Hello. I sent mine a few weeks ago. I hope this will help. It can now only be done on line, on the site that it sounds as if you found. Yes, they require a digital photo, and then the details of your old passport (name, number, issue date and place, expiry date). You need the photo first, however, or as you found, you can get no further. I went to a photo shop on Plainpalais to do mine. They also require you to send your old passport to them (they give you the address) by post, and they advise sending it 'avec accuse de reception'. If, and only if, you hold a passport from another country (I am naturalised Swiss and do) they also require you to send colour photographs of every single page (including the unused ones!) of your other passport. Be warned, that's a lot of photocopying! Once they've received your documents, they will send an e-mail to tell you so (I had a rather nerve-wracking 2 weeks wait before I got that). Then they process it. That is where I am now, and I'm hoping that I might get some further information at some stage. When it's all done - however long that that takes - they semd the new passport to you by courier. At least that's what it says. I'm afraid I don't know what groups 1, 2 and 3 are.

I hope that's some help to you. Good luck!

Hi Rosemary

Firstly many tks for replying it's much appreciated.

There is definitely an application form OS for renewing from overseas so I'm hoping you can still do this . Did someone from passport office tell u it can only be done online as I'm sure older people couldnt do this as im nearly 68 and struggle with modern IT !

The digital picture is it the picture u download or the case sensitive reference number ?

If done as u say online it could be at least a month before you get it back. 

Last thing did u have to send any supporting documents or just the old passport and picture

Many tks indeed look forward to hearing from you

Kindest Rgds Arthur 

Sorry just one last question what address is it sent to in UK?

Have a good day and tks so much.

Good morning!

As far as I'm aware you can ONLY do it online now. But no, no-one from the passport office told me that; however, I imagine that with Covid they won't be encuraging people to go personally to the office. You might like to check with them - IF you can reach them by phone or e-mail.

On the technology, if it reassures you, I am 62 and an e-dinosaur, but it really isn't difficult. I went to a little photo shop right on the Plainpalais tram stop - I think it's called Pricam - to get the photo. I told them I needed a digital photo for a UK passport application. They give it to you on a USB stick, all you need to do is shove it in your computer and do the upload. Easy-peasy. Then it's two or three questions and that's all. You don't need to have the code on the photo that they're talking about, it's not obligatory. I"m sure you can do it, but if it's a bit hard, perhaps a younger, tech-savvy friend or relative could help! :)

More than a month at the moment, I think. I sent my old passport on 13th July and it didn't reach them until 29th. They update you on progress by e-mail.

As I said, IF you hold another nationality as well (say Swiss, like me) you have to send colour photocopies of every page of your other nationality passport. If you don't, you just send the old passport in an envelope to the address they give you. You make the payment and upload the photo online.

Hope that helps!

Rosemary

No problem. Mine went to Durham. It seems the passport office isn't centralised in London any more but has offices all over the shop. When you fill out the form, they will give you the correcr address to which to send your passport - Durham, Swansea, London, wherever.

Oh, and they also give you a code for your application so that you can 'track' where in the processing stage it is.

Rosemary

Tks so much Rosemary you have been very kind and its greatly appreciated

Take care and have a good week

Kind Rgds Arthur 

My pleasure, good luck, and if you need any more help, don't hesitate to contact me.

All the best,

Rosemary

Your a star tks so much

I just remembered do u need to send any supporting documents with your swiss address on ?

Tkscagain Arthur

Hello again! No, you don't. As far as I recall, the online form doesn't even ask for your Swiss address, they just ask from which country you're making your application from. All I sent was my old passport and, because I'm also Swiss, colour photocopies of 41 (!) pages of my Swiss passport.

Rosemary

Hi Rosemary

Great tks again I'm guessing if it doesnt ask for your swiss address you have to put it in an accompanying letter or they wouldnt know where to send the new passport ! Am I right ? 

Sincere tks for helping it must be an age thing but I worry alot about things like this. Excuse me for all the questions!

I owe u a beer or two that's for sure !!

Kindest  rgds Arthur 

No problem at all. And that's interesting, because until you mentioned it, I hadn't given that a thought. Perhaps they DID ask for my full Swiss address on the online form. Alas, I am an interpreter, with the world's best short-term memory for processing vast amounts of information at very high speed, and a corresponding complete inability to remember anything that happened more than five seconds ago, so I can't be sure. But I sent mine 'avec accuse de reception', because thats what they suggested, and I also wrote my address on the back of the envelope. So they SHOULD know. I think it would be good if you did the same. Anyway, once they notify you that they've received your documents, they also let you know if they need any additional information, so if they don't have a return address it shouldn't be beyond them to ask for one!

A celebration beer when we both get our new passports back!

Rosemary

Yes definately we deserve it !! 

Honestly Rosemary tks so much you have been very kind and I hope yours comes back soon . Before I do mine I'll check as I heard that the passport office at Liverpool is open now so might give it a go to see if still possible to go in and do on the same day.I did that last time by paying fast track price . I'm sure there must be an alternative to online as there is definately an OS application paper  form for people applying from abroad. I'll let u know what I find out as I've a while before I have to renew so time to dig a  bit deeper !! 

Wish you a nice evening the weather made me feel at home today as it always rains in Manchester !!

Take care and keep in touch

All my best regards Arthur 

Hi Rosemary

Hope your keeping well and enjoying the nice weather 

Just wondered did you get your passport back yet ?

Take care 

Cheers Arthur 

Hello! No, I haven't, and I don't expect it for quite some time. So far, all their track and trace website post says is that they've received my documents and are examining them. It's said that since July 29th. I think this is going to take months rather than weeks. In 3 days, it will be one month since I sent the application. Ii'm on mission in Bern at the moment, so they've got until the end of this month before I start harrassing them again.

Rosemary

Hi Rosemary

Its appalling how do they expect you to manage months without a passport luckily u have a second one but I dont so no way I'm sending this way. When I'm back next week in Geneva as in Nice at present  I'll look into getting it whilst over there in UK . It seems a shambolic system the one sadly you have had to go through. I wonder if the passport offices are open now ?

Anyway hope you have luck with Bern from what I've heard it's all press 1 press 2 never getting to a human being.! 

Good luck keep me posted

Take care Arthur 

Hello! I thought you might like to know that I had an e-mail from HM Passport Office in the UK this afternoon telling me my new passport has been handed over to a courier service for delivery to Geneva. Yippee!

Rosemary

Hi Rosemary

That's super news I'm happy for you hopefully if DHL or UPS should be quick let me know how it gets there. Are u also in Geneva or another Canton it's really great chatting to a fellow Brit I miss manchester alot but its easier now getting home.

Have a super weekend

Cheers Arthur 

Hello, Arthur the Mancurian :

There are lots of Brits in and around Geneva, just check the glocals “Members” tab for a start.  There are also several other groups including the British Residents’ Association and the RAFA.  Sadly, the RBL and the Commonwealth Association are no longer active.

If you’d like more info, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

All the best, Ritchie

Hi Ritchie

Firstly many thanks indeed for such a nice and kind email really appreciated .Do u have a contact for the British Residents Assoc. are they in Geneva?

I think because of the covid and restrictions travelling it's made me miss home and family in manchester alot.I got back in June july it lifted my spirits no end !

It's a breath of fresh air chatting to you and to Rosemary who has been very kind and helpful. 

We must meet for a coffee or pint be nice to say hello

Anyway wish u a good week ahead and look forward to hearing from you

Kindest rgds Arthur 

Hi Rosemary

Hope your well has the sacred passport arrived ?

I read u have you to renew no earlier than 9 months before expiry date but brexit has changed that as it's now only valid 10 years from date of issue so any extra they gave u from renewing earlier doesnt count .

Have a great weekend

KRgds Arthur

Hello! Just to let you know I picked up my UK passport today. It in fact arrived by DHL on 18th August (it was issued on 13th) but I only returned from Bern last Friday and so went to collect it today. So since I originally send the application to the UK on July 13th, that makes exactly one month - which I think is pretty good during the summer travel season. It's definitely the simplest way if you still want to renew your passport!

Rosemary

Hi Rosemary

Tks as always your kind feedback that's not bad at all 

I've still quite a bit of time to renew but I'm looking to do the1 week fast track when back in UK

I've not decided but I'll do in winter anyway when demand for passports declines after the summer rush.

Honestly you have been so kind sincere tks and all my best wishes

Kind Rgds Arthur