Passport Office- London Ontario

[roscoepc1]

Is there a day that is better than another to go? I filled out the forms online for dh and I. printed out all 4 (2 kids too), and have my pics in hand.

Now I have to pick a day to drive to London to get them processed....is there a day of the week which is less busy than the others? A time of day? (althouth that will be dictated by the drive)

TIA

 

[spatulaqueen27]

I will be keeping an eye on this thread too. I live in London and I have a trip booked for August. No idea where/when to go.

 

[Ham Ham]

The offices are busy when they first open and at lunch.

Here in the GTA some offices are swamped all day. There are signs stating which times of the day are less occupied.

Give your office a call. I think you also have the option of mailing them in.

 

[vDunninger]

I've been to the London office during mid-morning and mid-afternoon during the latter part of the week (Thursday or Friday) and the longest I had to wait was 3 people. I don't think it's usually that busy an office, unlike Toronto where the line-ups are throughout the building and take a good 2-3 hrs to get through on a good day. You shouldn't have any problem.

 

[roscoepc1]

Thanks! The London office is right downtown, with little to no parking (it's about a 1/2 block away and very $$ ).... I'm drawing a blank on the street name too....I know how to get there though! lol. The building is VERY poorly marked too....

Yes, you can mail them in, but it takes a lot longer to get them back. I believe it tends to be less than 2 weeks if you take them in yourself. Plus, if you take them in, you'll know right away if you goofed something up....unlike mailing them in.

 

[pinkygirl]

I live here in London so maybe I can try to help.....first the parking is behind the building, they have about a dozen spots there or across the street (York St. ).
We have always gone first thing in the morning and never had to wait more than 10 minutes. (the last time was very recent)
hope this helps!!

 

[roscoepc1]

YORK! That's it! lol

There's parking behind it? How do you get there? I've only seen the 1/2 laneway where the handicap parking is...it doesn't go around back, I don't think? (or maybe it's just always been blocked by delivery trucks when I've been there?)

There's the pay lot before it....is there a laneway squeezed in between?

 

[Hug the Mouse]

We (2 adults/3 kids) went to the Kitchener office last week and I was very impressed with their efficiency. Seems as though they've increased the size of the office from our last visit 5 years ago. In and out in under an hour (we missed a few items on apps when we filled them out on the computer). We were told to expect passports by Jan 15th.

Always lots of drama with people not showing up with proper documentation, or incorrect photos.

It's only going to get busier as the June deadline approached for required passports at land crossings.

 

[CanadianPaco]

Good post! I remember the issue about the parking thing ... if you park in the lot next to it (where it says no passport offfice parking) you'll get towed.I was so paranoid about getting towed, I parked at Galleria. I plan on going in a few weeks so behind the building is where I'll start.

 

[Ham Ham]

Thanks! The London office is right downtown, with little to no parking (it's about a 1/2 block away and very $$ )....

Finding a spot to park your car is never a problem in London.

If you think London, ON has expensive parking do not visit NYC, Chicago or Toronto by car.

 

[roscoepc1]

Sorry, but it IS a problem at the Gov offices in London. And I've been to all those places by car. Just b/c they're MORE expensive doesn't mean London isn't getting ridiculous too!

By the time I pay for the passport pics, gas money, parking, and then the passports, it's getting insane.

I'm not an un-travelled hick...I just don't see a reason to charge people out the wazoo for doing something they have no choice about!

 

[pinkygirl]

here's a link for a map of the building and you can see a parking lot in the back of the building. The address is 400 York St. btw and it's the tall building you see at the corner...
hope this works

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=e...4507,-81.238344&spn=0.00104,0.002403&t=h&z=19

 

[pinkygirl]

YORK! That's it! lol

There's parking behind it? How do you get there? I've only seen the 1/2 laneway where the handicap parking is...it doesn't go around back, I don't think? (or maybe it's just always been blocked by delivery trucks when I've been there?)

There's the pay lot before it....is there a laneway squeezed in between?

when you drive in front of the building turn right on Colborne, then right again. you'll see a booth attendant on the side of the building. The entrance to the building is in the front but you can't park there, only in the back.

 

[pinkygirl]

Good post! I remember the issue about the parking thing ... if you park in the lot next to it (where it says no passport offfice parking) you'll get towed.I was so paranoid about getting towed, I parked at Galleria. I plan on going in a few weeks so behind the building is where I'll start.

there's always parking back there, unless it's crazy busy which I've never seen except when a couple years ago we all HAD to get passports and everyone rushed to get get one in time. There should be no problem!!

 

[Ham Ham]

You may not find parking right at the door but there is plenty in downtown and the rates are more than reasonable for a city the size of London.

Been to downtown London many times to various areas and I can always find a meter or a lot within a couple of blocks of where I need to go.

Another option is to park at one of the malls and take a bus downtown. I don't think that would save any money or time, since you will probably be at the Passport office for a short amount of time parking downtown makes the most sense.

If you are not accustom to paying for parking any amount feels like a burn.

Found this article from the London Free Press back in 2005.

A comparison shows London's rates rank with the least expensive in Canada.
JOE BELANGER, Free Press City Hall Reporter 2005-08-04 02:48:50
http://www.ul.london.on.ca/urbanweb/News/News2005/london_parking_a_bargain__a_comp.htm