Hi
I live in New york and want to get my 3 kids britsh passports. They have US passports and I understand that I can het them dual citizenship being an expat londoner.
I read up on the uk passport website and it seems that I have send out original docs - my passport, my wife's US passport, birth certificates, my marriage certificate, along with the usual application forms and pics.
Having lost a passport in the mail in the past I am not prepared to send out these original docs.
How did everuone else in the US get their kids UK passports? Did you send out original or copies of docs? Can i go to the embassy in person?
Can I apply at the post office in london when i am there at xmas - i would use my parents address, which is still my official address in the UK.
Need advice based on other peoples experiences.
Thanks in advance
AH
I'm sorry i cn't help you my kids just have the US ones i never bothered to get them the British ones. Hopefully somebody here will have some advice for you, good luck.
In Japan I've always taken any docs like this to the the Embassy personally, even though it's 400 miles away and Japan Post is 100% trustworthy. Peace of mind I suppose.
In the UK you don't actually apply for passports at the Post Office anymore. You can hand in all the appropriate forms, paperwork etc and for a fee they do a 'check' to make sure everything is correct before passing them on the the Passport Agency for you, but it doesn't speed up the process. All applications are now dealt by post at your appropriate regional office. It usually takes two weeks to process, maybe longer over the Xmas holidays. I think you can apply for a fast track passport for the next day or so, but you have to pay an exorbitant fee and I'm not sure if this applies to first time passports.
Warning My family have told me the passport fee is increasing to £66 in October, this is to pay for all the new biometric technology. Also, you and your kids may have to go for an interview if this is their first British passport. Again, this is to obtain any necessary biometric info. You may need to check if this is the case on the official website.
http//www.ukpa.gov.uk/
I hope this helps.
Does anyone know how long the process takes in the US - if i send of my passport when i get back after xmas along with the paperwork for my kids how long will it take - i am basically rendered unable to travel out of the country for this period.
Thank
AH
I'm hoping 4 weeks like it states on the form!!
Hi,
I recently had to send off all my docs to renew my kids passports.
I just made sure i sent them express mail and had the post office sort it so that the embassy had to sign as soon as they recieved the stuff.
The embassy sent it all back and it only took 3 weeks.
I hope this helps
Sharon grin
great! did you have to send your marriage cert or just the kids birth certificate and your passport? who did you get to sign the photos?
Hi,
Yeah i had to send marriage cert but i made sure to photocopy everything first.
We didn't have to send our passports as they ask for parents passport number on the form.
I had my friend sign the photos . She has know us for the last 5 yrs.I think it's anyone professional I.E doctor that has know you and yor family for at least a year
Hope this helps
As much as I mistrust the USPS, I sent my original docs when I got my passport renewed a couple of years ago. I sent it registered or whatever the equivalent is. Of course making copies of the originals to keep for reference is a good idea.
As for signing the pics, at the time I was working at a company whose owner's brother was a lawyer, so he was a good one to sign them. Alternative would have been my wife's aunt who is a notary and works in a lawyer's office. Anyone in a "respected" profession will do.
As much as I mistrust the USPS, I sent my original docs when I got my passport renewed a couple of years ago. I sent it registered or whatever the equivalent is. Of course making copies of the originals to keep for reference is a good idea.
I agree. All of the documents you have to send are replaceable. Pain in the Ass but replaceable. Just keep copies to tide you over.
I don't remember sending our passports when we got one for our American-born son, but we sent birth and marriage certificates and they came back just fine.