Check & send passport service

[Liz 101]

I took my passport application to the local post office to use the check & send service. I had read the notes in the Home Office guide regarding acceptable photographs:
. No sunglasses or tinted glasses
. Be free from reflection or glare from your glasses & frames must not cover eyes.

I have worn glasses for most of my adult life, in fact I can see next to ****** all without them. I currently wear ones with the thinnest of metal frames at the top & rimless at the bottom, with plain glass. I checked that there was no reflection / glare before I printed them.

Off I went to the Post Office & was told that these photos were unacceptable, as I was wearing glasses & I should have known that this had been in place for 2 years.

I showed them the handbook - "that's wrong" was the reply I got, so how the bh is an official handbook wrong? I did also mention that you only renew a passport every 10 years.

Even more galling was that all this was coming from a disembodied voice hidden behind a "full letterbox" [!] & glasses.

So, an extra £5 for photos + the £8.17 check & send charge

[Ian]

Liz - in my usual (careful with my money) manner - I did mine 12 days ago. After taking some photos in the house and playing with them on line to edit them I reluctantly decided to go to a booth and take the photos and pay the £5 (in Tesco)

Filled in the docs - I thought "why should I pay for checking it - especially for a renewal which is very straight forward"

So I sent everything off 12 days ago - got the new one back via a courier in 9 days and the old passport back in the normal post after 11 days - actually quite impressed and now I can get my 5 year residency in 2012

[Colwyn]

Liz, when you look in a mirror, can you see your own reflection?

[Liz 101]

Only if I'm wearing my glasses  

[desmartinson]

And i bet it looks Gorgeous Liz:D

[Liz 101]

Ordinarily, Ian, I wouldn't have bothered either, but I'm only back here for 3 weeks, so couldn't afford any slip ups. If I don't have a passport by 20th October, I'll be sleeping on the floor at Manchester T1, 'cos I'll have no house, no job, no car etc - just a one way ticket outa here :D:D

[Ian]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh - called a "just in time" strategy

Good luck - sure you will be fine - we will be 10 weeks after you from Manchester Airport as well - can't wait

[calvin 1949]

Just renewed My passport , they would not accept my photo with specs on ,what a performance in the booth trying to get everything right before pressing green button (Without specs couldnt even see button ) still, managed it in the end, :)now hope that airport recognise this picture of the new me!!!!