[DavidGordon10]

Some countries are more rational, of course.

I am working away here in my office in France. My assistant lost her passport when out to vote in the recent election. The replacement is made in the local Marie …. it might take up to a week …..

Vive la France.

[PeterCoultas]

DavidGordon10:
Absolutely correct – Home Secretary trying to look tough while actually being incompetent.

[stevescoots]

Babushka,

We were thinking to do that, unfortunately he had to get back into China as we were right in the middle of a new menu launch, and based on the advice from the British consulate it would take about 4 weeks. As it happens looks like we are going to have to fly him back. I will be writing to my local Tory MP, Pointless I know but gives me something to do for giggles over Xmas 🙂

And as an example how useful this forum can be a member who is now supplying our Wagyu, it’s gone down a storm with the testers and described as the best in the city

[dodger10]

@stevescoots, would that be my guy based in Guangzhou supplying the Wagyu??

[stevescoots]

yep 🙂

[IstanbulWarrior]

Until about five years ago, you were able to get a UK passport at the High Commission in Hong Kong the same day. You would apply around 9am and pick it up at 4pm. Incredible service

[dodger10]

steve, that’s good to know. Although the Wagyu isn’t my product, the guys in GZ are a great outfit for meat supply. We supply the NZ beef and lamb.

back to the topic on this thread, I’m needing to help my dad renew his passport here in HKG. Getting worried of any forthcoming hassle. UK Consulate website says 6-8 weeks. Lets hope this work out.

[stevescoots]

Hi Dodger, we are also buying yours 🙂

If your fathers registered address is HK and he has HK ID and its just renewal then it will should be reasonablty smooth is what they told us when we applied.

[GivingupBA]

I agree about the Post Office check and send service – I’ve just done it for Mrs GivingupBA and they didn’t have a clue what they were doing – it was completely unnecessary to use the service. I won’t use it again. (Got the passport, though).

[Speedbird_ABZ]

I’m sitting at my desk angry, confused and downright scared right now.
I completed my renewal online 7 weeks ago, sent the forms and photo which they received ok and I am STILL waiting. Website says 3 weeks is normal, and every time I phone I’m told “nothing we can do, it just takes time and I shouldn’t have booked my travel”. I’m travelling to the US next week which was booked in March, I always have travel booked and this period was the longest I had between trips and was perfectly reasonable considering their website says 3 weeks.
Form is in Newport – nowhere near Aberdeen. What do I do? I really am scared I miss this trip and let friends down. I was born in the UK, have always lived here etc etc, so I would have thought an easy renewal.

[JohnHarper]

Mrs JH and I needed new passports earlier in the year, we made appointments to be seen in Central London, it was relatively painless though of course expensive. I think it’s the only way we would renew in future.

[SealinkBF]

I lost my passport somewhere – it’s either in the bascule at Tower Bridge or in the Tower of London.

I submitted my replacement form on Tuesday afternoon and had my new passport by Friday.

It was pricey and inconvenient but it was my fault at the end of the day… the Passport Office was efficiency itself.

[IanFromHKG]

Passport renewal is a major problem for those of us who live overseas and travel frequently. This includes not just me but all the members of my family, even the teenage Offspring who, because they go to boarding school and come on family holidays, are rarely in one country for more than about a month at a time. The net result is that we always have to do same-day applications in the UK, at vast expense.

Having said that, I renewed my passport recently at the Peterborough office, who were amazingly efficient. The Memsahib dropped me off at the door and then drove off to the (nearby) city centre to park. I queued at reception, was directed to the waiting area, summoned for my “interview”, sent off to wait for the cashier to call my number, called and paid; and after all that I called the Memsahib to say I was finished. She hadn’t even made it to the carpark! The passport was ready by lunchtime.

Altogether – apart from having to drive to Peterborough, and the huge wodge of cash involved – it was about the most painless experience I have had with bureaucracy in recent years!

[LuganoPirate]

Could have been worse Sealink, it could have been you locked up in the Tower! 😉

[MartynSinclair]

Would a second passport be a solution for ex-pats therefore enabling nationals to be without one passport whilst it is being renewed. The cost of the second passport would be cheaper than having to pay higher fees for the for the same day service.

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