How to renew your passport
The UK’s passport renewal process is becoming increasingly complex as the government ramps up its efforts to combat fake passports.
However, the UK has been able to use a new law to speed up the process, with the UK Passport Office (WPO) confirming to The Lad that the system is now “operationalised”.
The new passport application process can now be completed in under five minutes and involves the UK’s Department for Transport and Networking (DfT) completing an online form to fill in.
“Once you have completed this form, it will be sent to your passport office to be processed,” the official said.
“You will be given a passport that you will be able to receive as soon as you receive it.”
The passport application is only available online in the UK, and will only be available on a select number of UK-based passports.
Passports are issued through the Department of State, which oversees the passports, with passports issued outside of the UK being considered “foreign passports”.
It’s not known whether this new process is being implemented for all passports, or whether passports issued overseas will be issued as well.
The government is reportedly looking to extend the UK passport renewal period, but this has not yet been confirmed.
The government hopes that this process will help to “make the UK a more attractive destination for overseas students, tourists and business travellers”, as well as to reduce the number of passport frauds in the country.
The Passport office confirmed that the new system was being used to help speed up passport applications, and said that the process is currently “operationallyised”.
“As soon as the application has been processed and you have the appropriate passport number, you will receive your passport,” the spokesman said.
The official added that it would take between one and five minutes for the passport office staff to complete a passport application, and that “the passport number will be provided at the time you complete the application.”
“If you have not already received your passport number and the application is incomplete, you may contact your passport officer to get your passport renewed,” he added.
The UK Passports Office said that “once you have received your correct passport number in the mail, the process for renewing your passport will be completed within about 30 minutes.”
“This process is not automated, so it is still possible for your passport to be invalidated or lost.”
The UK passport office also revealed that passport holders have to provide “a letter of invitation to the office”, as opposed to an email address.
“We can only accept letters of invitation if they are addressed to the person who is the holder of the original passport,” a spokesperson for the UK passports office said.
