Passport renewal?

[Blue Hills]

Maybe best I get several answers on this.

My passport runs out very soon.

It will need renewing.

Anyone know if it's more involved/more expensive to "renew" one that has actually expired compared to one that that's still live?

I ask as I seem to remember that when I got the first one I had to get countersignatures/supporting docs or something from supposedly always upstanding members of society, priests etc.

Apologies for asking you good folk but though the official page seemed pretty user friendly, and you can do it online (at least for an existing one) with a digital photo I couldn't find an answer in any Q&As to this apparently simple question.

 

[Milkfloat]

It is the same price to renew one still in date as it is to renew one out of date. There is a certain period of time where if you renew an out of date passport you don’t have to jump through the extra loops of recertification, I think it is at least a year.

 

[Blue Hills]

thanks milkfloat.
No disrespect to you, but other replies welcome - yep I can be nervous when dealing with official stuff, though things seem to have improved a lot in recent years.

 

[Cycleops]

You can do it all online now and it will take about 10 weeks to renew existing.

 

[ianrauk]

You also now don't need to go to one of those photo booths to get a photo done. You can take one with your phone and upload when you do the online application.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You can do it all online now and it will take about 10 weeks to renew existing.

10 weeks seems a long time. Are delays really that long or is that just a summer holiday peak?

 

[Blue Hills]

The gov website says ten weeks.

On the photo front, you can now use clever digital photo booths - they print your pic but give you a code to match their uploaded version of the pic. Then on the official web page you give them the code and it downloads that pic into your application.

Other answers/reassurance on the issue of letting it lapse without further complications appreciated.

Milkfloat gave me a nice rapid reply but being a nervous sort would appreciate any other answers/experiences of letting one lapse and then "renewing"/"reactivating.

 

[Blue Hills]

I got spammed by the government recently telling me to read the link below, which may or may not be useful. It gives you info on when you need to renew for travelling to various countries.

https://www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe

But that's not really anything to do with your specific question.

yep - as you say that's on the separate issue of how long you need left on a passport before entering certain countries.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I had to get mine re-done about 3 years ago due to change of address. It was much shorter than 10 weeks (I think it was about 2). The timescale they give is an upper limit, but who knows now what with Covid and Brexit. I would think the best thing to do is to phone them and get it from the horses mouth, if you have the time and energy to be on hold. You could even explain why and when you need it by and see what they suggest. There is a more expensive option to have it done more quickly. I once had to go up to London and get it done on the same day

 

[mistyoptic]

If you know it's due, why not just do it? Don't understand why you're considering letting it lapse as an option

 

[Archie_tect]

My renewal was on-line with a photo I took myself- as long as you follow the guidelines for the position, plain light grey background, no shadow, and edge limits to the photo it's easy. It was £50 or £60- can't recall exactly. Mine came back in 3 weeks last May/June during lockdown- will depend on how busy they are. I had to renew my driving licence straight after and the GOV.uk website used the photo I'd uploaded for my passport- joined up thinking which did make me wonder what else is In my file on their system!

If it has less than 6 months before expiry sometimes it makes things more difficult so best renew and it should keep the original expiry day and month 10 years on from your existing one.

 

[Electric_Andy]

If you know it's due, why not just do it? Don't understand why you're considering letting it lapse as an option

That - or just phone them. Things might have changed since certain people on here did it, and/or might differ depending on individual circumstance. If it's time-sensitive then I'd certainly ring up and check. If not, then just get it done?

 

[Blue Hills]

appreciate replies telling me to get my finger out but am still interested in other replies to original question if anyone knows/has experience.
i have my own reasons for delaying if possible.

 

[MontyVeda]

...
I ask as I seem to remember that when I got the first one I had to get countersignatures/supporting docs or something from supposedly always upstanding members of society, priests etc.
...

You only need that malarkey for the first one. Your previous passport, whether in date or expired is the proof they use that you are who you say you are.

On taking your own photo... my first two got rejected so went to Wilkinson Cameras to get one done by them (£5 i think). That was accepted but wasn't any better than the ones I'd taken myself

 

[Blue Hills]

ta monty - will let it lie a while then and leave the priests in peace.
thanks also to milkfloat.

On the pics for anyone else's guidance, it says you need someone else to take the pic if doing your own digital one.
There are machines though that will take a digital pic, upload it to the cloud, give you a code for you to tap into the gov page and then it appears there as if by magic. The machine also checks that your pic meets their requirements.