AsisatBritish ex-pats in the United States of America are required to renew their British passports from the USA if it is expiring, misplaced, dented, or stolen. Furthermore, if you have changed your name or gender, and if you desire to travel with a British passport as a British ex-pat in the USA, you will be required to renew your British passport. British citizens are allowed to maintain their UK nationality after obtaining a US passport or a Green card thus providing ex-pats with the opportunity of having dual citizenship.
Contrary to the popular assumption, that there are complex processes involved in renewing a British passport in the US the processes involved in a British Passport renewal in the USA are quite simple. However, the British Embassy in the United States is not allowed to process passport renewal applications. Consequently, a British ex-pat living in the United States of America can process their British Passport Renewal in the USA via the official website of the British Embassy on gov.uk.
Can I Renew My British Passport In The USA?
In 2015, the British government stopped the usual practice of providing passport renewal applications to the British embassies but you can renew your British passport in the USA. However, unlike the former practice of completing a handwritten passport renewal form, attaching British passport pictures, and sending it to the British embassies in the US; you can now apply for a new British passport online on the official website of the British government from the comfort of your home or office and it will be sent to you in a few weeks.
Passport renewals are currently administered at the passport office of Her Majesty in Durham, the United Kingdom which happens to be the biggest passport office in Britain. You will be required to renew your British passport from the USA if it is expiring, misplaced, dented, or stolen or if you have changed your name or gender, and if you desire to travel with a British passport as a British ex-pat in the USA.
How To Renew My British Passport In The USA
The process of a British passport renewal begins online on the official website of the British government. On getting on the website you will be required to answer a few questions after which you will be provided with the passport renewal application form which you must complete with the appropriate information, provide the appropriate associated documents, and submit them via the government website. If you are faced with any difficulty when applying for a new British passport, you can reach out to the provided numbers on the website for assistance.
Next, you will be required to pay the passport renewal application fee as stipulated by the British government and the postage fee to get your passport delivered to you in the USA. Upon submitting your application and it has been accepted after paying the stipulated fee, you will be required to send your old passport back to Her Majesty’s Passport Office in the United Kingdom. It is suggested that you employ the services of a reliable and traceable courier service to deliver your old passport safely to the United Kingdom on your behalf.
Upon the successful approval and processing of your new passport, it will be delivered to the address that you provided on the passport renewal application form so you must complete the passport renewal application form with the correct address.
However, I would recommend that you employ the services of reliable and professional organizations that specialize in assisting British ex-pats to renew their passports whenever you want to renew your British passport; as going through them will increase your chances of getting an approval from Her Majesty’s passport office in the United Kingdom.
Required Documents To Renew My British Passport In The USA
Certain documents are required to renew your British passport in the USA and ensure the approval of Her Majesty’s passport office in the United Kingdom. It is recommended that you obtain all the necessary documents before applying for the renewal of your British passport. Required documents to renew your British passports are:
1. Current Passport
You are required to provide your present valid or just invalid Passport. You cannot renew your passport without sending it with your passport renewal application form to Her Majesty’s Passport Office in the United Kingdom. Please note that a damaged or torn passport is not acceptable and a police report must be provided for a stolen or misplaced passport.
2. Passport Photograph
Her Majesty’s Passport Office has certain standards that passport photographs must satisfy. Passport photographs that do not satisfy these standards often cause a delay in passport renewal application processing.
Some of these passport photographs standards comprise clear and colored photographs, 600 pixels in width and 750 pixels in length, a photo size that does not exceed 10MB, absence of red-eye, a white and clear picture background, no smiling face or open mouth, camera focused face, open and evident eyes, absence of head covering except for medical or religious reasons, and absence of clear or tinted sunglasses or recommended eyeglasses amongst others.
3. Completed British Passport renewal application form
You are required to complete your passport renewal application form online. You must ensure that you incorporated the correct address where you would love your passport to be delivered in the application form. You must also ensure that you sign in the borders of the signature box and choose the number of pages that you want your passport to have.
4. Other Valid Supporting Documents
If you own any other valid passport, you are required to provide a complete colored duplicate of it alongside your passport renewal application. You could also be required to provide a form of identity like a driver’s license. Furthermore, you can be required to provide your travel itinerary.
Cost Of Renewing Your British Passport
The cost of renewing your British passport varies depending on the kind of passport that you want and the age of the applicant. A standard 32 pages Adult passport costs £75.50, while a whopping 48 pages passport costs £85.50, and the standard child pas105sport costs £49.
The cost of the passport is to be paid by Cheque to Her Majesty’s Passport Office or via a credit or debit card online. However, courier services charge a fee within the range of $30 and $75. For instance, using DHL, A standard 32 pages Adult passport costs a total of £105.86 while a whopping 48 pages adult passport costs a total of £115.86.
How Long Does It Take To Get A British Passport Renewed In The USA?
Currently, the standard processing time for a British passport renewal ranges between four to six weeks, however, Her Majesty’s Passport Office recommends that you agree to a maximum of 10 weeks to collect your passport.
We also recommend that you begin your British passport renewal process 8 months before the expiry date of your valid passport to evade longer processing time and disappointment as Her Majesty’s Passport Office can get full of activity than usual at some time of the year.
However, elements like an expiry date that is more than 4 years to the time of the renewal, a change of name not indicated in the application form, misplaced supporting documents, incorrect information on your application form, and complex situations may extend the passport renewal processing time to 12 weeks or more. In serious instances, you might be summoned by the passport office in the United Kingdom for questioning.
Furthermore, British ex-pats do not have access to a fast-tracked passport renewal service but those that need a passport renewal faster than the stipulated passport renewal time owing to an unplanned emergency trip or misplaced, damaged or stolen passport are permitted to apply for an Emergency Travel Document (ETD) that can be applied for physically at a British embassy.
An Emergency Travel Document allows a British citizen to travel to a maximum of five countries and all of the travel itineraries of the holder are spelled out on the ETD. If there is a slight change in the destinations spelled out on the ETD, the holder is required to apply for a new Travel Document.
However, you must be aware that an Emergency Travel Document can also be applied for online with a non-refundable service fee of £100 and it becomes invalid after it has been used.
Closing
Statistics have revealed that more than 1.3 million British ex-pats are currently residing in the United States of America and this can be associated with the offer of a gorgeous lifestyle and limitless opportunities that the US government has made available to its residents.
Thankfully, the British Government has made it possible for British Expats to apply for passport renewal online so you are not required to be physically present at a British Embassy to apply for a passport renewal.
However, there are tricky processes that you will need professional advice and assistance to scale through and so it is recommended that you employ the services of a reliable and reputable organization that specializes in assisting ex-pats to renew their British passport in the United States of America.
These organizations are professionals that are familiar with the requirements of Her Majesty’s Passport Office in the United Kingdom and they know how to help you satisfy those requirements to get approval for your British passport renewal in the USA. Your thoughts and comments are warmly welcome in the comments section below so please feel free to head over there to drop them off as I would be looking forward to reading and hearing from you.
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