Anyone renewed their passport recently?

My Passport is up for renewal in December, anyone got any tips for the fastest way to do this.

I renewed mine late last year. Downloaded the form from the internet (British Consulate site). As I had left it late (passport already expired and xmas hols fast approaching!) I rang the passport department in Düsseldorf (long wait on the phone) to explain. If you put on the form that you need to travel soon, it should help speed up the process. I had my new passport back within a week. They were very helpful, but you may have to wait ages on the phone.

Very similar experience to Alibi, had new passport back within the week. A friend of mine actually went to Düsseldorf saying he needed his new passport quickly and they did it while he waited.

ok, thanks you 2

We waited a month in April for my daughter's passport, then tried phoning. After an hour on 'hold' we gave up and sent an email which seemed to do the trick as the passport arrived three days later.

A new passport costs EUR 88

crikey 88€!!!

Mine expires in January I am sure I only paid about 20 quid for it has the price more than doubled in 10 years??? Or is it more expensive getting it from Düsseldorf???

Can you not get yr relatives from England to send you the paperwork from there. You complete it, return it to them and get them to send it off for you via their address. That way it would only cost £42 ? Just a thought.

Got mine renewed earlier this year and was also horrified by the price.

Unfortunately like everything else in this two-bit, tin-pot country the government has seen fit to privatise the passport service - Net result is that prices have indeed more than doubled.

It's so overpriced that the application pack for a passport now comes with a pie-chart to show the breakdown of how your is spent!

Hellie that is a good thought but my family are completely incompetent when it comes to posting anything, filling forms out and generally anything like that so no way I would trust any of them to post something that important!!!

Also do you have to send the old passport off to get a new one? Sorry daft I know as I think I did last time.

Oh heck, you've just reminded me that I still haven't got round to renewing my passport - it expired in June! :$ I never get round to getting the photos!

yes, you do have to enclose your old passport..it will be returned cancelled...horrible feeling having no passport (and therefore no ID) while waiting for new one...and the fun going to collect it from the post office, and telling the bloke asking for ID "It's in the envelope..." lol!

I can imagine a very Kafakaesque situation in the post office. I suppose in that situation a photocopy of the old passport would suffice?

In my case, I would just produce my Irish passport. It's useful to have two passports sometimes. Although, some of my German friends find the concept of having two nationalities hard to understand...

must admit am not keen on being without a passport what if I need to go somewhere???

Also not sure whether to do it now before I go back for Xmas or wait until after - do you think I'll get it in time.

I will need it after Xmas pretty sharpish as well for skiing.

What do you all think?

Mine isn't up for renewal yet, but I've heard that soon we all have to go and get our finger prints put on a chip. When will this come into force. Surely that means that one cannot apply via post anymore and has to physically go to the passport office/embassy etc. Is this correct??

Don't say that I will be sunk if I have to go to Düsseldorf as well as everything else!!

have a look at the Brit Embassy site, it gives all the info:

http://www.britischebotschaft.de/en/consul...dex.htm#renewal

You do have to apply for your new passport in the country that you reside in so sending it off to the rellies in England to do it for you really is not an option.

Im always last minute at doing stuff, and last year my passport was long over due to be renewed! I cant remember now where i was going...possibly england lol...anyway my dad posted me the forms over i filled them in,,and posted them back along with my passport and pics. The passport office is in Liverpool so my mum popped in and asked them if they could possibly renew it on the same day? which for a bit extra ( not sure how much) was done! luckily i recieved my passport just in time for my trip... I did get a bit worried though after telling an American girl that i was waiting for my passport from the UK... she was totally shocked and disgusted that it was so easy to become a renewed passport in the UK without me even being there! I told her but im a British citizen! and its only being renewed!! Yes she said but you could be married to an Iraqi or with one of those Alqada mob ...she went on and on and on about it and wanted to report it I was thankful when i eventually received my renewed passport and didnt have her CIA or MFI following me around or knocking at my door ffs! lol

can someone DELATE the last post from me please!!!

88EUR!!!

That's disgusting!!! My German colleague just said he paid 29EUR for his recent passport renewal. I could just PUKE!

Sorry Shannon, it's already too late. I've called the FBI, and they're sending the boys round...

I expect they have more rights than the tv licence people...I better put the kettle on...and my coat!

...And I've just called MFI and they're sending a flat pack chest of drawers round...

MI6 are on the way too...or is it MI5

You'd probably wait longer for that than you would a passport

any anyway...how would anyone find out that you aren't resident in the UK if you use a relatives address?

Well if you are going to go the rellies route, then you can apply on line here:

http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/

There is nothing to actually stop you sending it to the UK and using a UK address for it to be sent and returned to but when I renewed mine living in France I was told by the British passport office that it is a big NO NO to do it through them and to use the Embassy in the country where I had my tush (ok maybe not in those exact words).

Not sure what prison sentence you would get for committing a 'Big No No' but there you go

If you do have problems once you have sent it to the UK Pasport office then you may then have problems trying to explain to the local Embassy that you have lost it and then they find it logged on the UK system :$

I don't think we've got that far yet, but if I don't get my a*!e in gear I may well get caught by it.

As I mentioned in a previous thread, for some time now I only carry photocopies around with me. So far never had any serious problems - just a few grumbles.

I went home to UK in June looking for work but my passport ran out prior to my return to gerry. I went along to the passport office for the one day service but had forgotten pics.
I was all suited up but my face was in a bad way from sunburn and hayfever! I had suffered like never before for weeks and it showed.
Had three pics taken in those booth thingys and pic one i was sat too high (no forehead in pic) pic two i was sat too low (all forehead sod all else) pic 3 was ok except I looked like the elephant man.
Returned 3 hours later for passport and they had used Pic 1 the buggers.
Been to and from Germany since several times and Im always taken to the small room for "further questions" as I look nothing like my pic!!!
Last one I was on eurolines bus from Ulm to Liege to watch the Tour de France and the french Police had me off the bus and for one hour I was searched and questioned. Got back on the bus and had stares all the way to London!
One thing I noticed about Germans when I was on the bus is that when we stopped for fuel they get off next to the petrol pump and light up their ciggies and have a chat with the driver as he fills up??? As they smoke Im seen legging it away at a rate of knots!!!

it must be worth every penny then to change yr photo Bergenstrap!

and ive seen the pic ,hurt my ribs just looking at it cos had me in stitches!!!
its very scary to look at but also very very funny at the same time! lmao

Okay Folks, just found this board and registered... And as chance would have it, I just renewed my passport last week at Düsseldorf, so I thought I'd just add my tuppence, or 2 Eurocents, whichever...

The cost is €88, but if they send it to you, you have to pay €5 registered post on top -- makes €93 all together.. :$ German passports are cheaper, but they take min 4 weeks to get, and you have to go to the "Amt" twice - once to apply, once to collect. If you consider the time advantage, and the faster delivery, the consulate price is not so bad... The consulate normally takes 3 days plus postage time, so you normally have it within 5 working days.

If you need it faster, go there, they are quite freindly. Although they said they couldn't do it same day -- I did get there unannounced at lunch time -- but it could be ready the next morning and go out with the post. It actually arrived the next day, so either the post was unusually quick, or they did manage it same day after all .

You just have to be pleasant If you really want it same day in your hand, then phone them before you go there and get them to agree to that, although you might need 2 days to get past the info system Maybe that's just my accent, though

Funny thing the post... If you are at home, they don't ask for ID -- you just have to sign, although you could be a workman, or a burgler... If you are officially resident here, your driver's licence or your "Aufenthaltserlaubnis" are also sufficient ID at the post office -- mine each have different photos and different signatures, but are always cursorally accepted -- telling them it's in the bag is funnier, though ...

must check when mine is up

mike_a there is not much between Aachen, Düsseldorf and Köln

Isn't that where Hitzacker is!!

There's big holes in the ground, and the biggest diggers in the world

You can cycle for miles off-road, or walk if you're scared

Then there's a choice of Düsseldorf, Cologne, Neuss, Mönchengladbach, Aachen, Duren, Bonn all within half to 3/4 hrs drive if you want some action... Anything from Casino to Opera, and if your into dressing silly and getting plastered once a year... Well, you're spoiled for choice

Then there's the "Service-Kino"s, where they offer drinks and nosh and table service, or you can sit at the bar and watch the film... And you can smoke as well

And! To get back on topic. Once you have a valid passport, the nearest "koffee shop" is just over half an hour away in Venlo

All together not so bad, but then I'm a country-boy myself... Although I lived in Cologne for 11 years before moving here.

bbulldog: Now what can you do in Hagen?? Drive to Wuppertal? I have been to both a couple of times, but not for long

Hitzacker?? Sounds Bavarian... Heidelberg's nice.

Now you're talking - The Mai Tai cocktail bar in Düsseldorf's altstadt's worth putting a day aside for too!

Well after 12 months Im glad at one point I brought a smile to your face

going slightly off topic...
I didnt mean to laugh at your passport pic, it doesnt look anything like you as you said yourself you were suffering from sunburn and very bad hayfever and those photo booths just take the p ...
and you know you always have me creased up with your funny sense of humour.

back to the origonal topic...how to renew your passport in germany