# Hope Nobody Needs a New Passport



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I wouldn't fancy turning up at a Spanish airport (or one in any other country) with my expired passport and confidently telling them "oh, it's OK, the Home Secretary says I can have a 12-month extension", would you?

Great, isn't it, over 550 staff have been cut from the Passport Office since 2010 and now they're (reportedly) having to draft in people from different departments and pay them up to £70 an hour to try to get this backlog cleared.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Oh Lynn, you haven't been listening. It's not a "backlog", it's an "unexpected peak in demand".

Still, it makes you wonder who would leave it till a month before their holiday before getting/renewing their passport?


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## zenkarma (Feb 15, 2013)

Earlier in January I got my passport renewed.

I got it back within 2-3 weeks. No problems.


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## Lolito (Aug 25, 2012)

Got mine here the other day, and they gave it to me on the spot, took about 10 mins. 

Not sure why it takes so long in the UK


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> Oh Lynn, you haven't been listening. It's not a "backlog", it's an "unexpected peak in demand".
> 
> Still, it makes you wonder who would leave it till a month before their holiday before getting/renewing their passport?


I don't have to listen to the Government of the day's "spin" on anything, now that they're no longer paying me to do it!

Heard more than enough of that kind of bs when they were.

Judging by the photograph of all the stored applications awaiting processing, the orange boxes (containing overseas applications) seem to heavily outnumber the white boxes (UK applications). This, to me, indicates that the present fiasco stems from the decision to centralise all overseas passport renewals in the UK rather than have them issued by the local Embassy or Consulate. Would account for the fact that people who applied months ago got theirs with no undue delay. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/pol...-application-files-fuels-row-over-delays.html


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

So reassuring, too, to note that the Passport Office and the private company which operates it's "contact centre" makes use of a Call Avoidance Strategy. Now we know how much credence to attach to those endless recorded messages saying "please hold, your call is important to us".


https://www.teleperformance.com/med...-uk-awarded-5-year-hmpo-contract-2-dec-13.pdf

Sub-text reads "you are a nuisance and we don't want to have to waste time and money talking to you".


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

I have _just _ received my renewal passport.

From start to finish, it took 9 weeks. They waited for 5 weeks, then emailed me to say that the declaration wasn't signed in the right place !!!

This was complete rubbish - I had a copy of the sent declaration, in front of me, correctly signed !

I complained ! They said that..... during the scanning of the document, at their end, the signature had moved 

I concluded that they had mislaid it !

As a former Civil servant, of many years - this is not political ! I well remember Gordon Brown's government bringing in individual, unachievable targets for the staff, in my department.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Allie-P said:


> As a former Civil servant, of many years - this is not political ! I well remember Gordon Brown's government bringing in individual, unachievable targets for the staff, in my department.


So do I, only too well. It's only political with a small 'p' to me, because I get sick of people peddling the "all staff in the public sector are lazy, incompetent and a trained monkey could do their jobs, just get people in from the dole queues" line, and calling for private sector business methods to be adopted throughout - when I think we've seen quite enough of how well the likes of G4S, Serco, Southern Cross Healthcare et al perform.


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## BEGLODN68 (Jun 12, 2014)

My husband got his renewed in Shanghai consulate. Took a week and they didn't void the old one until you receive the new one. So basically no interruption to his travel.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

Lynn R said:


> I wouldn't fancy turning up at a Spanish airport (or one in any other country) with my expired passport and confidently telling them "oh, it's OK, the Home Secretary says I can have a 12-month extension", would you?
> 
> Great, isn't it, over 550 staff have been cut from the Passport Office since 2010 and now they're (reportedly) having to draft in people from different departments and pay them up to £70 an hour to try to get this backlog cleared.


How does it work with this extension- do you have to have some sort of document to prove you have this extension, or do they send back your old passport with the extension stamped on it, in which case they might as well send the new passport.
What if you were just about to send your nearly expired passport off. How could you get the proof it has an extension.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

extranjero said:


> How does it work with this extension- do you have to have some sort of document to prove you have this extension, or do they send back your old passport with the extension stamped on it, in which case they might as well send the new passport.
> What if you were just about to send your nearly expired passport off. How could you get the proof it has an extension.


I'm afraid I can't tell you - all they said on the BBC lunchtime news was that "details have still to be worked out". I bet they have!

It has all the hallmarks of a panic response to a situation they were denying existed up until yesterday and are now just saying anything, desperately hoping all the fuss will die down.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

In 1999 Bosslady had hers extended by two years, seem to think it was stamped at the Post Office with a passport agency stamp.

Therefor if it has been done once shouldn't be too difficult to do it again, and for us lot living in foreign lands the consulates could be used.


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## Aron (Apr 30, 2013)

We renewed ours with 6 months still left on the date. If you renew within 6 months of expiry, you don't lose any months. If you have 6 months left, if you get a new one mow your next one is due in 10 years 6 months time. The moral is, never leave anything to the last minute!


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

Hepa said:


> In 1999 Bosslady had hers extended by two years, seem to think it was stamped at the Post Office with a passport agency stamp.
> 
> Therefor if it has been done once shouldn't be too difficult to do it again, and for us lot living in foreign lands the consulates could be used.


That's how it was always done up till recently, and very expensive it was too. Sending it back to UK is supposed to be an improvement.
I am puzzled as to why your wife's passport was extended by 2 years- didn't know you could do that. Wouldn't it have been better to have just renewed it for another 10 years, or was it something to do with applying for Spanish nationality?


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Aron said:


> We renewed ours with 6 months still left on the date. If you renew within 6 months of expiry, you don't lose any months. If you have 6 months left, if you get a new one mow your next one is due in 10 years 6 months time. The moral is, never leave anything to the last minute!


We chose to renew ours even before that, before leaving the UK, as we preferred to get the new ones at the UK residents' rate rather than paying the expensive fee to renew them from Spain. Mine's not due to be renewed again until Feb 2017, even before this week's events I was thinking I would probably renew it in person whilst on a visit to the UK rather than trusting it to the post, and this has finally convinced me. We're always asked for our passports when checking into a hotel in Spain, and I don't want to be confined to barracks for weeks or even months because I can't go and stay anywhere whilst waiting for a new one!


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

extranjero said:


> That's how it was always done up till recently, and very expensive it was too. Sending it back to UK is supposed to be an improvement.
> I am puzzled as to why your wife's passport was extended by 2 years- didn't know you could do that. Wouldn't it have been better to have just renewed it for another 10 years, or was it something to do with applying for Spanish nationality?


In 1999 there was a huge backlog, so the system of extending the passports was put into operation. The main Post Office in the U.K. town centre stamped the passport with a two year extension, this allowed time for the backlog of applications to be dealt with, obviously so great it was anticipated that it would take two years for the problem to be resolved.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Aron said:


> The moral is, never leave anything to the last minute!



Sometime it is unavoidable, for a U.K. person to travel on inter island ferries or by air, the passport is checked for identification, prior to boarding. At the moment I have to travel to another island on a monthly basis, so I cannot send my passport, which expires in September, for renewal.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Lynn R said:


> Judging by the photograph of all the stored applications awaiting processing, the orange boxes (containing overseas applications) seem to heavily outnumber the white boxes (UK applications). This, to me, indicates that the present fiasco stems from the decision to centralise all overseas passport renewals in the UK rather than have them issued by the local Embassy or Consulate. Would account for the fact that people who applied months ago got theirs with no undue delay.


It would seem that this was indeed the case, and the Foreign Office warned that it would cause problems six months ago:-


Passport chaos: Foreign Office warned of delays six months ago - Telegraph


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## Aron (Apr 30, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> We chose to renew ours even before that, before leaving the UK, as we preferred to get the new ones at the UK residents' rate rather than paying the expensive fee to renew them from Spain. Mine's not due to be renewed again until Feb 2017, even before this week's events I was thinking I would probably renew it in person whilst on a visit to the UK rather than trusting it to the post, and this has finally convinced me. We're always asked for our passports when checking into a hotel in Spain, and I don't want to be confined to barracks for weeks or even months because I can't go and stay anywhere whilst waiting for a new one!


We alwYs get asked for passports in hotels in Spain, but just give them our residents details which have always been accepted. We did our passports last year through a courier service. We had our new passports in less than a month. Cost a bit extra, but we were okay with that.
The present crisis should not be happening. The government should not allow this to happen. We nearly all travel these days and a passport is a vital item. I hope someone pulls their finger out ASAP for those that are in need of renewal.


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## Aron (Apr 30, 2013)

Hepa said:


> Sometime it is unavoidable, for a U.K. person to travel on inter island ferries or by air, the passport is checked for identification, prior to boarding. At the moment I have to travel to another island on a monthly basis, so I cannot send my passport, which expires in September, for renewal.


Okay, but it still applies to everyone else that can renew it in advance. If you have the opportunity, do it!


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Aron said:


> Okay, but it still applies to everyone else that can renew it in advance. If you have the opportunity, do it!


Life is going to be a lot easier with Spanish Nationality, Roll on!


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

Hepa said:


> Life is going to be a lot easier with Spanish Nationality, Roll on!


Sorry to sidetrack!
What if you had to go back to the UK to live?
Will you still get state pension increases?
It seems so final
What are the advantages of being a Spanish national anyway?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

extranjero said:


> Sorry to sidetrack!
> What if you had to go back to the UK to live?
> Will you still get state pension increases?
> It seems so final
> What are the advantages of being a Spanish national anyway?


A thousand years ago in a different life, I had to give lectures on a subject that I had specialised in. Invariably there were those who were skeptical and would introduce the two Russians Wativ and Butiv………………………...


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Worrying to hear this morning about a far more significant backlog caused by UK government mismanagement. People applying to DWP for Personal Independence Payments (which replace disability allowance) are being told not to even bother phoning to check, if they have been waiting less than 26 weeks. They are having to resort to payday loans and food banks in the meantime. Outrageous!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lynn R said:


> So do I, only too well. It's only political with a small 'p' to me, because I get sick of people peddling the "all staff in the public sector are lazy, incompetent and a trained monkey could do their jobs, just get people in from the dole queues" line, and calling for private sector business methods to be adopted throughout - when I think we've seen quite enough of how well the likes of G4S, Serco, Southern Cross Healthcare et al perform.


I couldn't agree more. Now we can see what state the sacking of experienced, long-serving dedicated Civil Servants and their replacement with temporary untrained Agency staff has brought us to.


Every Government Department is suffering through cuts and those who suffer most are the clients/customers whatever we're referred to as now. The Border Agency, Passport Agency, DWP - I waited six months to get the money owed me through errors, almost £1000 in SRP payments and I only got that because I wrote to Rachel Reeve, Shadow DWP Minister. ...all seem to be in chaos and confusion.

Now I read that the NHS is in such a state that waiting lists are the longest for six years....just before the last election....

When will Ministers realise that there is no substitute for a professional, trained, properly rewarded Civil Service, the kind we used to be proud of...


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> So do I, only too well. It's only political with a small 'p' to me, because I get sick of people peddling the "all staff in the public sector are lazy, incompetent and a trained monkey could do their jobs, just get people in from the dole queues" line, and calling for private sector business methods to be adopted throughout - when I think we've seen quite enough of how well the likes of G4S, Serco, Southern Cross Healthcare et al perform.




Tis true - we had to work damn hard for our, 'Pittance'. There certainly wasn't any laziness or prolonged tea drinking, amongst the ground staff. 

At the higher echelons level, maybe


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

The Canary Island British consulate are to issue one year extensions, starting shortly, looks like a trip to Tenerife is in the offing.


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## Sandraw719 (Jul 19, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> I wouldn't fancy turning up at a Spanish airport (or one in any other country) with my expired passport and confidently telling them "oh, it's OK, the Home Secretary says I can have a 12-month extension", would you?
> 
> Great, isn't it, over 550 staff have been cut from the Passport Office since 2010 and now they're (reportedly) having to draft in people from different departments and pay them up to £70 an hour to try to get this backlog cleared.


Is it true the expired passport can be extended 12 months?

My son's British passport will expire in Oct. My husband does not plan to get an new one immediately since we won't travel for a while. How long can he use his expired passport? I heard Spanish passport only costs 25 euros but UK passport is too expensive!

Can my son use his Spanish resident card and expired passport for 12 months?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Sandraw719 said:


> Is it true the expired passport can be extended 12 months?
> 
> My son's British passport will expire in Oct. My husband does not plan to get an new one immediately since we won't travel for a while. How long can he use his expired passport? I heard Spanish passport only costs 25 euros but UK passport is too expensive!
> 
> Can my son use his Spanish resident card and expired passport for 12 months?


Apparently so, but a visit to the British consulate will be needed, for the said passport to be stamped. 

This is not the first time, it has all been done before in 1999


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Sandraw719 said:


> Is it true the expired passport can be extended 12 months?
> 
> My son's British passport will expire in Oct. My husband does not plan to get an new one immediately since we won't travel for a while. How long can he use his expired passport? I heard Spanish passport only costs 25 euros but UK passport is too expensive!
> 
> Can my son use his Spanish resident card and expired passport for 12 months?


It was announced on the news last week that the British Home Secretary had said that because of the current backlog, everybody needing to renew their passport from overseas would be given a 12 month extension, free of charge. However, I haven't seen any details announced of how to go about getting one, as yet. Hepa's post above indicates that it may be available from your nearest British Consulate, maybe an idea to give them a ring and ask?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Lynn R said:


> It was announced on the news last week that the British Home Secretary had said that because of the current backlog, everybody needing to renew their passport from overseas would be given a 12 month extension, free of charge. However, I haven't seen any details announced of how to go about getting one, as yet. Hepa's post above indicates that it may be available from your nearest British Consulate, maybe an idea to give them a ring and ask?


Should be an general announcement soon I am told, keep your eye on their websites.


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## GUAPACHICA (Jun 30, 2012)

*Get passport copied?*

Hi - I was lucky enough to get my passport renewed whilst back, recently, in England. My mother's local Post Office staff were incredibly helpful to us both, practically redrafting my own application - on the basis that I'd not spaced all of the letters correctly...( the fact that I'm a former English teacher and that said staff were from India did provoke considerable amusement, all round, but their meticulous scrutiny did ensure that the form was not returned to me, marked _'Please try again',_ LOL! ). 

So, I've always carried a copy, only, of my passport, when in Spain - on the advice of a Spanish Police Officer. In fact, I've been asked to produce proof of identity, on various occasions, during my time here and the copy's been accepted, for that purpose, every time. But - having hoped to get my new passport copied, in our local _'Copy shop_', I've been told that it's impossible to photo-copy the relevant page, due to the new plasticised design which now covers the photo (not to mention the metallic border..) 

Apparently, the result would be a wholly black image - certainly not acceptable as a copy for identification purposes, here in Spain...! 

Has anyone please found a solution to this problem? I really don't like to have to carry my passport with me, at all times, if a copy's acceptable - so much easier to replace, especially now that there's such a backlog of applications - and that the cost is so outrageously high!!! Thanks, everyone.

Saludos,
GC


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

GUAPACHICA said:


> Hi - I was lucky enough to get my passport renewed whilst back, recently, in England. My mother's local Post Office staff were incredibly helpful to us both, practically redrafting my own application - on the basis that I'd not spaced all of the letters correctly...( the fact that I'm a former English teacher and that said staff were from India did provoke considerable amusement, all round, but their meticulous scrutiny did ensure that the form was not returned to me, marked _'Please try again',_ LOL! ).
> 
> So, I've always carried a copy, only, of my passport, when in Spain - on the advice of a Spanish Police Officer. In fact, I've been asked to produce proof of identity, on various occasions, during my time here and the copy's been accepted, for that purpose, every time. But - having hoped to get my new passport copied, in our local _'Copy shop_', I've been told that it's impossible to photo-copy the relevant page, due to the new plasticised design which now covers the photo (not to mention the metallic border..)
> 
> ...


Do you have a driving licence, GC? That's what I use for backing up credit cards and ID although I've yet to be asked to prove my ID. Spanish licences have your NIE number and I read somewhere are accepted as proof of ID.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Here is the link

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/additional-measures-in-place-overseas-to-help-british-nationals-who-need-a-new-or-replacement-passport


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

GUAPACHICA said:


> Hi - I was lucky enough to get my passport renewed whilst back, recently, in England. My mother's local Post Office staff were incredibly helpful to us both, practically redrafting my own application - on the basis that I'd not spaced all of the letters correctly...( the fact that I'm a former English teacher and that said staff were from India did provoke considerable amusement, all round, but their meticulous scrutiny did ensure that the form was not returned to me, marked _'Please try again',_ LOL! ).
> 
> So, I've always carried a copy, only, of my passport, when in Spain - on the advice of a Spanish Police Officer. In fact, I've been asked to produce proof of identity, on various occasions, during my time here and the copy's been accepted, for that purpose, every time. But - having hoped to get my new passport copied, in our local _'Copy shop_', I've been told that it's impossible to photo-copy the relevant page, due to the new plasticised design which now covers the photo (not to mention the metallic border..)
> 
> ...



I've scanned both mine & the wife's , both of which were renewed february 2013. 
They print out far better than the old passports did. So I don't know what they are talking about ?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

I took photographs of ours


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

But...
just a photocopy, or an authenticated copy? I got shouted at by a police officer for travelling on a train with a photocopy of my passport and was lucky I didn't get detained! He told me "How can you expect to travel around the country with a photocopy!?" and he threw the copy back at me. Looking back I suppose it was pretty naive on my part. This was many years ago ...


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

I have just returned from Tenerife, where those kind persons in the British Consulate, extended my Passport for one year


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

Hepa said:


> I have just returned from Tenerife, where those kind persons in the British Consulate, extended my Passport for one year


Did you make an appointment or just turn up? What did they charge?

Mine is due in December. With situation as it is in the Passport Office with the backlog and now a threatened strike I do not want to send my passport off. How soon should I contact the local Consulate for an extension?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

DunWorkin said:


> Did you make an appointment or just turn up? What did they charge?
> 
> Mine is due in December. With situation as it is in the Passport Office with the backlog and now a threatened strike I do not want to send my passport off. How soon should I contact the local Consulate for an extension?


Mine was due to expire next month, there was no charge, the Bosslady rang this number for an appointment at the consulate in Tenerife, 902109356, the number is on the peninsular.


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