Saint Keith Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 just found out i have to go to America in a few weeks, but my passport runs out next March. am i right in thinking you have to have 6 months left on it? if so, what do i need to do to get it renewed, and quickly! i appreciate i could just go onto the passport agency website, but im sure my fellow tms'ers are much more helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dark Sotonic Mills Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 You can renew your passport whenever you want and do not have to wait till your passport is expired to renew it. However, we can add no more than nine months unexpired time from the old passport to the new one. When renewing, you still need to pay the full fee and no refund can be given for the unexpired time in the old passport. Standard applications We try to process applications in around three weeks from when they arrive at our office. This does not include postage time and applications can take longer at busy times. We recommend you use the Check & Send service offered by selected Post Office® branches. If you want to make a standard application please go to About the application form. Urgent applications If you need your passport within two weeks you should call our 24-hour Passport Adviceline 0300 222 0000 (see terms and conditions) to make an appointment at one of our offices. We can offer a Fast Track one week service or a Premium same-day service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 "Some countries insist that your passport is valid for at least six months after the date you enter the country. If you have any questions about this, ask the country's consulate or embassy in the UK." http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/TravellingAbroad/PassportsAndVisas/DG_4019505 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Keith Posted 23 October, 2008 Author Share Posted 23 October, 2008 Urgent applications If you need your passport within two weeks you should call our 24-hour Passport Adviceline 0300 222 0000 (see terms and conditions) to make an appointment at one of our offices. We can offer a Fast Track one week service or a Premium same-day service. legend. ta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norwaysaint Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 I got my new passport delivered 3 days after I sent off the old one. Is it that quick if you live in Britain. It must have been sorted within a couple of hours after arriving at the embassy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai_phil Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 The local immigration office lost my son's passport when he put it in to have his visa renewed, 36 hours before we left on holiday. We phoned the embassy, they told us the process to get a Police report. We did all that and went to the embassy at 11:00am. In the queue in front was a Brit businessman/tourist type giving it all large about how important he was and how he demanded to see the manager because he simply HAD to have his passport back the same day. The clerks put up with it, took his paperwork and said they would do it urgently and it would be ready in 10 days. I went to the window and said, I'm really sorry but immigration lost the passport and we were supposed to go on family holiday the next day, I understood they couldn't do anything but was it possible they could try and get it quicker than 10 days. The lass said wait here, walked off, told us to take a seat for 10 minutes. After 20 minutes I was getting worried as I had to call the travel agent to try and rebook hotels and flights when she came back with a big smile and gave me his new passport. Moral of the story, they are actually REALLY helpful and professional, but just say please and thankyou and sorry rather than "Do you know how important I am"..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 Passport tales no. 3: Last year we were all off to France by Eurostar for a canal holiday. I'd reminded my kids months before to make sure their passports were up to date. Day of departure and I asked them all, jokingly, 'have you all got your passports?' My oldest daughter, normally so well organised, said 'oh no, I'll go and get it'. She came back and said 'it's out of date by 3 months'. I thought she was joshing at first, but she wasn't. We got on the innernet to the Passport Office, French Embassy, Eurostar etc. etc. It was a Saturday so we didn't get much joy with phone calls. My daughter then said 'oh well, I won't go - you all go without me (in a martyred tone)'. My youngest daughter then phoned Eurostar again and all we could hear was 'oh right, oh really, OK we'll try that'. She told her sister that the clerk at Eurostar had said 'just turn up with your old passport and a utility bill / driving licence and you should be OK' He hadn't actually said anything of the sort and she'd lied to her sister. You know what - we did just that and, apart from a short interview with a Gendarme at Waterloo (Eurostar station then) she got through with no trouble at all. And no trouble on the way back either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Martini Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 I had a similar problem when I was traveling to Egypt a couple of years ago. My passport was good for another 4 months and on the information we got from the travel agency it said it needed to be valid at least 3 additional months after the return date. So I assumed it was all good, but when we got to the airport they told me I needed 6 months. But its easy enough to just get an emergency extension so it all worked out in the end anyway, especially since we got the travel agency to pay for the extension since they gave us faulty information.:grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLYMPIC Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 I got my passport renewed before going to America last year and even only using the standard application process it was hand delivered to my home address within 10 days.Only thing to complain about is the stupid price it costs now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintwarwick Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 just found out i have to go to America in a few weeks, but my passport runs out next March. am i right in thinking you have to have 6 months left on it? if so, what do i need to do to get it renewed, and quickly! i appreciate i could just go onto the passport agency website, but im sure my fellow tms'ers are much more helpful Hopefully you have no previous court convictions as you may be refused entry into the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintwarwick Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 I got my new passport delivered 3 days after I sent off the old one. Is it that quick if you live in Britain. It must have been sorted within a couple of hours after arriving at the embassy. I was put on standby for the Falklands conflict in 1982 and was told I needed a passport!! My passport duly arrived 24 hours later (along with my wife's passport which we were able to sneak through). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 Hopefully you have no previous court convictions as you may be refused entry into the USA. What convictions would they be, is it anything or only things that are drug/sex related? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dark Sotonic Mills Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 Take this little test Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintwarwick Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 What convictions would they be, is it anything or only things that are drug/sex related? If you have ever been arrested even if you have not been convicted you have to apply for a visa through the US embassy in London. You can also wait several months for a meeting at the embassy to get your visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintwarwick Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 Take this little test What convictions would they be, is it anything or only things that are drug/sex related? Just seen DSM's post above, follow the link and do the test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stkev7 Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 Renewed mine the other week, it only took just over a week to get back to me. I'm delighted because on this latest one I don't look like a child which puts to an end dodgy looks from Border Control in Eastern Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Keith Posted 23 October, 2008 Author Share Posted 23 October, 2008 Hopefully you have no previous court convictions as you may be refused entry into the USA. i am actually quite worried about that, as i have an assualt conviction from 5 years ago. officialy you need a visa. however, lots of our friends are air stewards who go to America all the time, and they reckon there is nothing to worry about not so sure my self, but will jsut have to wing it and pray when i get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 i am actually quite worried about that, as i have an assualt conviction from 5 years ago. officialy you need a visa. however, lots of our friends are air stewards who go to America all the time, and they reckon there is nothing to worry about not so sure my self, but will jsut have to wing it and pray when i get there. Because you're flying there, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Keith Posted 23 October, 2008 Author Share Posted 23 October, 2008 Because you're flying there, right? lol. yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintwarwick Posted 23 October, 2008 Share Posted 23 October, 2008 i am actually quite worried about that, as i have an assualt conviction from 5 years ago. officialy you need a visa. however, lots of our friends are air stewards who go to America all the time, and they reckon there is nothing to worry about not so sure my self, but will jsut have to wing it and pray when i get there. Not too sure how stringent their checks are but if they have a database of all those that have been arrested then you will not get in. It's alright being an air steward but what would they know about the passengers, they don't check the passports just the boarding cards. Best of luck anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Keith Posted 23 October, 2008 Author Share Posted 23 October, 2008 Not too sure how stringent their checks are but if they have a database of all those that have been arrested then you will not get in. It's alright being an air steward but what would they know about the passengers, they don't check the passports just the boarding cards. Best of luck anyway. sorry, it was the passengers they were talking about i cant believe of all the thousands of brits who go to america every year for holidays and work that none of them have ever been arrested? i could of course be wrong, its happened before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmel Posted 24 October, 2008 Share Posted 24 October, 2008 sorry, it was the passengers they were talking about i cant believe of all the thousands of brits who go to america every year for holidays and work that none of them have ever been arrested? i could of course be wrong, its happened before You have nothing to worry about and you dont need a visa. They have no access to any UK data, so unless our authorities alert them that you are travelling or you are wanted by Interpol, you will be alllowed in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridge too far Posted 24 October, 2008 Share Posted 24 October, 2008 You have nothing to worry about and you dont need a visa. They have no access to any UK data, so unless our authorities alert them that you are travelling or you are wanted by Interpol, you will be alllowed in I was told the other day that soon the US will only let people in with biometric passports. But my 'informer' told me this only meant the ones with the barcode. So, as you're renewing yours, you should get a barcode one. I don't know how much information this barcode holds mind you :smt102 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmel Posted 24 October, 2008 Share Posted 24 October, 2008 I was told the other day that soon the US will only let people in with biometric passports. But my 'informer' told me this only meant the ones with the barcode. So, as you're renewing yours, you should get a barcode one. I don't know how much information this barcode holds mind you :smt102 Well the US already have fingerprinting, so it may well be true. Im not sure what information they would want.......but baj wont be happy :grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baj Posted 24 October, 2008 Share Posted 24 October, 2008 I got my new passport delivered 3 days after I sent off the old one. Is it that quick if you live in Britain. It must have been sorted within a couple of hours after arriving at the embassy. Yeah, my wifes ID card and passport get sorted pretty quickly by the Belgian embassy in London, guess they have nothing better to do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Keith Posted 26 October, 2008 Author Share Posted 26 October, 2008 You have nothing to worry about and you dont need a visa. They have no access to any UK data, so unless our authorities alert them that you are travelling or you are wanted by Interpol, you will be alllowed in hopefully you are right. they let me into Russia last year, so surely im less of a threat to Chicago! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sfc90 Posted 26 October, 2008 Share Posted 26 October, 2008 off to Dublin in February with the missus for her birthday, her passport runs out in January but, am i right in thinking that you don't need a passport to enter Ireland, just another form of identification? may be a silly question and get a reply of "of course u need a passport, your leaving the country" but just wondering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillyanne Posted 26 October, 2008 Share Posted 26 October, 2008 off to Dublin in February with the missus for her birthday, her passport runs out in January but, am i right in thinking that you don't need a passport to enter Ireland, just another form of identification? may be a silly question and get a reply of "of course u need a passport, your leaving the country" but just wondering I used my drivers licence last time I went but the rules may have changed now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Martini Posted 26 October, 2008 Share Posted 26 October, 2008 off to Dublin in February with the missus for her birthday, her passport runs out in January but, am i right in thinking that you don't need a passport to enter Ireland, just another form of identification? may be a silly question and get a reply of "of course u need a passport, your leaving the country" but just wondering European ID cards are also good but I'm not sure they use those in the UK. Not sure about a driverlicense TBH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintwarwick Posted 26 October, 2008 Share Posted 26 October, 2008 hopefully you are right. they let me into Russia last year, so surely im less of a threat to Chicago! Just found this, don't know if it affects you but it starts 12th Jan 2009. http://www.myvisaadviser.co.uk/about_visas_usa_visa.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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