Urgent UK Passport Renewal
According to the ABTA Travel Trends Report 2016, UK residents travelling abroad rose 9% during the period July 2015 to September 2015, in comparison with the same period the previous year, while their spending also rose 9% during the same period. The report also mentioned that Spain, Portugal, Greece, France, the USA, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Ireland and Belgium were the most popular overseas destinations among Brits in 2015.
However, no one can travel on an expired passport. The reason for stating this fact is that there are countries that require a passport to be valid for at least six months beyond the duration of the traveller’s trip to that country. For travellers who have passports that are due to expire before the six month time frame, it becomes necessary to apply for its renewal as soon as possible. The process can be speeded up with the fast track method of passport renewal in the UK.
In the UK, a passport is valid for 10 years and can be issued when an individual is 16 years of age or more, while those aged 15 years and below are eligible for a passport that is valid for 5 years. The best course of action is to apply for renewal well before the date of expiry, so that the new passport reaches you before the old one’s expiry date becomes a problem for overseas travel. Unless the old passport is deemed damaged by the UK Identity & Passport Service (IPS), it is returned to the applicant.
Conventional Method for Passport Renewal
The traditional method to get a passport, which has been ongoing since 2006, requires you to apply to Her Majesty’s Passport Office. This can now also be done and paid for online.
According to information published by the government regarding passports, the passport renewal fee is £72.50 and £82.25, when you opt to get the passport delivered using the Post Office’s Passport Check and Send service.
The office proceedings in standard cases can take up to three weeks to process your application, if your application has been submitted correctly. In other cases, a delay can be expected in the processing of the application. Upon renewal of the passport, the time remaining, up to a maximum of 9 months, on the existing passport is added to the renewed passport.
However, if you are unable to or do not wish to book an appointment with the passport office, there is a fast track, last-minute service to renew passports available for you.
Fastest Way to Renew Expired Passports
Are you wondering how fast you can renew a passport? You should know that in order to get both your first and second passport renewed quickly, you can apply with Rapid Passports, who can get your application processed on the same day, the next day or with one week’s time, for which they charge accordingly, apart from the cost of the passport that Her Majesty’s Passport Office will charge, which is £128 for the 32-page regular passport and £137 for a 48-page Jumbo one.
When you choose this rapid service to fast track the renewal of your UK passport, you save yourself the hassle of going through the entire long process. Instead, you just need to send the application form to the acting agency via courier or from your local post office.
This acting agency will require the application form, current passport, two passport photos, authorization letter and order form before it can move the process forward. They definitely do simplify the process, which makes the fee they charge seem worth it.
