# Renewing UK Red Passport



## harry86

Advice needed I live in Thailand, have residents visa, need to renew my red UK passport. Has anyone recently
renewed there one I mean doing it all from Thailand NOT going into passport office while on holiday in UK.
Internet said that I have to photocopy all pages in colour, add 2 photos, add other documents. It did not say what documents, send to UK by Courier. Immigration told me that I can do it in Bangkok only one if them can be right. Which one?


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## tod-daniels

First, I don't know what a "residents visa" is.. Do you get yearly extensions of stay at Thai Immigrations based on being married to a Thai national, being over 50, or because of work, OR do you have "Permanent Resident" status here. 

Actually, I was only anecdotally interested because it doesn't make a bit of difference what visa you're on, just as long as you have some sort of visa to be here.

UK passport holders in Thailand used to apply in Hong Kong, now I think you apply in the UK. You DON'T mail your passport even though it you check a box saying you are. You make copies of the required pages in color and send them instead.

Here's the link;
https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports
Make sure you scroll thru the choices of countries and pick Thailand.. It'll walk you thru the rest. .

Remember Google is your friend. . Good Luck


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## neilr

I had to renew my passport last year, and made the application via Hong Kong but it does look like it is now done via UK. You certainly cannot do this in Bangkok anymore.

Have a look at this link...
https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports/y/thailand/renewing_new/adult

You keep your original passport at ALL times. Copy your picture page and current Visa page to send with your application.
DO send by EMS or another tracked service (about £16.00 with EMS)


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## Mweiga

Renewed my passport via the Hong Kong consular facility a year ago just a couple of months or so before it was finally closed down. Renewals can only be made at the centralised passport office in UK now - follow instructions on the website , sending required page copies , etc. UK consular facility in Bangkok stopped processing passport renewals some time ago.

If the new UK passport facility works as efficiently as the old Hong Kong set up you should get your new passport fairly rapidly - took just 12 days for me to receive a new passport via courier from the date I first couriered paperwork over to HK. Courier charge was also cheap with a special price deal agreed between DHL and HM Gov.


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## harry86

Hello......What additional .....DOCUMENTS....do I have to send with Application...... Internet is not very helpfull.......Thank you.......


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## dhream

Harry,
I renewed my UK passport last year, I have no idea what additional documents you are asking about, and if you follow the trustworthy links/advice that other posters have given here, I can't see where the confusion is coming from either?

Perhaps you have read some misinformation earlier on, and that is leading you astray. Stick to the www.gov.uk sites and not the spiv 'we-do-it-for-you' sites and you'll be OK.


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## Mweiga

As already mentioned , only do your passport renewal via the official website which is very clear and easy to follow. Here is a quick guide:

- Go to site and click on "Overseas British Passport Applications"
- Enter country in "What country are you in ?".

You're then told what you need to do and send, which in short is :

Application Form completed
2 identical photos
Colour photocopies of your entire current passport , all pages including blanks
Payment form for Credit / Debit card completed
Additional Documents

For Additional Documents required you need to click "Supporting documents you must send with your application" and you get a complete check list - look along the top "Renewal" line and it tells you exactly what docs you need to include. 

What may be confusing you are the "Identity documents" you need to submit. Look at Table A - they need TWO items of identity : 

1. Photo Evidence - you are sending a copy of your current passport so this should enough as they only need ONE item , but if you want to be completely sure then also include a colour photocopy of either your photo driving licence or a photo ID card. 

2. Name and Address evidence - send ONE of the several options they give you , ie , colour copy of Resident Permit , Visa , Immigration document , etc , etc. If you are applying from Thailand the best document to provide would probably be the "Residence Certificate" provided by immigration offices. This is an official document confirming your name , physical address and validity of your visa. It is in Thai so you would need to get it translated and the translation certified - there are law firms in all the expat / tourist areas that will provide this service.


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## dhream

Mweiga said:


> As already mentioned , only do your passport renewal via the official website which is very clear and easy to follow. Here is a quick guide:
> 
> For Additional Documents required you need to click "Supporting documents you must send with your application" and you get a complete check list - look along the top "Renewal" line and it tells you exactly what docs you need to include.
> 
> What may be confusing you are the "Identity documents" you need to submit. Look at Table A - they need TWO items of identity :


A clarification, I did my renewal from within the UK, electronically. So the 'documents' IIRC were my existing UK address which tallied with my DVLC records, and the rest, IIRC were other typed in data like NH numbers and so forth, apologies for unintentionally misleading the OP, but still... it's not that hard, some people seem to almost want the paperwork (and thinking) done for them, which I'm happy to do, if you'll grease my palm with gold. 

Whilst this next remark is of no bearing on the OP's request, I also seem to recall having to send in my old passport, which, I don't think was returned, as is customary in most Commonwealth countries. But could be mistaken, my memory is not the best these days, and a lot has happened in between times. I do know I recently destroyed all my old passports anyway.


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## harry86

Thank you for the......Info......I will make a copy of it......then start my ......Renewal........


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## Mweiga

Whilst this next remark is of no bearing on the OP's request, I also seem to recall having to send in my old passport, which, I don't think was returned, as is customary in most Commonwealth countries. But could be mistaken, my memory is not the best these days, and a lot has happened in between times. I do know I recently destroyed all my old passports anyway.[/QUOTE]

If applying from within UK they need your old passport , and you used to get it back cancelled along with your new one. Applications made from Thailand require copies only to be sent. 

When I did my renewal a year ago via the Hong Kong office, when it was still functioning, the online instructions were very clear stating something like "HM Gov recognises the need for expatriates to have their current original passport available at all times in Thailand so copies are sufficient ... ". When you got your new passport via courier there were instructions given that you should cancel your old passport yourself using the prescribed method they gave you - cutting corners , etc.


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## siobhanwf

Hi Harry, you might find a thread on the Portuguese forum useful reading. 


http://www.expatforum.com/expats/po...-fees-slashed-british-nationals-overseas.html


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## Mweiga

You may have already discovered this but here's an article extract from the latest Pattaya People weekly :

From Wednesday 26th March 2014, British nationals should submit their passport application in person by appointment only to the UK visa Application Centre in Bangkok. The application will then be sent on to Her Majesty's Passport Office in the UK for processing. All the information needed to complete the passport application process, including the address and contact details for the UK Visa Application Centre is available on the GOV.UK website ... those who cannot find the information on the website can call the Passport Advice line on +44-300-222-0000 (operates 8.00 am to 8.00 pm UK time).


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## harry86

Thank you for the Information......


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## harry86

I only read......Pattaya Mail & Bangkok Post......


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