Reduction in passport fees for UK citizens overseas

[ubonjoe]

Reduction in passport fees for UK citizens overseas

This ministerial statement was laid in the House of Commons by James Brokenshire on 13 March 2014.

Immigration and Security Minister (James Brokenshire): Her Majesty’s Passport Office is committed to delivering better value for money for our customers.

In keeping with this commitment, I am pleased to announce that from 7 April the passport fee for customers applying for a UK passport overseas will be reduced by £45 for adults and £28.50 for children. The new fees are as follows: Adult 32 page passport £83.00 Child 32 page passport £53.00 Jumbo 48 page passport £91.00 (Child and Adult)

This reduction comes as a result of efficiency savings made over the last 3 years by bringing back the processing and issuing of overseas passports to the UK, whilst maintaining the highest levels of security and customer service.

This reduction follows the 2012 decrease in fee by £5 for all UK citizens applying within the UK.

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/reduction-in-passport-fees-for-uk-citizens-overseas

For passport application see: https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

[billd766]

Does that mean I will get a rebate.

My application arrived at Liverpool 3 weeks ago today and nobody over there can tell me what is happening.

[Lite Beer]

Got mine back last month.

Cost me £151.

[JUDAS]

Got mine back last month.

Cost me £151.

I believe the passport office may offer an exception in your case Lite Beer in regards to a rebate on the fee. All they want is 2 official documents proving your address in Thailand

[Lite Beer]

Yeah. The whole place is a joke, but at least they are reducing the rip off fee for everyone else.

[a99az]

Still very expensive.

[FiestyFarang]

As you know in Thailand we have to have ID as foreigners so the UK Passport Authority allows us to keep the old Passport which is very considerate, although naturally it cannot be used for travel as soon as you apply for a new one the old Passport is cancelled. I put a note in my application that I only had a 30 day Visa in Thailand as the website said it can take longer to get a new Passport and was very impressed it only took about 21/2 weeks until my new Passport came back so I had no overstay. Yes I thought at the time compared to applications I the UK it was very expensive about time it was reduced in cost.

[terak]

About chuffin time

[thepool]

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As you know in Thailand we have to have ID as foreigners so the UK Passport Authority allows us to keep the old Passport which is very considerate, although naturally it cannot be used for travel as soon as you apply for a new one the old Passport is cancelled. I put a note in my application that I only had a 30 day Visa in Thailand as the website said it can take longer to get a new Passport and was very impressed it only took about 21/2 weeks until my new Passport came back so I had no overstay. Yes I thought at the time compared to applications I the UK it was very expensive about time it was reduced in cost.

As a matter of interest why travel on a passport with very limited validity or virtually full ?

The passport could have easily been renewed in the UK and at a lesser cost.

Most countries require a passport to have at least a 6 month validity and will refuse entry if validity is less !

Edited March 14, 2014 by thepool

[GeorgeO]

I would suggest that this significant reduction is more to do with the thousands of complaints that they have received from UK citizens overseas, along with their inability to provide sufficient justification for the previous exorbitant cost of a passport.

[snairb]

A surpring reduction I wonder why cynic that i am

in around 2003 the govt allowed small businesses to retain £10,000 as dividend tax free many self empyed people started a ltd company and registere3d their business 1 year later the £10,000 was revoked but hmrc had a nice large database of all thos e

'oddjob' people

Now suppose i wanted to check all the expats on govrt pension living overseas why not encourage them to use passport from outside the uk i would then have a nice clean database of all those renewals so i could then implement the 6 month rule onpayment ov state pensions overseas that is to say only half the pension will be paid and if i also wanted to charge for nhs

treatment - easy

however if you renew in the uk and are a stater pension who goes on long holidays they cannot do squat

maybe i am wrong!

[Garnethoyes]

arrrgh !!! I just sent my application off. Anyone have the email address in Liverpool ???? They have mine but they don't post their's. Hope they ask me if want to delay my application - which I do !

[leosuntime]

wow our master are making it cheaper to buy a pad of paper

[lubbkis]

If the conalition think this measly discount is going to bring a flood of ex-pat postal votes in next year's election they need to think more deeply.

Bleating about an isolated IT/Civil Service processing success is like spotting snowflakes in Bangkok. When will they learn that organisations, administrations and services (e.g. nurses, teachers and lecturers, firemen, etc.etc) which are starved of middle level pay rises lose the people who know how things work or used to work. This week they announced they will ship in Shanghainese school teachers; they had to ship in the army to sort out the Olympics yet yesterday they announced their plans to screw public servants with below inflation rises of 1%.

[MooKwai]

Can't see any mention of when it comes into effect, been meaning to do mine for the last two weeks. Bit of lucky procrastination there.

[toss]

Probably due to the fact with all the recent stuff about Khaosan Road knocking out cheapies...

They probably thought we better go into competition with the fakers!?!

(Better to make some money than none)...

[Bernard Flint]

Does that mean I will get a rebate.

My application arrived at Liverpool 3 weeks ago today and nobody over there can tell me what is happening.

Liverpool have had my passport since mid december.After chasing it up in mid feb,they said i had to photcopy all my 46 pages, in colour and send proff of residency,with a cope of a bill or driving license.After doint this, i am still waiting for the new one to appear

[Garnethoyes]

To contact via email:

https://eforms.homeoffice.gov.uk/outreach/Passport_Enquiries.ofml

It comes into effect 7th April.

[kartman]

Can't see any mention of when it comes into effect, been meaning to do mine for the last two weeks. Bit of lucky procrastination there.

The clue is after 7th April

[fonsboy]

arrrgh !!! I just sent my application off. Anyone have the email address in Liverpool ???? They have mine but they don't post their's. Hope they ask me if want to delay my application - which I do !

Very much doubt they will accept emails.....

[Mr Yim]

Is someone trying to buy my vote

[Gillyflower]

Well I think I will stick with my French passport. Half the price and I get it back in less than 10 days. I was thinking of getting a UK one, but now I know the price......

[anthobkk]

Wow why is this so expensive ? I felt bad paying my French passport about 60 Euro...but this one ! Wow ! How can they justify it ?

[Mister Fixit]

Got mine back last month.

Cost me £151.

Bugger ...

[Bpuumike]

The new passport price still cheaper than a reidence certificate at the British Embassy in BKK

[Tanlic]

My current passport expires soon.............how much is 83 quid in real money?

[biplanebluey]

Well I have just re -newed my Kiwi passport this week and a 44 page with a cracking new front page cost me 3,600bt,and that included the courier fee as well,door to door.What do you think of that----------- GO KIWI GO !!!!!!

[biplanebluey]

Can't see any mention of when it comes into effect, been meaning to do mine for the last two weeks. Bit of lucky procrastination there.

WHY CANT YOU?------------ it simply states the 7th April !!!!!!!

[ubonjoe]

My current passport expires soon.............how much is 83 quid in real money?

At today's exchange rate 4525 baht. Plus courier fees.

That's 2225 baht more than it cost me for a 52 page passport last year and it only took 10 days to get.

[biplanebluey]

Does that mean I will get a rebate.

My application arrived at Liverpool 3 weeks ago today and nobody over there can tell me what is happening.

Liverpool have had my passport since mid december.After chasing it up in mid feb,they said i had to photcopy all my 46 pages, in colour and send proff of residency,with a cope of a bill or driving license.After doint this, i am still waiting for the new one to appear

HELL,S BELLS-------- My 44page cost 3600bt and that included $25 courier and all New Zealand wanted was 3 forms and 2 photos.Where on earth do you get enough info for a passport to cover 44 pages.------------ and it arrived in 16 days