I’ve got an appointment at the passport office in London tomorrow for a fast track renewal. I need to take a completed passport form but forgot to get one from the post office. Does anyone know if I can get one at the passport office or do I need to go via a post office? Cheers.

Have you tried downloading one? or like the DVLA is their website 9-5 only?
The missus had an appointment for a “fast track” last year, up in that London. The passport took a week to arrive.
I used the fast and checked service from the PO and it took the same time…

Pretty sure I did exactly the same thing and they had a stack of them at the passport office.

* I deny all liability if wrong

Have you tried downloading one?

I’ve found a form online but the only references to it are when applying from overseas. There is no indication either way of whether this form is valid to use in person. I can’t imagine why it would be different but I don’t have time to get to the office, find out it’s not right, get one from the post office and get back in time for my appointment.

I think I will accept Flaperon’s advice, take the downloaded one as backup and cross my fingers.

Sorry to slightly highjack, anyone traveled on a very short passport?

Mine expires 17 days after I come home from France. I know outside of Europe you need at least 6 months left on point of entry.

I just got back from France this evening with <2 months on mine.

Back to the passport form though 🙂 There is a big ‘OS’ one the from of the online form, I guess that means Overseas and the form isn’t valid in person.

To confirm…

.gov.uk link

“Passport validity
“Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you don’t need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.”

Yep, used my passport with less than a month on it now bother. As for passport fast track I just did the express at the post office and got it back within the week.

Renewed my passport on Monday night. How easy is that with the online photo upload etc. No forms to send off or write slightly in the wrong box and no spanking 5 quid on a gash photo from the booth. Very impressed.

P-Jay as long as the passport expires after your return date even by 1 day you are fine for France (and rest of EU!

Yup very easy to renew, even managed to get a selfie pic approved despite the instructions saying not to use a selfie.

Out of the front door, turn left. 400yds or so to The Marquis. Excellent Scotch Eggs, and good beer. Then you’re within crawling distance of Cask, best beer pub around, and A Wong, the best Chinese restaurant in London.

Nice part of the world. 🙂

Re validity, getting visas for some countries can be harder with a nearly expired passport.

From what I remember from Liverpool last year, for the Fast Track queue you had to have all your documents ready if you wanted to be seen immediately.

In an out in 10 minutes, then a three hour wait.

Don’t forget you’ve got a Swiss Army Knife in your bag.
Everything gets searched.
🙄

The online renewal service with digital photos looks great, but you have to send off your existing passport. I haven’t got a window of more than a few days when I don’t need it for travel so the in-person fast-track is the only route.

The photo thing is proving tricky. I can’t get a decent shadow-free shot at this time of day at home without proper lighting and my local Tesco’s photo booth is only operational between the hours of 8am and 10pm (got there at 10:05pm). It’s going to be a bit of a dash tomorrow, I hope the one at Sheffield Station is working before 07:30 (anyone know?).

CFH – thanks for the tips, they have been noted for future use. I shall be lunching at The Cinnamon Club whilst I wait 🙂

CC? Not too bad, I suppose.

Wong is betterer though.

I’ll give Wong a whirl next time and report back.

Get a lamp or two and bounce the light iff the ceiling.
Normal online process for me complete within a week, except the return of my old passport that took a few days longer.

Whatever you do, make sure it is your regular signature on the passport.

I’ve trying to open a bank account, and they are not accepting the forms I’ve signed because the signatures are too different to my passport, backwards and forwards just now with me resending the form with a similar signature on.

For the life of me I can’t remember how I have managed to change it so much, and it is only 10 weeks old!

****!

As this will become the true source of information for all eternity…

Live update #1 – Sheffield train station photo booth is operational at 07:00am, costs £5 for 5 photos.

Now I just need a pair of scissors and a passport form.

I renewed my passport in the London office 3 weeks ago

All went smoothly – they have forms available in the office there & a photo booth.

Get there in good time, a surprisingly large queue even though there is an appointment slot booked.

Thanks Marge.

After all that, the train I’m on is now sat in Kettering; power lines down in St Albans. Looks like we’ll be turned around and I’ll miss the appointment. No other appointments today either. Thanks Doris.

London/Victoria. For whatever reason (disorganised) I have renewed twice there on fast track service. Pretty painless. As above take a magazine/book and go to the pub while you wait.

sturmey go anyway and explain, likley others affected same way and there will be appointment gaps

go anyway and explain

We’re now heading back north. To get into London it’s change at Leicester, over to Brum and down to Euston. Even assuming those lines aren’t disrupted, it’ll be touch and go that I make it in time for the 1-day service and then face a messy journey home. I think I’ll sack it off and try again in a couple of weeks. At least I’ll have the form and photos ready. Thanks all for your tips and advice.

I know outside of Europe you need at least 6 months left on point of entry.

no you don’t. It’s advised in case there are complications with your trip, like being taken ill and hospitalised, but it’s not compulsory.

jambalaya – Member

P-Jay as long as the passport expires after your return date even by 1 day you are fine for France (and rest of EU!

Thanks,

God Bless the EU, eh? 😉