Cost of a new passport increasing on Dec. 1st.

[jna]

Not a lot of time left, but worth doing in the next fortnight if you have been thinking about new ones.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4445534.stm

 

[Miffy2003]

That's quite a price hike!

Thanks for posting this

 

[Dimplenose]

So if you're getting a passport in December or January are you paying for the enhanced biometric photo that won't be available until February? Why not raise the price in Feb? Seems a bit unfair if that is the case.

Libby

 

[mickg7dyd]

Hi,
You forget Gordon Brown has a large black hole in his finances and as they say at Tesco's every little helps. Yet another stealth tax...!!!

Mick.

 

[lil.disney.princess]

i heard about this on the radio-i am going to sort out getting our passports sent off next week!!other wise it is going to cost us an extra £70!!!

 

[disney13]

Thank you so much for posting this. I need to get a new one and was going to wait a few weeks. I'll send the application off on Saturday.

Thanks again,
Andy

 

[mark&sue]

What will happen now from 26th October 2006 with our old passports? I just got DD a new one and if USA wont accept it I will have to get us all the biometric ones when they come out in August even though we all have five years to go on them?

Is anyone else booked to go out in October 2006?


Susan

 

[Laurafoster]

The USA will still accept them! You just need to get a VISA aswell now!

 

[Claire L]

What will happen now from 26th October 2006 with our old passports? I just got DD a new one and if USA wont accept it I will have to get us all the biometric ones when they come out in August even though we all have five years to go on them?

Is anyone else booked to go out in October 2006?


Susan

If the passport has a digital image in it then it will be accepted after Oct 2006, as long as issued before that date. The only passport not acceptable after Oct 2006, ie you need a visa aswell, will be the ones with laminated ie stuck in photos. If you have 5 years to go check that the photos are digital images as I believe 2000 was around the change over period.

Claire

 

[jna]

I think the other important point is that they must also be machine readable. By this I refer to the two lines at the foot of the page (with the photograph) which include your name and passport number etc. with lots of chevrons filling the gaps, e.g. F>GBRSMITH<<PETER<JAMES<<<<< etc. etc.

It would be unusual not to have them but I believe passports issued abroad may have this missing.

 

[gavvy]

Passports with a "stuck in photograph" will still be allowed without a visa providing the passport was issused before october 2005

The only way your going to need a visa is if your passport is not machiene readable, or you do not satisfy the conditions of the VWP

 

[loadsapixiedust]

This link should make the requirements clear for everyone. There is a lot of misinformation out there at the moment, no wonder people are getting confused.
I believe another price increase will come into force when the biometric passports are introduced next year.

 

[mark&sue]

Thanks for the link loadsapixiedust as this makes it clear. We should be alright which is good news. I will rest easy for the next 11 months!


Susan

 

[Claire L]

Now this is confusing -

British citizens with machine-readable passports but without a digital photo will still be able to visit the USA visa free until the 26 October 2006 as their passport was issued before the 26 October 2005 deadline.

- As it comes from the UK Passport Office, yet no mention of the above is to be found in the US DHS webpage???

Any ideas anyone as to if a machine readable passport with laminated photo is ok after Oct 2006 without the need for a visa?

Claire

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

According to todays papers, that nice Mr Blair is signing us up to that in three years time when you go for your passport or renewal, your fingerprintes will be taken before you get your passport and these will be stored in a European database.
So,
All CCTV cameras are being fitted with Number plate recognition software
ID cards with all your details on, which you have to pay for
Your fingerprints stored on a European database

Police state anyone??

 

[SimonV]

Hi Claire. The bottom line is, only digital photos will be accepted without a Visa after Oct 2006. The 'stuck on' variety will NOT be usable unless you have a Visa. If you renewed your passport around 2000 (as I did), you should check it straight away to see what kind of photo it is.

 

[Claire L]

Hi Claire. The bottom line is, only digital photos will be accepted without a Visa after Oct 2006. The 'stuck on' variety will NOT be usable unless you have a Visa. If you renewed your passport around 2000 (as I did), you should check it straight away to see what kind of photo it is.

My passport is ok issued in 2001 with digi photo and expires 2008 but DH's passport was issued in 1997 and has the 'stuck' in photo. May just renew both when we return from holiday next July.

Claire