Passport renewal and Post Office queues

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 9:58 am

In preparation for my holiday later this year, I needed to renew my Passport. I am lacking a droopy moustache and a lot of hair so it needed a new photgraph too.

A quick look online threw up a couple of services available that seemed to fit the bill.

My wife wanted hers renewed too, so we both took each others photos and I uploaded them, paid silly money like Â£ 7.97 for both......and waited.

Two days later the photos arrived, my wife's was full body, I had thought it would have been cropped. Got in touch, via online assistant who agreed the photos were not up to standard, that I should have cropped them myself after uploading them, but the photos were not of a decent enough quality, and I should upload two more, crop them if need be, and she would let me know if they were suitable for purpose, which she did, this was at no extra cost.Another two days the photos arived.

Right, we both filled in our forms got the photos signed, and stood inline at the Post Office. Both Photos judged as unsuitable.........so into the photo booth, this time Â£5 each but very cleverly they talk you through it, no glasses, line face up in reflection, look ahead, no smile, and you get the option to reject the photo before printing.

Off again to get photo signed and some corrections on form.

Anyway........it took three trips over two days to get my passport form and photo accepted, each visit to the Post Office was just under an hour with three out of 10 windows open..........I felt like I had done a days work.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 10:14 am

oh my what a to do :wah:

The whole family popped along to a local photography shop and we all had ours done to the passport specifications. Â£6 each but with a guarantee that if the photos were deemed unsuitable we would get free re-placements.

I'd noticed the booths were Â£5 each but preferred the easiness of just letting the woman in the shop sort everyone out and then that guarantee sold the deal to me.

No problem at all, we've all had our passports delivered.

And even easier is that my photo driving license is up for renewal, I can just pop along to the relevant website and re order one and they will use my recent passport photo to issue my new driving license. Now that's joined up thinking!

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 10:23 am

Thats made me feel a lot better.

Anyway I enjoy a whinge.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 11:34 am

Where are you going? Was it America?

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:21 pm

Yes, gotta take oxocubes, hula hoops, and colemans shepherd pie mix.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:09 pm

Bruv;1458275 wrote: Yes, gotta take oxocubes, hula hoops, and colemans shepherd pie mix.

No, Cadbury's??

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:53 pm

Betty Boop;1458279 wrote: No, Cadbury's??

She never mentioned that......Monster munch I remember, but I refused on the grounds it's rubbish.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:54 pm

Bruv & Betty B

Were either of you offered the Passport Card?

I believe with additional charge - mine was @ $10.00 a Passport Card is issued with your new Passport.

The Card is the size of a regular Charge Card.

Patsy

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 3:07 pm

Patsy Warnick;1458289 wrote: Bruv & Betty B

Were either of you offered the Passport Card?

I believe with additional charge - mine was @ $10.00 a Passport Card is issued with your new Passport.

The Card is the size of a regular Charge Card.

Patsy

I wasn't and have no idea what you mean.

What is it, what is it used for and is it an American addition to the passport ?

Post by **Betty Boop** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 3:13 pm

It does seem to be an American form of ID.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 3:16 pm

Betty Boop;1458291 wrote: It does seem to be an American form of ID.

Whats the matter with the passport?

Belt and braces ?

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 3:37 pm

It's the size of a charge card

it's a additional I.D. - and can be used for Passport purposes for traveling by car into other Countries. for me that would be Canada and Mexico.

So, for those 2 Countries I could just show my Charge Card Passport Card.

It's also very convenient to have extra Passport I.D. on one traveling at all times.

Patsy

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Tue Jun 24, 2014 5:17 pm

I've got a passport ID card. It is very handy for jaunts into Canada. There are a limited number of countries where you can use the ID instead of the full passport, but for those it is very convenient.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 1:30 am

I suppose it might be handy here for trips into Europe, but with concerns it might just be another ID card that we have resisted for years on the grounds of privacy. We don't need shooters to protect us from our own government.

Patsy Warnick · Post by **Patsy Warnick** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:49 pm

"Shooters" Bruv you are entering GUN Country.:wah:

It's also a good idea prior to travel to make copies of your Passport.

Keep a copy in your wallet - money clip - another compartment in wife's purse - just in case.

have a good time - the I.D. card is very convenient.

Patsy

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:23 pm

Betty Boop;1458279 wrote: No, Cadbury's??

We have Cadbury's here, Betty. Thank God! Bruv, I would want Scotch Eggs! Can't really find them here.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:29 pm

AnneBoleyn;1458360 wrote: We have Cadbury's here, Betty. Thank God! Bruv, I would want Scotch Eggs! Can't really find them here.

Wow, you never used to when my cousin was in the States, we used to send it out to him weekly :wah:

He's in Canada now so I wonder if they have it there also as he's not mentioned it recently.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:29 pm

AnneBoleyn;1458360 wrote: We have Cadbury's here, Betty. Thank God! Bruv, I would want Scotch Eggs! Can't really find them here.

Good scotch eggs are good, but most of them bought in super markets are rubbish.

My daughter tells me you don't get real cheese or bacon out there.........think she said bacon.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:47 pm

Bruv;1458362 wrote: Good scotch eggs are good, but most of them bought in super markets are rubbish.

My daughter tells me you don't get real cheese or bacon out there.........think she said bacon.

I think we do. & she lives in Iowa, right? Should be lots of local cheese there. Farm country, so lots of bacon too. She's just homesick. I'm so very glad you will be seeing her!

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 2:49 pm

Betty Boop;1458361 wrote: Wow, you never used to when my cousin was in the States, we used to send it out to him weekly :wah:

He's in Canada now so I wonder if they have it there also as he's not mentioned it recently.

Where was he, when was he, in the States? I can't imagine Canada wouldn't have Cadbury's. Unless he's in Montreal or Quebec.

Post by **Betty Boop** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 3:00 pm

AnneBoleyn;1458365 wrote: Where was he, when was he, in the States? I can't imagine Canada wouldn't have Cadbury's. Unless he's in Montreal or Quebec.

He was in Montreal but is now in Vancouver.

He has travelled all over the world, still does, but he did a stint at Disney World for a few years.

TÃ½r · Post by **TÃ½r** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 3:04 pm

Wandrin;1458294 wrote: I've got a passport ID card. It is very handy for jaunts into Canada. There are a limited number of countries where you can use the ID instead of the full passport, but for those it is very convenient.

Is it a reciprocal arrangement? That is, can Canadians and Mexicans get into the US with a similar card ID as opposed to a full passport? I definitely approve of reciprocity.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Wed Jun 25, 2014 3:17 pm

AnneBoleyn;1458364 wrote: I think we do. & she lives in Iowa, right? Should be lots of local cheese there. Farm country, so lots of bacon too. She's just homesick. I'm so very glad you will be seeing her!

I shall have to ask her again, but the cheese is processed, and the bacon streaky, but I might have that wrong.

I do know she says everything lasts far too long, nothing goes stale at the rate it does over here, too many preservatives apparently

High Threshold · Post by **High Threshold** » Fri Jun 27, 2014 11:20 pm

Bruv;1458259 wrote: In preparation for my holiday later this year, I needed to renew my Passport. I am lacking a droopy moustache and a lot of hair so it needed a new photgraph too. ..... My wife wanted hers renewed too, so we both took each others photos and I uploaded them .....

What?! Huh!? This is the year of our Lord 2014! What happend to the EU stadardised, digital passorts? Over here we cannot submit our own photos. It's all done at the passport office: Stand with your toes on the line - look straight ahead - the cross hairline will find the level of your eyes - steady! Whooooosh! Sign on the magnetic thingy with the magnetic pen. Done!

TÃ½r · Post by **TÃ½r** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 12:13 am

High Threshold;1458505 wrote: What?! Huh!? This is the year of our Lord 2014! What happend to the EU stadardised, digital passorts? Over here we cannot submit our own photos. It's all done at the passport office: Stand with your toes on the line - look straight ahead - the cross hairline will find the level of your eyes - steady! Whooooosh! Sign on the magnetic thingy with the magnetic pen. Done!

How many passport offices does your country have? The UK can boast six but visiting one isn't recommended - it's an emergency measure which involves hours of mindless queuing with everyone else who didn't apply in good time for their trip. The normal wait time for a passport by post varies with demand from a couple of weeks at best to three months at worst.

We do have EU standardized digital passports but you can't, as far as I know, send in a digital photo, it has to be physical with an attestation written on the back.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 4:57 am

High Threshold;1458505 wrote: What?! Huh!? This is the year of our Lord 2014! What happend to the EU stadardised, digital passorts? Over here we cannot submit our own photos. It's all done at the passport office: Stand with your toes on the line - look straight ahead - the cross hairline will find the level of your eyes - steady! Whooooosh! Sign on the magnetic thingy with the magnetic pen. Done!
There happened to be a photo booth in the post office that 'talked' you through the whole process, telling you what was required and what was not required,plus the option to review the photo before printing it. I still then had to get the back of the photo signed by an upstanding citizen, before returning to the post office for all the details to checked before they sent it away......for a fee.

High Threshold · Post by **High Threshold** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 9:08 am

TÃ½r;1458507 wrote: How many passport offices does your country have? The UK can boast six but visiting one isn't recommended - it's an emergency measure which involves hours of mindless queuing with everyone else who didn't apply in good time for their trip. The normal wait time for a passport by post varies with demand from a couple of weeks at best to three months at worst.

We do have EU standardized digital passports but you can't, as far as I know, send in a digital photo, it has to be physical with an attestation written on the back.

There is a passport office in every town and city (I believe) and they are run in conjuction with the police. Visiting them is obligatory in order to verify yourself and have the photo done, which is impregnated (if that is the proper term) directly into the passport. There is no photo that you can submit yourself or hold in your hand. Your facial features are automatically measured and digitalized, noting for example, the distance between the centre of your eyes, etc. ItÂ´s very efficient and I canÂ´t imagine it being possible to forge one.

High Threshold · Post by **High Threshold** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 9:11 am

Bruv;1458513 wrote: There happened to be a photo booth in the post office that 'talked' you through the whole process, telling you what was required and what was not required,plus the option to review the photo before printing it. I still then had to get the back of the photo signed by an upstanding citizen, before returning to the post office for all the details to checked before they sent it away......for a fee.

Sounds almost primitive. Ha-ha! We did the same before the new EU digital process came into play. ItÂ´s quite some years now. Maybe 10?

Post by **LarsMac** » Sat Jun 28, 2014 10:15 am

We went to the local WalGreens Drug store, where a clerk took our pictures, then we used the Online site for US Dept of State website. Filled in the form, printed it off, included the photos from Walgreens, and mailed it in with the requisite fees, paid by personal check, included the fee for return postage, and two weeks later, the package with our new passports was delivered to our front door.