Renewing passport online

The thing is, it says "European Union" and will do now for the next ten years!

I have just renewed mine, too. I had been putting it off because I didn't like the idea of being without a passport for anything up to 4 weeks, especially as it is illegal to be without ID here in Germany. I tentatively had a look at the website on 27 December. Before I knew it I had applied and so I dashed off to the post office to send my passport to Liverpool.

It was suspiciously easy! You get an e-mail confirming the application has been received straight away. Then an e-mail to say that the passport has arrived, and further e-mails when the application has been approved and the passports (old and new) have been dispatched. I was holding the new passport in my hands only about 6 working days later. And I live abtoad! I shall be travelling to the UK soon to visit my mother so I will be able to test out the chip at the automated passport control in Stansted. (I love whizzing past everyone and getting through the gates so quickly)

I got mine renewed with a photo from Sainsburys photo booth. It prints out with a code that you enter on the form online and hey presto! Very simple and the booth tells you if you photo is acceptable.

I tried to link my driving licence online renewal with my passport (7 years to go on passport) but it didn’t accept it ?

I could not believe how easy it was to do it online. I received my new passport within days. The cost of sending back my new passport shocked me but I did not want o take the chance of sending it other than registered mail.

I had been putting it off for months because it used to take months- not now. Admittedly mine was very straightforward, nothing lost etc. and born in this country.

Plain walls, no good results silly kindle

I tried to take my own photo. I couldn't get it to accept one. Glasses on, glasses off, tried four different plain walks, all with on good result. I ended up going to the Post office and had my passport photo taken there. It's without my glasses, so I really don't think it looks very like me.
I renewed my Driving license online, and they retrieved my photo and signature from my passport application. Very clever.

Such a useful thread Riverwalk, thank you. Many of us will find this handy in the future I suspect.

Loved the "Raine Spencer" comment!

And my new passport picture is a vast improvement on the old one!

Thank you so much for this thread; I bookmarked it as I knew I would have to renew my passport in the New year. Collected paper forms this week, took a look and thought too complicated, I'll try online.
Went to Timpsons this morning, photo done in 5 minutes, the man adjusted it to frame, sent it to the passport office online for approval, all ok, printed out photos, gave me a memory stick and also the code to upload it.
Came home, found website, took me 10 minutes to complete, put code in when prompted and the photo appears as if by magic! All done and just got to send old passport back.
Many thanks again!

I renewed my passport online 10 days ago and it was remarkably easy. DH did a digital photo to upload online etc and I sent my old passport on a signed for post to the Passport Office (I lost my passport 10 years ago in the post) . My new passport together with the old one arrived by secure delivery 5 days later - this included the weekend. Very pleased with this service.

My son renewed his recently. I took his photo, he stood in front of cream wall, on his phone and he used that. Took him a couple minutes to do.

Thanks for this. Very helpful. Just have to find a Snappy Snaps!

Sadly, Riverwalk, if I had had a flattering photo done it wouldn’t have looked anything like me at all!

Same system at Snappy Snaps Monica but the cost was £9.99.

I had my photo taken at Timpsons, I just stood in front of a blank wall and it was done in seconds, the computer system the camera was attached to adjusted the picture to meet requirements and automatically downloaded it to the Passport Agency and received a confirmation it was OK. I was then given a number and I did the rest online. It only cost £7.50

Ooh, thank you for that Riverwalk; I need to get a new passport for next June and had heard that online was easier and quicker, but was worried about the photo. I will give Snappy Snaps a try in the New Year.

Alima the last time I tried to download a suitable photo for official purposes was when applying for a visa to India I just couldn't get the dimensions accepted - ended up having to enlist the help of my ex husband!

Also, I wanted a new 'flattering' photo so did my hair and make-up beforehand - to no avail on that side as the photographer told me to push the hair away from my face, so the artfully crafted blow-dried layered bob, newly highlighted, makes me look like Raine Spencer with a Harrods helmet!

I’ll second that Riverwalk. Was absolutely amazed at how easy it was to renew online. Even managed to do the photo ourselves!

Thank you, Riverwalk. I need to renew my passport soon and it has been worrying me that I might get partway through the process then not be able to get the photo downloaded.

These procedures always sound so simple until I actually come to do it but you've given me confidence to try it.