UK passport problem

[fiberman]

I recently returned from Dubai where the wonderful immigration officials think it's fun to put a stamp right in the middle of a new page in your passport, the upshot of which is I returned home with only one page left.

I have to renew my marriage extension next month, there is probably just enough room for that but my question, If I apply for my new passport now, can I still get the visa stamp in the old passport although the old passport is technically invalid or is the old passport marked invalid as soon as the new application goes in.

My second question, has anyone recently renewed their passport recently and if so what was the waiting time?

Any answers will be much appreciated.

[ubonjoe]

Your old passport will not marked in anyway when you apply for a new one.

You can apply for the extension with the old one without a problem.

There have been recent reports in the 100 plus page topic about UK passports of people getting them back in about 3 weeks. See: Changes To British Passport Services In Thailand

[Mario2008]

You will get the extension in the old passport if the new passport doesn't arrive on time.

When you have the new passport you visit immigration again to have the stamps transferred from the old to the new passport. (Don't forget to get an embassy letter regarding your new passport).

[fiberman]

You will get the extension in the old passport if the new passport doesn't arrive on time.

When you have the new passport you visit immigration again to have the stamps transferred from the old to the new passport. (Don't forget to get an embassy letter regarding your new passport).

Hi Mario

I hadn't heard anything before about the letter, what exactly is it for? Can this be obtained at VFS or does it need another trip to the embassy?

[OJAS]

You will get the extension in the old passport if the new passport doesn't arrive on time.

When you have the new passport you visit immigration again to have the stamps transferred from the old to the new passport. (Don't forget to get an embassy letter regarding your new passport).

Hi Mario

I hadn't heard anything before about the letter, what exactly is it for? Can this be obtained at VFS or does it need another trip to the embassy?

Many immigration offices insist on an Embassy letter as a prerequisite to transferring existing stamps from old to new passports. Attached is a blank specimen of this letter - which can only be obtained from the Embassy (VFS will not provide it with your new passport).

[personchester]

You will get the extension in the old passport if the new passport doesn't arrive on time.

When you have the new passport you visit immigration again to have the stamps transferred from the old to the new passport. (Don't forget to get an embassy letter regarding your new passport).

Hi Mario

I hadn't heard anything before about the letter, what exactly is it for? Can this be obtained at VFS or does it need another trip to the embassy?

It is indeed surprising that the Trendy office does not provide the official letter to confirm the newly received HMPO passports.

They obtain the initial passport application from the applicants, then they sent the applications to HMPO, and then receive the new passports from HMPO and provide them to the applicants.

Thus the question is:

Why do they not provide the letter to officially outline the confirmation of the new UK passport,

It would be easy for them do it, because they know about the application procedure, therefore why is the letter not done by Trendy ... did some passport collectors ask them ? ... what was the reply ...

[OJAS]

You will get the extension in the old passport if the new passport doesn't arrive on time.

When you have the new passport you visit immigration again to have the stamps transferred from the old to the new passport. (Don't forget to get an embassy letter regarding your new passport).

Hi Mario

I hadn't heard anything before about the letter, what exactly is it for? Can this be obtained at VFS or does it need another trip to the embassy?

It is indeed surprising that the Trendy office does not provide the official letter to confirm the newly received HMPO passports.

They obtain the initial passport application from the applicants, then they sent the applications to HMPO, and then receive the new passports from HMPO and provide them to the applicants.

Thus the question is:

Why do they not provide the letter to officially outline the confirmation of the new UK passport,

It would be easy for them do it, because they know about the application procedure, therefore why is the letter not done by Trendy ... did some passport collectors ask them ? ... what was the reply ...

The short answer is that Immigration are insistent on the letter being authored by the Embassy and not some oik in With-It Tower. But I agree that the With-It mob should, in an ideal world, be able to issue letters on headed Embassy paper containing an Embassy stamp. After all, it is basically a proforma with particulars entered in manuscript.

[NanLaew]

You will get the extension in the old passport if the new passport doesn't arrive on time.

When you have the new passport you visit immigration again to have the stamps transferred from the old to the new passport. (Don't forget to get an embassy letter regarding your new passport).

Hi Mario

I hadn't heard anything before about the letter, what exactly is it for? Can this be obtained at VFS or does it need another trip to the embassy?

It is indeed surprising that the Trendy office does not provide the official letter to confirm the newly received HMPO passports.

They obtain the initial passport application from the applicants, then they sent the applications to HMPO, and then receive the new passports from HMPO and provide them to the applicants.

Thus the question is:

Why do they not provide the letter to officially outline the confirmation of the new UK passport,

It would be easy for them do it, because they know about the application procedure, therefore why is the letter not done by Trendy ... did some passport collectors ask them ? ... what was the reply ...

The short answer is that Immigration are insistent on the letter being authored by the Embassy and not some oik in With-It Tower. But I agree that the With-It mob should, in an ideal world, be able to issue letters on headed Embassy paper containing an Embassy stamp. After all, it is basically a proforma with particulars entered in manuscript.

Yes, VFS are a business that only has a contract to pre-screen UK visa and passport matters; they are in no way part of any countries immigration and passport authority. They are not allowed to have 'Embassy headed note paper' however inconvenient this may appear to others.

The logical way would be for HMPO to include the 'proforma' with the new passport as they have the legal authority to link old and new passports as they do the actual processing, cancellation of the old and issuing of the new. Unfortunately, due to huge bureaucratic issues, this relatively simple task would probably need and act of parliament to implement... or at least some chinless wonder running the show to think in real-world terms.

If the OP comes back with the jurisdiction he will be filing his extension at, the precise information about the need for this letter from the UK Embassy may be better answered. For example, Jomtien Immigration DO NOT need this letter.

[Classic Ray]

The other reason they don't include the letter of course is that they can charge you between £55 & £65 for issuing the "letter" even though it is just a form that you fill in and they just sign and stamp, as they do for most other things. Also don't forget to check that they charge you the right amount. I have already had an apology and offer of a refund of the excess as the consul in Chiang Mai has been charging £10 over the scale fee for letters affirming freedom to marry. You can check the right fees by going through the checklist on the gov.uk website before you ask for the letter.

[arawan]

A friend of mine got his new passport back in two weeks.

[Mario2008]

A friend of mine got his new passport back in two weeks.

With the holidays coming up, that is now not very likely.

[personchester]

You will get the extension in the old passport if the new passport doesn't arrive on time.

When you have the new passport you visit immigration again to have the stamps transferred from the old to the new passport. (Don't forget to get an embassy letter regarding your new passport).

Hi Mario

I hadn't heard anything before about the letter, what exactly is it for? Can this be obtained at VFS or does it need another trip to the embassy?

It is indeed surprising that the Trendy office does not provide the official letter to confirm the newly received HMPO passports.

They obtain the initial passport application from the applicants, then they sent the applications to HMPO, and then receive the new passports from HMPO and provide them to the applicants.

Thus the question is:

Why do they not provide the letter to officially outline the confirmation of the new UK passport,

It would be easy for them do it, because they know about the application procedure, therefore why is the letter not done by Trendy ... did some passport collectors ask them ? ... what was the reply ...

The short answer is that Immigration are insistent on the letter being authored by the Embassy and not some oik in With-It Tower. But I agree that the With-It mob should, in an ideal world, be able to issue letters on headed Embassy paper containing an Embassy stamp. After all, it is basically a proforma with particulars entered in manuscript.

Well, if Immigration want the passport confirmation letter from the UK Embassy then Trendy can of course not do it.

If have noted from previous passport applicants that not "all" immigration offices require this letter, they just stamp the visa items into the new passport when receiving the old one and the new one.

If HMPO were to include this letter when sending the new passport back to Thailand, then the immigration office will no doubt accept it because HMPO is the official UK passport producer.

[ubonjoe]

The other reason they don't include the letter of course is that they can charge you between £55 & £65 for issuing the "letter" even though it is just a form that you fill in and they just sign and stamp, as they do for most other things. Also don't forget to check that they charge you the right amount. I have already had an apology and offer of a refund of the excess as the consul in Chiang Mai has been charging £10 over the scale fee for letters affirming freedom to marry. You can check the right fees by going through the checklist on the gov.uk website before you ask for the letter.

They do not charge anything for the new passport letter. There are many reports that it is free.

[personchester]

A friend of mine got his new passport back in two weeks.

With the holidays coming up, that is now not very likely.

It might remain to be more speedy now, because when the Home Office under Theresa Mai toke control of HMPO they then engaged more staff for the passports application procedure.

[johninbkk71]

The other reason they don't include the letter of course is that they can charge you between £55 & £65 for issuing the "letter" even though it is just a form that you fill in and they just sign and stamp, as they do for most other things. Also don't forget to check that they charge you the right amount. I have already had an apology and offer of a refund of the excess as the consul in Chiang Mai has been charging £10 over the scale fee for letters affirming freedom to marry. You can check the right fees by going through the checklist on the gov.uk website before you ask for the letter.

The letter is free from the British Embassy in Bangkok.

[roath]

I recently got the letter to transfer stamps from the Embassy in BKK without charge and my passport application took just under 3 weeks but this time of year may obviously mean additional time in processing

[personchester]

I recently got the letter to transfer stamps from the Embassy in BKK without charge and my passport application took just under 3 weeks but this time of year may obviously mean additional time in processing

No, not obviously ... because HMPO is under Home Office control now and as a result passport application matters have been improved.

[roath]

You should read my post mate...Home Office or not people take time off for Christmas and so things do usually take a little longer. This is normal for all goverment offices in the West at this time of year

[MichaelJohn]

My wife just had a new UK passport; was told 9-12 weeks at Trendy but it came back in less than 2.

[Liquorice]

Why do so many British citizens leave it until the last minute to renew an expiring passport.

Time left on an existing passport is added to your new one up to a maximum of 9 months.

If you have at least 3 blank pages left you can also extend your current passport for 12 months.

https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport

[BritTim]

Why do so many British citizens leave it until the last minute to renew an expiring passport.

Time left on an existing passport is added to your new one up to a maximum of 9 months.

If you have at least 3 blank pages left you can also extend your current passport for 12 months.

https://www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport

The complication is that you cannot travel on the old passport once you apply for the new one. I postponed renewing a fast filling passport when the horror stories about 9-12 weeks started, and was considering a trip to the UK only to renew my passport. Hopefully, this will not now be necessary.

[DaiHard]

I just picked up my new passport today, exactly 2 weeks after the initial interview

[fiberman]

I just picked up my new passport today, exactly 2 weeks after the initial interview

That really is impressive, I just wish I wasn't applying over Christmas it is bound to add a week or so!

[Jonmarleesco]

What's new? The Thais do exactly the same. A 48-page passport, at some 8,000+ THB when I renewed, works out at over ₤3.00 per page. So I, for one, don't appreciate immigration officials, anywhere, wasting valuable space.

The visa to old passport question? Sorry, don't know. Only that a visa already in the old passport is useable with the new one. But British passports aren't - or weren't, under the old system - stamped invalid.

[OJAS]

A friend of mine got his new passport back in two weeks.

With the holidays coming up, that is now not very likely.

It might remain to be more speedy now, because when the Home Office under Theresa Mai toke control of HMPO they then engaged more staff for the passports application procedure.

The litmus test will, I suspect, come in 6 months time, in the run-up to next year's peak summer holiday season in the UK - which may be compounded by those who have obtained 12-month extensions to their existing passports under HMPO's emergency arrangements applying for full 10-year renewals.

[NanLaew]

I recently got the letter to transfer stamps from the Embassy in BKK without charge and my passport application took just under 3 weeks but this time of year may obviously mean additional time in processing

No, not obviously ... because HMPO is under Home Office control now and as a result passport application matters have been improved.

...so much so that when I recently contacted the newly administered and improved HMPO to inquire specifically what they would consider as 'working days' over the Christmas and New Year holidays, they didn't know.

[alantheembalmer]

I got my immigration stamps transferred to my new UK passport at CW without an embassy letter. However, I would not rely on this, as maybe I was just lucky?

[personchester]

I just picked up my new passport today, exactly 2 weeks after the initial interview

That is a very good time factor, in order to achieve this speedy result what is the "in & out" passport sending procedure about Trendy to L/pool , and HMPO to BKK.

[bigt116]

I got my immigration stamps transferred to my new UK passport at CW without an embassy letter. However, I would not rely on this, as maybe I was just lucky?

did you have an arrival stamp in your new passport ? if so , you dont need the letter