British Passport Renewal Question

[ianwuk]

Hello.

I apologise if this has been done to death but I recently renewed my work permit and the stamps took up the remaining space in my passport. I filled in the renewal form, enclosed the fee (in Hong Kong dollars) and sent it to Hong Kong via DHL. I sent it on 16th September, it arrived and was signed for in Hong Kong on 19th September. Since then I have not heard anything at all regarding the status of my application, any problems etc.

I contacted the British embassy who said that if there were any problem then I would be contacted directly. I am unable to contact the passport care line listed on the website as I do not have a credit card. What are my current options? I am a little concerned as another poster on here posted their application around the same time as me and got their passport back and a receipt and everything but I have not recieved anything at all.

Is there anything I can do or anyone else I can contact as I am due to travel back to the UK in December and obviously need my passport back to do this.

Any help/advice is much appreciated.

Many thanks.

Ian

Edited October 9, 2011 by ianwuk

[geordie]

Hello Ianwuk,

i resently obtained my passport via Hong Kong, i would not worry too much at the moment. You say you sent your application off on the 16th September and they received it on the 19th, it take 4 weeks to process the application. I think that you should expect your passport back around the 14th - 17th October.

Geordie

[beano2274]

A renewal of work permit does not need anything stamped into your passport, a renewal of a Non Immigrant visa for working does.

Remember now that the passport is sent from the UK to you, after Hong Kong have completed everything.

[ignis]

Is there anything I can do or anyone else I can contact as I am due to travel back to the UK in December and obviously need my passport back to do this.

You can get a 1 yr Passport in Bangkok at the British Embassy, cost is about 5,000 baht.

Remember now that the passport is sent from the UK to you, after Hong Kong have completed everything.

R U sure ? 2 people that I spoke to last month, [passports never arrived] both said they tracked there Passports back to H.K. from UK, but from H.K. to Thailand leg, their passports never arrived. Both said they had to go with copy emails and tracking numbers to Bangkok British Embassy and be issued with Temp 1 yr passports + bear all the cost for this.

Cost of Temp passport + going out of Thailand for a Visa + all the extra paperwork, photos etc for both this Temp passport and for re applying for another full passport.

One of the guys I spoke to said he asked at the British Embassy and they said 1 in 10 Passports now 'get lost' in the post !! worrying as I must renew my passport next year.

[ianwuk]

Hello Ianwuk,

i resently obtained my passport via Hong Kong, i would not worry too much at the moment. You say you sent your application off on the 16th September and they received it on the 19th, it take 4 weeks to process the application. I think that you should expect your passport back around the 14th - 17th October.

Geordie

Hello Geordie.

Is it usual though to have not heard absolutely anything about the process in any way? I am trying to call the passport careline now to see if they can help.

Thanks.

Ian

[geordie]

Hi Ianwuk,

i never heard anything from the day i sent it. I received it 4 weeks later to the day.

Geordie

Keep checking your tracking number.

Edited October 10, 2011 by geordie

[beano2274]

Is there anything I can do or anyone else I can contact as I am due to travel back to the UK in December and obviously need my passport back to do this.

You can get a 1 yr Passport in Bangkok at the British Embassy, cost is about 5,000 baht.

Remember now that the passport is sent from the UK to you, after Hong Kong have completed everything.

R U sure ? 2 people that I spoke to last month, [passports never arrived] both said they tracked there Passports back to H.K. from UK, but from H.K. to Thailand leg, their passports never arrived. Both said they had to go with copy emails and tracking numbers to Bangkok British Embassy and be issued with Temp 1 yr passports + bear all the cost for this.

Cost of Temp passport + going out of Thailand for a Visa + all the extra paperwork, photos etc for both this Temp passport and for re applying for another full passport.

One of the guys I spoke to said he asked at the British Embassy and they said 1 in 10 Passports now 'get lost' in the post !! worrying as I must renew my passport next year.

Read the website of the Embassy about Passports, and also it was reported here, I think my passport was the last that was officially sent from Hong Kong.

[ianwuk]

Hi Ianwuk,

i never heard anything from the day i sent it. I received it 4 weeks later to the day.

Geordie

Keep checking your tracking number.

By tracking number do you mean the DHL number? That is the only form of tracking number that I have.

Thanks.

Ian

[geordie]

Thats is the tracking number, you use the same number to track it back to you.

Hope it works out ok for you and you recieve your passport after 4 weeks.

Geordie

[ianwuk]

I hope so to as the careline is currently experiencing technical difficulties and cannot provide passport application status updates and it has been like this for a while now. I wish that they had an email address I could use to contact them also.

Many thanks.

Ian

[brewsterbudgen]

Mine took over 4 weeks. The day after it was received in HK I got an email from an embassy flunkie asking for a document which I didn't have. I replied saying that the document was in the UK and therefore I didn't have it, but I got no reply. After 4 weeks I contacted the Embassy in Bangkok and they checked with HK and told me it was on its way. I refused to phone the careline as it's exorbitant!

If I were you, I'd give it 4 weeks and then if you still haven't received it email/call the embassy in Bangkok. They were surprisingly helpful for me.

Edited October 11, 2011 by brewsterbudgen

[ianwuk]

I got through to the passport careline and they told me that it was all fine, had been processed and printed and sent back to me and that I should get it back within 2 days.

Ironically the lady on the phone offered to provide me a DHL tracking number but was unable to provide one as it had not appeared on the DHL website yet. I am betting that I may get the passport back before the DHL tracking number goes live. And I don't even know how they would contact me to give me that tracking number to start with.

Here's hoping I get my passport soon.

Thanks.

Ian

[ianwuk]

Hi Ianwuk,

i never heard anything from the day i sent it. I received it 4 weeks later to the day.

Geordie

Keep checking your tracking number.

It came today.

Many thanks for your help.

Ian