How do you handle the fact that you need to have some Brit judge, police officer, lawyer or something along those lines co-sign the application if you have been here long enough not to know anyone in Britain that qualifies and you don't know anyone that qualifies here?
Not an issue for me, but as a British born lawyer I have signed for Brit friends I know here and I am wondering what others do.
I've recently had to acquire a new British passport as my other one was expiring. If it is a straightforward renewal you don't even need to have anyone of professional standing to sign it at all (it says this on the passport renewal notes which you can download along with the application form from the website). I would imagine that if there were major changes eg. change of name, appearance, sex/gender(!) then it's best to phone the Embassy for further guidance.
I just took my old passport (with my visa
in it) with my new passport when I went to England, there were no problems whatsoever.
You can get info via http//www.britain-info.org (Consular services for British nationals), but you can only get passports from the Brit Embassy in Washington DC and not the regional consulates. The passports are very expensive once you have left the UK, but there is a very quick turnaround.
Ironically, I too can sign passport applications as I was an established Civil Servant and was told by the British High Comm that this is indefinite....pity I can't sign my own if I ever need to! lol
PS. Just look up the Consular Service for British Nationals and go to the Passport FAQ's.
Question 13 will answer your question...but if you haven't had a British passport within the last 10 years then the answer to question 14 will apply.
Easy peasy! wink
Well done, Dawn. I'll know where to go when I need any help lol
My sister-in-law is a Senior Immigration Officer at Stansted airport too...so if you're ever denied admission into Blighty, give me a yell! lol
I renewed mine 8 yrs ago, & think I had my application notorised at our local couthouse, & sent it off to the consulate.
I'd accidently let mine expire too eek but that didn't seem to cause any problems.
Janet
I can sign too if anyone needs my sig. smile
What I actually did was to renew it when I was back in England right before it was due to expire. I did it in time so it was sent back to me before I left to come back to the States and works out alot cheaper and less hassle.
Just a reminder as it's the holiday season; most countries expect you to have at least six months remaining on your passport before they allow you into them, and in some Nordic countries you have to have 9 months on your current passport.
I'm not sure about the US & Canada...I think it's 6 months, it would be a bummer if you go home to the UK and you can't get back in!
When I renewed mine about 3 years ago, I got my next door neighbour who is a school teacher to sign mine. It says a teacher can sign so if you have kids in school you shouldn't have any worries.