The place to ask China-related questions!
Beijing Shanghai Guangzhou Shenzhen Chengdu Xi'an Hangzhou Qingdao Dalian Suzhou Nanjing More Cities>>

Categories

Close
Welcome to eChinacities Answers! Please or register if you wish to join conversations or ask questions relating to life in China. For help, click here.
X

Verify email

Your verification code has been sent to:

Didn`t receive your code? Resend code

By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .

Sign up with Google Sign up with Facebook
Sign up with Email Already have an account? .
Posts: 305

Shifu

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Q: uk passport renewal

Just done my UK passport renewal today.  They say it takes at least 8 weeks which is so long- which is close to when my visa expires.  Has anybody done a renewal recently and how long did it take to get back?

9 years 32 weeks ago in  Visa & Legalities - China

 
Answers (9)
Comments (9)
Posts: 19790

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I hold EU passport, and it took less than 2 weeks to get new one from Beijing Embassy in 2011. Mine was full/no empty pages.

 

Your Embassy will send you new passport in time for visa renewal.

 

If they couldn't, they would advise you to extend your visa first, or return to UK for new passport.

 

Report Abuse
9 years 32 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3868

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Icnif77 is wrong in respect to UK passport renewals (please mate only comment on things that you actually know about!)

 

Last year they stopped issuing passports outside the UK so now all expat passport renewals go through the Liverpool office. There is a HUGE backlog. You're looking at a time of at least 8 weeks unless you pay priority. The South China Morning Post had an article on it this week & The Guardian recently covered this as a whistleblower went to them with inside information. 

icnif77:

Sorry, I was guessing wrong! I thought UK is in EU already.

 

I posted reply as comparison between EU and UK, because 8 weeks wait for new book seemed too long.

9 years 32 weeks ago
Report Abuse

Hotwater:

Fully agree with you that 8 weeks is too long. The UK have messed up big style with these changes. They claim it is for security when actually it is a cost saving exercise. 

9 years 32 weeks ago
Report Abuse

steve0sha:

How do you pay priority?  There was only 1 option when i applied online and then went to the Shanghai office.

9 years 31 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 32 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3868

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

One of many news articles about this: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/11/passport-delays-applicants-long-wait

icnif77:

It can be really PIA, if you plan to exchange passport a month before expiration of visa.

I wonder, what PSB's advice is on that.

9 years 32 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 32 weeks ago
 
Posts: 3868

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Problems in HK & the additional costs incurred: http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1575162/hongkongers-caught-uk-passport-renewal-chaos-fork-out-hk13m

Report Abuse
9 years 32 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1

General

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

Mine took 10 weeks in total - go for the express service to avoid renewing the working visa & residency permit twice (1 x old passport because of long lead time & 1x when new passport arrives)... Wish I had....

ScotsAlan:

Yup. This is another example of UK Government cost cutting having a detrimental effect on front line service.

 

The UK Government should allow consulates to charge a premium for renewing passports in foreign lands. But keep the standard cost UK service available.

 

I reckon if they let me set up a passport renewal office here, I could process them without a premium and still make a decent profit.

9 years 32 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 32 weeks ago
 
Posts: 156

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I live in Wuhan and did mine on-line. Mainland China was stopped from issuing passport by the  UK Passport  Office around three years past due to the fact that the British government realised that over 30.000 unissued passport had gone missing throughout China, assumed by the office staff. UK passports are now only issued out of Hong Kong through the British Consulate-General . This can be done rather quickly. I received mine in 18 working days. I found the on-line procedure very simple and secure. Good fast reliable service. The fee for adults in HK dollars $1.626 for a 32 page, $1.963 42 page, and $ 1,036 for a child a return courier fee will also be required or it can be collected in person if you feel like a trip. A  downoad of a secured pdf. 4 page C1 form is required to be completed, as is payment by card. www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

Hotwater:

When did you do this? All the news reports (see links above) are saying that UK passports are only printed in the UK now (even though you apply in HK) and that it is taking up to 8 weeks. 

9 years 31 weeks ago
Report Abuse

onceaknight:

Hi, It was February. Yes UK passports are only printed in the UK I downloaded the C1 form from the internet, along with a seperate secure payment via the direct debt payment authorisation and the usual required document Birth certificate etc. I then sent the forms by courier to the Consulate General in Hong Kong. My new UK passport was return promptly. Maybe it has since changed. 

9 years 31 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 31 weeks ago
 
Posts: 13

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

I applied for my renewal on May 20th. They are now saying it should be in Shanghai in a couple of weeks... They are flat out lying about taking 8 weeks, it WILL take longer. For people whos passports are expiring this year the embassy/consulate can approve a one year extension, unless your application for a new passport has already been made.  

icnif77:

Maybe, it's because of 'ISIS hole'?

 

UK citizens apparently fight in Syria and Iraq.

9 years 31 weeks ago
Report Abuse

ScotsAlan:

Yeah. There was an issue a while back because the head of the passports department was saying there was no problems. But a whilstle blower soon provided evidence to contradict that. Hotwater has posted the links.

 

I would have thought the UK Government would be doing all it could to help Brits living in other countries.... it helps make the immigration/emigration figures look better if we stay away from the UK .

 

If all the Brits living abroad went back to the UK tomorrow, the Island would sink wink.

9 years 31 weeks ago
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
9 years 31 weeks ago
 
Posts: 81

Governor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

That's what the guidelines are. They have to send the passport back to the UK, process it there and send it back to China. 

I would say that the best thing to do would be to travel back to England, get the express service and come back.

Report Abuse
9 years 11 weeks ago
 
Posts: 19790

Emperor

0
0
You must be a registered user to vote!
You must be a registered user to vote!
0

OT/ Houblon's 50 British Pounds purchased in China:

 

I got 400 UK Pounds exchanged in 2014 in Urumqi China Merchants Bank, but I cannot exchange it anywhere in Europe, because Chinese gave me 50 UK Pounds Hublon notes (withdrawn in 2014).

 

I'll be able to exchange 8 notes at my return to UK in Bank of England.

So much for convenience of traveling with cash.

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jan/16/houblon-50-note-withdrawn

Report Abuse
9 years 11 weeks ago
 
Know the answer ?
Please or register to post answer.

Report Abuse

Security Code: * Enter the text diplayed in the box below
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img> <br> <p> <u>
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Textual smileys will be replaced with graphical ones.

More information about formatting options

Forward Question

Answer of the DayMORE >>
A:  "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "S
A: "... through ..."?  Only "through" comes to mind is "Shenzhen agent can connect you with an employer, who's authorized to hire waigouren ... and can sponsor Z visa." It's not like every 10th person you meet in Shenzhen's hood can sponsor work visa ...  The only way to change from student to labourer visa is just a regular way by: 1. Finding an employer, who'll apply for an Invitation letter; 2. Exit China and apply for Z visa in your home country's Chinese embassy; 3. Enter China in 30-days after Z visa was stamped into your travelling instrument ...As I am aware, you won't be able to switch to Working permit by remaining in China....,so make ready for a return to your home .... -- icnif77