Renewing a passport

How strange I did mine online, photographing myself against a plain wall .
Initially they rejected my pic so I redid it a couple of times and when they questioned the similarity between my face/hair colours and the background , I just took a deep breath and said I could do nothing about white hair, a flesh coloured face and a cream background as that was the only plain, unpatterned wall in the house.
They accepted it and the whole thing was done and dusted within the hour.

Just shows you what jokers these people are. If you look at the birth date and see that the applicant is an older person then there is a good change that they are going to have white or grey hair. So if they posed against a plain pale background there will be less contrast.

Just keep snapping photos and try to make sure there are no shadows etc - by brother uploaded 14 different shots before he got one that was accepted.

It made me appreciate now being a dual national as when you get a Swedish passport you do it in person at a local police station and they do the photos and charge less than £30

We tried to use the same photograph for DD2’s Blue Badge, but that was rejected even though it has to be renewed every 3 years. It’s a bit of a palaver too.

I think the passport service is extremely efficient with a very swift turnaround time. Being able to apply online has greatly improved it, but it usually takes a few pictures before one is accepted.

I went to Max Spielmans for mine because they guarantee that the photo will be acceptable and I was then able to use it for other things eg my driving licence which now has to be updated every three years.

I renewed mine in 2016 when they brought the online system in. We must have tried 30 near identical photos before DH went on strike, and I got the most ridiculous reasons for rejection- it looks as though your head is too big/small were two of them. I eventually had a selfie accepted, even though the rules said a selfie wouldn’t do. It was taken against an off white wall, but in my passport the background is a bright blue, which is always commented on.

We renewed DH’s last year. I took one quick snap, uploaded it to see what silly comment I’d get, and it was accepted, oops. So poor DH is stuck with a passport photo that makes him look 10 years older than he is. He’s not looking straight ahead and his eyes are half shut, so how it’s passed the test I really don’t know!

I use Timpsons for photos. They take them until one is accepted, they are filed automatically.

I can see that there is going to be a problem if you cannot get out to have the photo taken. In which case how will you manage to travel abroad?

M0nica

I use Timpsons for photos. They take them until one is accepted, they are filed automatically.

I can see that there is going to be a problem if you cannot get out to have the photo taken. In which case how will you manage to travel abroad?

It’s not a problem M0nica - I did mine entirely on line after coming home from my book group. Yes, you have to be able to upload a selfie . But I take your point, if a person can’t get out to a photo booth , post office etc, are they seriously contemplating travelling abroad?

Had the same trouble when I did ours. After submitting decent photos. I still proceeded to send one. They asked me why. I said because my photo was better than any Photo Booth one. They approved it.

Foxygloves

M0nica

I use Timpsons for photos. They take them until one is accepted, they are filed automatically.

I can see that there is going to be a problem if you cannot get out to have the photo taken. In which case how will you manage to travel abroad?

It’s not a problem M0nica - I did mine entirely on line after coming home from my book group. Yes, you have to be able to upload a selfie . But I take your point, if a person can’t get out to a photo booth , post office etc, are they seriously contemplating travelling abroad?

Passports are accepted proof of identity so some people get a passport purely for that reason. My grandson with learning difficulties, autism and other co-morbidities is unlikely to travel abroad any time soon, but a passport will enable him to open a bank account. He'll never have a driving licence, one of the other popular methods to prove your identity.

We renewed ours a couple of years ago at the Post Office. Certain POs do it all for you, take photo, complete forms, send off and you are emailed just about every day as to how it is progressing. It’s a great service.

Recently renewed mine at our efficient local post office using photograph taken at Timpsons. No problems at all, new passport issued in two weeks and essential local service supported. All good even though I am probably not going to travel anywhere; valuable ID though.

I didnt renew the passport to travel abroad but as a means of ID. I dont drive but I need photo ID as an international dealer who often transfers money abroad. I also use some services which have begun to demand photo ID. An example is online bidding sites - especially based in the USA.

The first photo I tried it said "looks like your eyes are closed". Well no they wernt - it was exactly the same photo as I used last time. When photos are taken with a flash one does tend to blink.

I have noticed that when I take photos of nephew's cat with flash he doesnt blink - just stares at the camera with a snooty expression. Or perhaps he blinks so rapidly that I dont see it. So maybe I should send a photo of the cat.

It 84 attempts at taking a photo of my 1 year old granddaughter before we managed to get one which was acceptable. My daughter and I were losing the will to live!
I finally roped in a friend who is a keen photographer. He managed to get the winning shot by sitting in front of the child with a stuffed toy turtle on his head.

Years ago I spent a fortune getting passport photos done in booths and none of them were any good. That’s when I discovered Max Spielman. They also make me look quite good, too!

Strange biglouis i renewed mine in February just before the price increase and reused old photo taken online few years ago and was accepted...haven't heard anyone asking "why didn't you go to a photo bureau ?" hope you get your new passport

Recently renewed mine online, I went to Simpsons ( in my local Sainsburys) no hassle and no worry that it won't be accepted , it was checked before I left . Perfect job done! only downside is I don't recognize the old lady in my passport!!!

Maybee70 is Max Spielmans somewhere that only I have never heard of ? Is it a photographers ?

Mine is out of date....If I delay a year or so, is there a 'freebie' for auld ones?

Hah just checked and only free for those born up to 1929!

Yes, they can be fussy about the picture. But it’s so easy to try again with today’s digital cameras. Just keep trying!

Well, be glad you don't live in Denmark!

Here you must have a passport or driving licence photo taken professionally, either by a photographer who takes legal photos for documents or at Citizens' Advice where you hand in the renewal application and in no circumstances may you use a ten year old photo.

You can use a selfie or an amateur photo taken by someone else for a bus pass, but not for any legal document.

For anyone buying a passport just as a means of identification, did you know you can get a UK Citizen Card much cheaper?
www.citizencard.com/