Passport renewal?

[Julia9054]

quick question on taking your own pic - does the online system give you an immediate verdict on whether your pic is OK or is it down to you to check? And if the latter and you get it wrong, does this screw up your application in any way?
sorry to be a bore - like to be prepared for any issues.

It tells you immediately if your pic meets the technical requirements. My husband did his passport renewal at the same time but forgot to read the instructions properly so didn't take his glasses off. His photo was rejected at application stage and he was told to take a new photo. It delayed his passport by about 5 days compared to mine.

 

[Archie_tect]

quick question on taking your own pic - does the online system give you an immediate verdict on whether your pic is OK or is it down to you to check? And if the latter and you get it wrong, does this screw up your application in any way?
sorry to be a bore - like to be prepared for any issues.

If you follow the easy guidance and that includes showing you what a good, acceptable photo looks like and lots of examples of fails, it is easy to get a photo the right size and illumination to upload.

You don't need counter signatures on the back as it's a digital upload.

 

[Milkfloat]

The online check of your photo is not 100% definitive though, it can still fail at a later stage, but I assume that is pretty unlikely.

 

[Blue Hills]

It tells you immediately if your pic meets the technical requirements. My husband did his passport renewal at the same time but forgot to read the instructions properly so didn't take his glasses off. His photo was rejected at application stage and he was told to take a new photo. It delayed his passport by about 5 days compared to mine.

Not sure I understand. Tells you immediately suggests as part of the online process, but if so why 5 days delay?

 

[flake99please]

Mine expired in May. I have no intention of going abroad this year so saw no point in renewing it for now.

I'd be paying for a ten year passport but only getting use out of it for nine.

Similar logic to me then. My last holiday abroad/passport expired in 2017, so I could have potentially lost 4+ years had I renewed at the time.

 

[Moon bunny]

Regarding getting a countersigqnature if the passport is lapsed, if you could not be recognised from the old photo. then they will ask for a counter signature:
https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

 

[Lozz360]

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

I renewed mine last November. It only took about two weeks.

 

[Julia9054]

Not sure I understand. Tells you immediately suggests as part of the online process, but if so why 5 days delay?

It tells you immediately if your photo has the right lighting/exposure/shadows/background colour. You can't proceed with the application until the photo meets those specifications.
What it can't tell you instantly is if the photo meets other requirements such as no glasses which is what happened to Al. He got an email after a week telling him to upload a new photo. Presumably a human had to look at it and reject it.

 

[Lozz360]

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.

It doesn’t. At least mine didn’t. I renewed mine five months early. The new expiry date is 10 years from the new passport start date. You’re not thinking of car MOT’s are you?

 

[T4tomo]

Mine expired in May. I have no intention of going abroad this year so saw no point in renewing it for now.

I'd be paying for a ten year passport but only getting use out of it for nine.

You might be dead in eight though 🤔

 

[Mr Celine]

You might be dead in eight though 🤔

Thanks for that cheery thought.

Or was it a threat?

 

[ClichéGuevara]

It tells you immediately if your photo has the right lighting/exposure/shadows/background colour. You can't proceed with the application until the photo meets those specifications.
What it can't tell you instantly is if the photo meets other requirements such as no glasses which is what happened to Al. He got an email after a week telling him to upload a new photo. Presumably a human had to look at it and reject it.

It kept telling me 'it looks like your eyes are closed' which is a bit personal really. They may as well have been blunt and called me pig face.

 

[Julia9054]

It kept telling me 'it looks like your eyes are closed' which is a bit personal really. They may as well have been blunt and called me pig face.

They should have a stock set of insulting phrases eg “It looks like you have really aged badly since last time”
Or like the woman in the post office when I applied for my son’s passport the old fashioned way when it was little. “Hmmm . . . I don’t think they’ll accept this, his eyes aren’t level”
That‘s what he looks like! She might as well have said “Did you know your kid has a wonky face?”
Good job he wasn’t with me at the time

 

[Blue Hills]

They do seem to be very strict from the online guide on the slightest whisp of hair falling over your eyebrows (and i don't mean a full veronica lake), but if you can lay claim to certain religious inclinations you are in the clear.
I used a digital machine - took a while to get it sorted but the system feedback was very good.

 

[Blue Hills]

Just received a pretty fast email reply (webchat was closed and I didn't fancy braving phone queues) admirably to the point from the passport people:

"There would be no additional charges or differences if you choose to renew your passport after it has expired."

Didn't mention any time limit either.