renewing a British passport

jrhartley

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Sep 10, 2008
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has anyone had any experience of renewing a passport with the embassy in puerto plata - I know of one person that had theirs returned 3 times before it came back renewed, just wondering what the norm is , if there is a norm (I understand its sent to Mexico for some reason)

Contemplating returning to uk to do it in person - would this be the best option

Looking for insight
 

whirleybird

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Feb 27, 2006
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has anyone had any experience of renewing a passport with the embassy in puerto plata - I know of one person that had theirs returned 3 times before it came back renewed, just wondering what the norm is , if there is a norm (I understand its sent to Mexico for some reason)

Contemplating returning to uk to do it in person - would this be the best option

Looking for insight

As far as I am aware, it will cost far less for the actual passport but do you really want to go back to the UK for it is one question I would ask?
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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Now you've done it, jr, you'll be getting shopping lists by PM :cheeky:. I've only been here 16 years so I've only had to renew mine once & I did that on a trip back to UK as I visit every 3 years. I brought back the forms for BB and he was able to renew his in the UK without going back, so there's another option (all you need is a reliable courrier to take it & post it in UK with the return address of your next UK visitor, who brings it out with them). If you decide to renew at PP office, allow plenty of time. And if you don't know Mendez personally & want an intro let me know & I'll go in with you on a day when I'm in that part of town.
 

pedrochemical

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Aug 22, 2008
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Bring me some Yorkshire tea bags please. Not the 'gold' variety - the normal ones.
And some plain digestives.

I too am in the process of renewing my passport. I rang the Embassy people who sent me instructions in an email. They are not the brightest bunch - only getting my email address the third time I requested the info.
Then they told me to put some money in their bank account and FedEx the passport, photos and form C1 (?) to their Santo Domingo office. ( I live in Haiti). They did not give me the account number and still haven't managed to get this info to me.
The lady on the phone was obviously Dominican - very sweet but didn't have a clue.
It seems that they have gone native and will be totally inefficient. I am expecting for the whole process to go wrong several times.

More to the point - they told me the whole process takes 2-3 weeks once they receive the info, photos, cash etc. And yes, they do have to send it to the passport factory in Mexico.

Total cost for me is around 190 quid including shipping stuff from Haiti to D.R. to Mexico to D.R. to Haiti.

No good can come of this......
 
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BushBaby

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Hey JR,
IF you don't have reason to return to UK, get someone to bring the renewal forms out from the UK for you - fill them in (with signature) & then get them to the UK for posting! Use a reliable address IN THE UK for the passport office to send your new passport to. That person can then bring it out or send it FedEx (or other safe courier service) to you out here.

Just thinking outside the box a bit!!

To answer your DIRECT question, ONE trip to Puerto Plata when sending passport & another to collect the renewed one should suffice. Time scale Mendez will advise you when you apply for the new passport!! (I suspect about 6 weeks!!). ~ Grahame.

DAMN, ......... that girl got in & posted before me again!;)!:cheeky:!
 

pedrochemical

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Now you've done it, jr, you'll be getting shopping lists by PM :cheeky:. I've only been here 16 years so I've only had to renew mine once & I did that on a trip back to UK as I visit every 3 years. I brought back the forms for BB and he was able to renew his in the UK without going back, so there's another option (all you need is a reliable courrier to take it & post it in UK with the return address of your next UK visitor, who brings it out with them). If you decide to renew at PP office, allow plenty of time. And if you don't know Mendez personally & want an intro let me know & I'll go in with you on a day when I'm in that part of town.

Wow, Lambada - my mum is coming over in a couple of months. So if I send her the passport and the photos she can have it renewed in England and bring it out to me? I never thought of that!
If I can ship it back to England for less than a couple of hundred bucks it would make sense.
So, to save me searching the forum, does anybody know how much it costs to ship something like a passport to the UK? Which is the best company? Has anyone ever attempted this before?


Thanks in advance for your help.
 

BushBaby

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At the risk of 'Er in doors getting in before me again try looking through this link for costs by FedEx Shipping, Logistics Management and Supply Chain Management from FedEx UPS will have a similar link.

My recollection of FedEx rates are that it should be under RD $2,000 (US $60) but PLEASE check this as I am basing my comment on 2001 rates PLUS allowing 75% for inflation/cost increases!!

Don't forget to send everything WITH the signed application form ~ Grahame.
 

Lambada

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pedro, first you'll need the forms. I recall that a different set of forms apply if applying in UK and applying out here, so forms they have out here won't help you. Get mum to go to Post Office & get set of forms - I know you have to sign them etc which is why she can't do this for you. I always keep a spare set of UK forms out here for my next renewal (& hope they don't change them in the meanwhile ;)). When you have the forms, complete & send with passport to your mum & she can do a postal application in UK. Takes approx 3 weeks. What she can't do is use Post Office's Check & Send proceedure for which you pay an extra fee, because you're supposed to be doing this in person, I believe, & some PO clerk will probably tell your mum she isn't you!

UK fees here
Passport fees - Identity and Passport Service

Worldwide fees are supposed to be here but......where is DR??
http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/downloads/passport-fees-comparison-september08.pdf

Check whole proceedure on website above in case anything has changed to make this non-workable - I last renewed mine in 2000 & that's when I brought the forms back for himself.

If your photos need validating (due to e.g. altered appearance from existing photo) remember it has to be the same person who signs section 10 of appllication form.
Validating your photographs - Identity and Passport Service
 

BushBaby

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I have just done a Quick Quote on their site & come up with US $74.01. That is from Cap Haitian to Scotland (I know that postcode!!). It takes 7 days 'door to door'.

Hope this helps!! ~ Grahame.
 

Lambada

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I've just unearthed my set of UK forms, pedro. They come in an envelope 9 inches x 6 inches with IPS address printed on outside (Durham). That's the set I got from Post Office. There is a application form (peach on white background, 04 top left & next left a barcode). Form is 4 pages. Also a 6 page 'How to fill in your passport application form', a shiny doc on photographs (they're picky now because of needing to grab biometric data from the photo), a leaflet on fees & one on customer satisfaction.

If you do need someone to validate, be smart. They have to put their address & phone number & they have to hold a UK or Irish passport. Since 'you' are applying by post from UK for renewal, you wouldn't be giving a Brit with an address in Haiti as your validator. With me?
 

domilinguist

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Feb 22, 2008
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One of the reasons the British Embassy is here is to support British nationals abroad. In theory, you shouldn't have to send your passport all the way to the UK to renew it when your entitlement here as a UK citizen abroad means that the British Consulate should aid you with this important process. Effectively, when you walk through the consulate doors you are 'on UK soil', therefore in theory you are back in the UK.

I lost my passport last year and was sent home on four consecutive days and made to wait every single day for a few hours to be seen. It was an incredibly frustrating experience and it really was due to lack of information and very little help from staff that led to my frustrations. I wasn't even given the application form (which also explained what documentation was needed) until the third day I was seen to even though I requested it and explicitly expressed that I no longer had my passport, had a journey pending in the next few weeks and needed to know how the process worked in order to obtain new documentation.

After I made a fuss, they were extremely apologetic and helpful and even called me at home to ensure that I had all the correct paperwork and understood the process fully. I was also told that actually I shouldn't have waited for so long and should have been seen to immediately when I stated that I needed to replace a lost passport.

I think you should only send off for a passport when you have tried to obtain one here. The fact is is that the consulate is there to provide you with this service and all the necessary information and if you have any problems with this then someone is not doing their job properly. Good luck with everything!
 

jrhartley

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what living address should you put on your new passport - also it says you have to be at the address that it is sent to, to sign for the new one (or can it be anyone at that address that signs for it-i dont suppose they take finger prints lol)
 

pedrochemical

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Aug 22, 2008
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what living address should you put on your new passport - also it says you have to be at the address that it is sent to, to sign for the new one (or can it be anyone at that address that signs for it-i dont suppose they take finger prints lol)[/QUOTE

Although there is a flaw in my plan - I have to sign the forms - I was thinking that my mum could sign my name for me - it has worked on credit/debit cards and a few other things she has organised for me.
I learned her signature for school/truancy purposes as a child.
In her dotage she has learned mine and hasn't had a problem using it at the local bank where everyone knows us.
Ah - village life in the U.K. - like it was 50 years ago... we used to play on the streets till late and you could leave your back door open - everyone whitewashed their front step - aye those were the days - we were poor but we were 'appy... blah, blah...

I am now thinking this might not be a good idea on a passport - much more scrutiny of passports especially if i go to the US.

I am wondering if I can print the forms, fill them in here and send them to my mum. I really do not want to be dealing with Dominican officialdom as an absent complainer when it comes to something crucial like passports.

Interesting. Thanks for the ideas.
 

BushBaby

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Gentlemen, ...... GENTLEMEN,
Please read in between the lines!! What YOU are suggesting is NOT ALLOWED by HM Customs/Imigration Depts!! Mother forging one's signature indeed - THAT is illegal!! ;) :pirate: :surprised ~ Grahame.
 

Eddy

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Jan 1, 2002
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Piece of cake from here

has anyone had any experience of renewing a passport with the embassy in puerto plata - I know of one person that had theirs returned 3 times before it came back renewed, just wondering what the norm is , if there is a norm (I understand its sent to Mexico for some reason)

Contemplating returning to uk to do it in person - would this be the best option

Looking for insight
Download the forms from internet, fill them out and take everything to the UK consulate in Santo Domingo. You will have to pay the shipping "They are processed in Mexico". They say 2 to 3 weeks but as a rule the new passport in ready to be picked up in 10 days.
 

pedrochemical

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Aug 22, 2008
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Indeed - and it could cause problems down the line.
I will not be doing that.
I just automatically go for the short easy solution these days - must be going native.

Definitely not a good idea in this case....
 

jinty05

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Feb 11, 2005
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Passport Renewal

I regularly use DHL in Santiago. Documents with a weight of less than 1 kilo cost $(RD)1300 and the package takes 4 working days to reach a UK address. They provide you with a tracking number to utilise their web tracking service.

Hope this maybe of use.

John
 

Lambada

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I am wondering if I can print the forms, fill them in here and send them to my mum.

How will you get the forms? C1 is only if you're applying here in DR. The form for UK application is different (see my post above) that's why I described it in detail.

Download from internet? You can maybe get a C1 from internet, I haven't checked, but for UK forms, what it says on website is 'Once you have completed your online form...........

We will print the information you entered onto a paper application form. The pre-printed application form will then be returned to you by post for you to sign, date and return to IPS for processing.'

https://www.ips.gov.uk/epa1r1a/index.aspx?c=1

That's why I suggested getting your mum to get forms from Post Office and send to you because no, no-one can forge anyone's signature! :paranoid:

jr, the address you put on forms if you're doing a UK postal application is the address the passport will be sent to viz. 'your' UK address ;). As you know, no address appears on passport itself (other than the one you fill in for next of kin). Anyone receiving the package can sign.

There are many ways to skin a cat and we all choose whichever method works for us. My mantra being 'damage control' I choose the method which eliminates potential errors arising in the first place ;). If you are dealing with the Embassy, the upper echelons are extremely helpful: the Ambassador is excellent & on a thread in Visa section you can see how helpful the Charg? d'Affaires was. The lower ranks will present the issues outlined in your post 5, pedro, which is why I tend to bypass them.

If you want a more explicit spelling out of how BB did his renewal from here via UK postal system feel free to PM either of us. :)

Just found where you can download a C1 if you're renewing via Santo Domingo, all in pdfs.
http://ukindominicanrepublic.fco.gov.uk/en/passports/passport-forms
 
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Matilda

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Sep 13, 2006
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BE WARNED. Make sure the photos are perfect. They are really clamping down on the photos and when I had my passport renewed in UK a couple of years ago - the lady in the passport office was explaining to me that they are sending back over 25% of the applications as the photos are not up to standard. The pack comes with a little guide thing to make sure the photos are the right size etc.

And JR you will have to take your earrings out.

Matilda