Renewing a British passport from Munich

My passport runs out soon, and I need to get a new one. I presume I go to the British Embassy in Munich (if there is one) , but has anyone does this before? Does it cost money? How long does it take (I travel quite a bit)? What documents should you take with you?

Thanks!

You just need to fill out an application form an post it to Düsseldorf. I did mine last year. Takes about 5 weeks though, so you cannot travel outside of the EU or to Britain during that time. I'll see if I can find the link again.

thers only a consulate in munich but they'll send you the forms, passports were only issued from düsseldorf but that may have moved to berlin. there is a pdf and all the details on the british emassy website.

http://www.britischebotschaft.de/en/

Ok you found the link. On here there is a PDF application form, and something for how to do this. Then you send everything to Düsseldorf.

I Lost mine last year and sent off all the usual forms to Düssledorf. I got a new passport back within a week.

Then found my old one in my suit jacket when I was at my cousins wedding, for which I needed the new passport to fly to the UK for cos I thought I'd lost the first one!!

I got mine in just over a week from Düsseldorf though of course it CAN take as long as 6 weeks so you need to plan your caledar carefully if you travel.

And which Toytowners know any other British Citizens who are "respectable" enough to act as a witness?

@ 3 lions... you plonker... (and @Grtho, charming! I can think of... ok, you're right...)

whilst on the subject, I have 15 months left on mine but only 3 pages, and am getting another Visa for Taiwan tomorrow so it's basically full (most countries want 2 empty pages for a visa, and I've run out).

I heard it's possible to just get extra pages put in, is this true?

If you are renewing, then you send your old passport, so you do not need any witnesses. Well think that was how it was for me !

@ pepper, eyp you are right, when renweing just fill out the form and send it off with the old passport.

@ Joolybooly - Sorry don't know. But is it not worth it just to get a new one ? Although have to watch your planning, sometimes it's quick, but they say to allow upto 6 weeks.

can i renew it without sending in the old one? I need it all the time at the mo, 6 weeks is Christmas so dodgy sending it now...

And my current one was issued in Rome because the one before really was stolen. So if I report this one lost, it's going to get really complicated... just read the website and they actually have to contact the issuing office, which takes longer and costs more. So I'd have a British passport being made in Germany with cross-checking in Italy...

I guess reporting it lost is the best bet though, then I can use the old one in the mean time... or is there an electronic system which tracks reported passports? The Germans have started tapping my data into a system at the airport, what if it causes an alarm?!

...I think I'll just stay here, have a cup of Horlicks and chill...

Err - my passport always gets scanned, so I think they is some kind of electronic thingy, but not so if they can see this sort of thing. Secondly with all the terrorist problems, you do not want to be caught using a passport reported lost/stolen !

As I understand, you have to send your old passport in.

yep, the passports have a barcode in them if i remember correctly and these are scanned and the passport checked against lists of known terrorist pseudonyms, wanted criminals and stolen passports.

AFAIK, they DON'T put extra pages in. IIRC it says somewhere that a full passport must be repaced by a new one. You CAN get (for more money for the lovely Mr Blunkett ) a larger passport with more pages, usefull if you do a LOT of intercontinental travel.

I would NOT try and report a passport lost and keep travelling on it.
They are checking a lot more passports electronically these days and you would NOT want to get caught as a suspect in TWAT.

He He! I sneaked across the "oh so secure" Schengen border yesterday while German plod was having his Brotzeit!

You MUST send in your old passport on renewal and when I renewed mine, you still had to have a "responsible" British Citizen countersign the form.

grtho, i may have to admit being wrong on that I have given it some thought and seem to remember getting my boss to sign it since he classed as "professional" being British and a payed up CIMA Associate

my current passport doesn't have a bar code! But I agree, it's not worth getting caught (especially as it would be on the way to Taiwan on busness, or to London for christmas... and if I miss that flight my nan will batter me with her brolley...)

Thank you boys, I have seen the light. I shall send it to Düsseldorf after I return from TW, with a € 50 note inside and a note asking for quick treatment

@JB
my passport needs re-newing too
on the consulate website it says that it only needs 5 days to get it done - not 5 weeks. You/we should be ok.

Wow they have updated this, when I did mine, it said 6 weeks, and actually took around 4 weeks to do.

I sent mine off (a renewal) on Sat 3rd Oct and it was back on 8th Oct
But you should allow 6 weeks.
You need to enclose your birth certificate, your old passport and you need to get a professional (vicar, doctor) to sign the form for you and the back of one of your photos.

I am sure I did not need all this information. Just the old passport, proof of payment (überweisung) and two photo's, although I cannot remember if I needed someone to sign one of them of not. I don't think so, as I do not know anyone in Munich who could do this, but am not completely sure about this part. I did however have to wait 4 weeks to get mine back.

Pepper, when did you last get your passport renewed? Topsy's information sounds pretty up-to-date since she renewed it this month and I doubt she's lying about what she needed to do to renew it, why argue with it?

especially why argue with it when you could check the website and read it for yourself. which I just did, btw, to reassure myself that I hadn't gone compleeetely bonkers. and sure enough, there it is in black and white.

No it's no problems, and I am just confused why you needed your birth certificate, particularly when renewing, as you send your old passport. I surpose this could be mis-read, as it used to say if renewal, you do not need your birth certificate, but for the first one or a lost/stolen you also need your birth certificate.

Showem - Why argue ? well it depends what you call arguing ? I just call it clarifying the facts, as I was not aware of this and it's good for me to know for next time. I renewed mine two years ago.

hiya, well, I initially missed the bit about enclosing your birth certificate, so it's easily done. but if you look at the top of page 3 of the notes "documents to be produced etc", then you will see that need your birth certificate. if you were born after 1983 you need one of your parents' birth certificates as well.
and look at section 10 of the actual form and you will see the bit about getting one of the photos countersigned.

it's a bit of a faff, but it's only once every 10 years after all.

those notes are a bit confusing - this is because they are for new passports and renewal of existing ones. l don't think you do need to include your birth certificate for a renewal but you do need it to get a new one.

In the Notes document in Note 12 it says 'documents are not normally needed if you are surrendering a recently expired/unrestricted British passport showing your national status as British citizen blah blah blah'

Also in the renewal section it says:
1. The expired passport should be submitted for cancellation. It will be returned with the new passport.
2, Two recent identical photographs (Black & White or Colour) are required; the same person who countersigned the application form should countersign one of the photos.

if you do include you birth certificate then they will just post it back it you with your new passport

Anyway, i will call them tomorrow when they open to verify this. Happy it's not going to take 5 weeks. Will give them a ticking off for badly worded documentation too!

What, expect service out of the British Diplomatic Corps?

LMAO!

There's a wee gauntlet to the British Consulate in Munich, what do you do for the British Citizens living here ? (and I don't mean inviting very well to do businessmen for drinkies on Liz Windsor's birthday)

Only being provocative, I promise I can behave if i ever get an invite.

thats not fair! they have allways helped me in any queery, including how the bollox do i get my passport renewed. but iwould also like an invite too as i'm a staunch believer in the monarchy, child labour in the coal mines and public floging for shoplifters.

what "queery" could you possibly have? I must admit I'm at a loss to understand their purpose, my french friend even registers at her consulate whenever she moves, I never knew you could/would do that!

Short of providing us with this Toytown link and the address of the nearest shop telling marmite and teabags, they couldn't have helped me if they tried...

mind you I guess you have kiddies and a German wife, probably all the stuff about nationalities etc. needs to be clarified...

One time I had the pleasure of gracing their charming offices in Lehel and seeing a pic of Liz Windsor on the wall one of their staff was phoning round (in not particuarly good German tbh) all local hospitals re-checking that they had the right numbers.

So I suppose that if as a British Citizen you do end up as strawberry jam on the craziness that is the A8 towards the mountains on a holiday Friday then they'll be able to inform your rellies where to pick up the bits.

And they had a condolence book for when Diana died.

I wonder if people realise where their tax money goes?

The Ambassodor (sp) in Berlin got himneself a nice four page spread in "Bunte" at the beginning of the year as well! No I don't normally read it but my ex does and leaves it by the loo in the flat.

this is what scares me to death about living abroad, if I popped my clogs no one would have a clue for ages, and no-one knows who and where my family is!

Just in case, if you look in the british phonebook under all the Stuart-Smiths, my mum must surely be the only one named after Mrs. Windsor herself... Elizabeth Anne, God help her...

Just got my passport renewed by the Düsseldorf Passport section about 3 weeks ago.

Only needed to send the old passport and 2 photos (one of which endorsed as a true likeness on the back by my friendly local stuerberater [any professional with a business stamp should do]). Paid the fee 96.50 Euro direct by bank transfer.

Got the renewed passport back within 2 weeks.

Great, smashing, terrific

96.50 Euro ?!?!?!? Jeepers Creepers! When I had mine done in Rome 8 years ago it only cost half that!!!
I should charge it to the company for using up all my pages for visas

damnation, looks like I didn't need to send birth certificate then.
oh well, don't suppose it slowed the process down at all, and at least I know where it is now.
it's not cheap, though, is it, a passport?
I got my photos endorsed by my Hausarzt, btw.

In that case, why don't people endorse them themselves?
or ask your hubby or wifey.

this endorsement rule must have changed cos when i had mien done many moons ago, i seem to recall that it had to be done by a British citizen that had known you personally for x number of years and was also a Professional (ie Doctor, Lawyer, Accountant, Teacher, Prostitute).

Sounds like they let any T,D or H sign it now!

it still has to be a professional person (doctor, lawyer etc) who has known you for at least two years.
but it doesn't have to be a british citizen

jb if you look what happened after the coach crash in austria you'll realise how important these people can be. in fact if ou lost your passport, who are you going to turn to?registering has it's advantages thou an armed coup is not on the books here in barvaria, so a quick exstraction is not really on the list of things they have your address for.

I agree, I am daft, going out at night with no ID because I'm worried it'll get stolen. If I got run over they wouldn't know where to send me (except perhaps back to the asylum).

I really should photocopy my ID and address and put it in all my bags and coat pockets... but that would be way too organised...

just get your passport number and blood group tatooed onto the inside of your left arm, or failing that, write your whole personal details onto your knickers.

Some people "go commando" though Gideon

ok tatoo on your bum them...

Wowzers, thanks for all the useful info! 37 replies since posting the original question yesterday!
What I like about this forum is that you not only get the official website links that you couldn't find, but you also get people's own experiences, which for me, is just as important.
I'll go have a looka t the site now.
Thanks!

Being one of these, ahem, so called professional people, I have endorsed many passport applications before in the past. Since I haven't been in Munich for 2 years though, and therefore don't know anybody long enough, makes it not poss. I am open to substantial bribes though if necessary

Talking about new passports, does anyone know why they no longer have 'Place of Issue' stated? Just FCO instead of the city and country like they used to.

I wasn't particularly bothered by this until I had to get some forms filled in at various foreign consulates/embassies, and oh my goodness! What a palava(r?)!

Frustrated middle level embassy staff gnashed their teeth in frustration as they tore up letters they had typed out and had to start again, consulars were called out of offices and questioned me suspiciously: "Where was this passport issued?", "Why doesn't is say so?" "What does FCO mean" (I was tempted to say it was an abbreviation for what I felt like shouting at them).

Anyway, after much sighing ,tut-tutting and whispered conferences they would accept the forms/write the letters but I imagine they had an uncomfortable feeling at the back of their minds, like something just isn't quite right.

I think this is a ploy by the UK government to bring down countries by causing their embassy staff to have nervous breakdowns as they submit multi copies of forms WITHOUT THE POI FILLED IN!

What do you think?

considering i've been asked a few times, because of the passport being issued in düsseldorf wether or not i'm a soilder, maybe thats a good idea.

I have a question on this topic too... maybe somebody here has had a similar situation: My passport runs out in March, so I'll be getting it renewed obviously. I plan on getting married next October and taking on my s.o.'s surname... will i need to get a new passport twice next year??!!! If so, we're talking a hell of a lot of money... can you just get your name changed on your passport without needing a complete new one?

can't u just go to the consulate and get it renewed there? i mean fill out the stuff and pay there and they take care of everything and let u know when its done. thats how it works with american passports so i figured it would be the same for british?

and i am pretty sure u CAN get more pages put in... one of my friends had to get more pages put it and it worked for him <shrug>

Oh no erdbeere, that would be far too customer friendly, all British passports in Germany are issued in Düsseldorf. It is kind of fairer I suppose for those that don't live in the big cities and it isn't TOO awkward.

they have all the forms there (at the consulate in munich) and they will make sure your documents are in order, but it has to be posted off to Düsseldorf.

if you really need it done quick you can travel up there and they will turn it around very quickly - i got a replacement for one stolen (or left outside reading railway station, you choose) in about an hour. but i think it helped that the "stolen" one had been issued by Düsseldorf in the first place.

Ok, I've checked and re-checked, whilst filling out form C1 (yes, I'm over 16 ). It defo says I need to send my birth certificate with the form. Jivedancer - was anything mentioned when you didn't submit it? I prefer not to send such a document by post (although gonna use registered mail anyways).

2nd question - I don't know anyone here who is of professional career -and- a German or British citizen. What's an 'established civil servant'? Any clues what to do? Don't have time to send it back to the UK to my old teacher to sign it :S

Thanks,
UA