On Friday morning last week my passport expired . OK , I’m not going to need it for travel anytime soon but I thought I might as well renew it now , rather than wait for a log jam if or when travel resumes . Friday was shopping day anyway, and the Max Spielmann place in one of the local supermarkets was doing passport photos with a digital reference to use on the .Gov website . Friday afternoon I did the online application and paid the fee . Saturday I posted my old passport back to the address in Peterborough . This morning I received an email that my application was approved and my old passport would be returned . This afternoon another saying my new passport was on it’s way .

Earlier I posted about how quickly the DVLA had transacted a plate change and new V5 . I’m also using the state pension forecast system at the moment as I qualify this year

On the whole I must say I’m impressed with the ease of use and efficiency of the services that the government have online 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto
2024 Renault Clio Alpine e-tech .

I renewed my British passport last April on its last day. It took 4 months for the old one to get to England. They processed the new one quickly & I had it in a few weeks. Plus they did not backdate the date of the passport.

I know I couldn't travel but it is easier to renew a non expired passport, & it was cheaper than my Australian passport.

Having 2 passports I can spend 90 days every 180 days in Europe alternately on each passport. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

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Should you chose to, or even be able to, isnt spending that long away by switching between the two passports morally wrong?

Lightwater wrote:

I renewed my British passport last April on its last day. It took 4 months for the old one to get to England. They processed the new one quickly & I had it in a few weeks. Plus they did not backdate the date of the passport.

I know I couldn't travel but it is easier to renew a non expired passport, & it was cheaper than my Australian passport.

Having 2 passports I can spend 90 days every 180 days in Europe alternately on each passport.

Yes.

To date I have left Australia on Australian passport & entered Europe on British passport & likewise on return. It was quicker getting through borders. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

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Have to agree with OP. I applied for my passport replacement this morning and was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the website and ease of making the applicatioon.

Online applications for things from the government does seem an area they have really got organised for the public, unlike so much of everyything else they have a hand in!

Delivered on business day 4 after the Friday application . The technology in the passport for security is amazing , apparently world leading . Shame for the Brexiteers that it’s a French company , manufacturing the passports in Poland !
 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto
2024 Renault Clio Alpine e-tech .

Despite this, we still have the ridiculous situation where you have to renew your passport at least 6 months before it expires (more if you're going away for a long trip) and they start the new passport from the day it's issued, rather than the day the old one expires.

It's called a rip-off.

The reason for the advice on 6 months early is just because there are destinations that won’t allow entry with a passport which has less than 6 months before expiry .

That applies to all of Schengen Europe now , a lot of holiday makers will be caught out when travel resumes . I let mine expire as my only plans in the last 6 months were for using as ID on flights to Ireland , but with the pandemic they didn’t happen anyway . 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto
2024 Renault Clio Alpine e-tech .

I had to renew mine whilst in France. Sent it off just before Christmas. It took 3 weeks to get to the passport office by recorded mail, but they turned it around on the same day as they received my old passport ( online application ), and I received it back in France 5 days later, via DHL couriers. Great service, shame about the £19 delivery charge. I did not want or need my old passport back, but had to pay for the privilege 👀🤑😵