DHL if you prefer but it is only paper] Thats all you have to do. DO NOT SEND YOUR OLD PASSPORT. I received my new one back in 3 weeks & it cost £137 in HK dollars including the return by courier. If you take your old passport to the British Embassy in Bangkok, they will send your details for you but if you pay in Thai Baht it will cost you about £160 because of the exchange rate. British Embassy told me to cut off the corners of my old one myself. Have since had my Visa transfered & been to Camdodia to get another 60 days. Immigration just told me to show my old passport & everything was ok. Hope this helps, I had no problem at all doing it by myself.

[JetsetBkk]

I renewed mine about a month ago. The old one was water-damaged and immigration in Phuket refused to accept it. Miserable @#$%^&'s!

So here's my story:

I went to Bangkok, Wireless Road, just before the reds took it over. The lady in the embassy was very helpful.

I completed the form and gave her the money (7,618 baht).

She photocopied the old passport and gave it back to me as she correctly said that I would need it for travelling within Thailand. However, I went to Bangkok by bus specifically because I didn't want any hassles with the airlines complaining about my old damaged passport.

I had a lot of questions written down to ask this lady (rather large, overweight, but very pleasant) but she told me everything I needed to know before I could ask her.

For example, they use DHL Express to send the passport back to me, so there was a DHL form to complete, which she checked.

She also gave me a DHL Express information sheet which has their address, telephone number and website on it. She showed me the phone number to call at DHL to check when it would arrive, and the code number from the form to give DHL. I did call DHL one day before it was supposed to arrive and I was told 'this afternoon'.

And that's when it arrived - one day early. It arrived by DHL van right to my door. Total time 13 days. The embassy reckon 14.

If you can get to Bangkok, I would do it that way. Then you know it is their responsibility to get it to Hong Kong and get it back to you. I don't know what would happen if you sent it to Hong Kong yourself and, for example, it 'got lost'.

Best of luck.

PS. When I went back to immigration for my extension of stay, an Australian guy was having his stamps transferred to his brand new passport for the same reason as me - water damage.

I now no longer carry my passport. S*d the rules. I keep a black and white photocopy in my wallet instead.

Edited May 26, 2010 by JetsetBkk

[F1fanatic]

I too am in the process of renewing my UK passport.

I was v lucky and managed to talk to someone in the British Embassy in Bangkok before they closed down the department. They told me that I only needed to send a photocopy as it was understood that the passport was needed for the 3 month check-in at Immigration.

Having another query, I phoned again only to be told that I needed to phone the UK for advice!

I 'phoned the honorary Phuket British Consulate instead, (who was incredibly helpful and friendly - even though I assume he's not being paid!) and he re-iterated that I do not need to send my passport - just a photocopy.