Can I renew a UK passport that isn't entirely full?

[v15ben]

Just returned from my holidays and realised I only have 3 blank pages left in my passport.

It is valid until 2016, but I have some trips planned for later in the year that'll require visas and fill it up so wanted to renew well in advance.

I assume there is no problem renewing the passport even though it isn't full?

Also, I can't believe how expensive a new one is these days

[jimmyjimjim]

As long as you want to stump up the cash, they'll be happy to renew it for you.

Might be worth getting the longer passport?

If you think the standard charges are bad, try the FCO ones!

[v15ben]

Sadly I'm stuck with the charges then a nice long wait for it to come to Korea!

[AJS-]

Do you have to send it to Hong Kong from there? I did from Thailand.

From here, because I use the passport as ID as well I didn't have to send the old one in, and I now have two valid passports (although one is totally full, hence pretty useless from here).

And yes, definitely get the extended one. A few friends of mine have managed to fill passports up within a couple of years with trips to Laos, Cambodia, China and other places where every visa is a full page.

[v15ben]

It has to go through Hong Kong from here too.
Strangely those are the same countries I've filled a lot of my pages with too.
I'm going for the 48 page passport and hopefully I won't fill it too quickly

Did you have any problems with the application forms? I was born after 1982 and apparently I have to send copies of my parents' birth certificates! Surely that isn't right. Did you have anything like that when you sent off your documents?

[Joat]

Yes they will let you replace the passport, but make sure they don't cancel any current visa's if you have any.

I am also in S.Korea, hello from POSCO Gwangyang

[Joat]

Yes they will let you replace the passport, but make sure they don't cancel any current visa's if you have any.

I am also in S.Korea, hello from POSCO Gwangyang

[AJS-]

Not sure about the birth certificate issue. I was born before 1982 so that wasn't an issue, but it seems absurd! Is that not if you're claiming British National Overseas status? Didn't have any problems. The most problems I have heard of people having are with the photos. It did take a while though, nearly 5 weeks IIRC. And calling them is absolutely no help at all. They just direct you to a credit card "helpline" who are equally useless by all accounts.

A lot of people here have to leave the country every 3 months, usually to Laos or Cambodia, so that gets rid of pages pretty quickly!

[v15ben]

Hello from Ulsan, good to see another PHer in the Land of the Morning Calm. From what I've read, they can put a sticker in the new passport confirming the existing visa and everything is electronically linked to our ARC cards as well.

The photos do seem to be the most difficult part of the process. I'm going to give it a go and see what happens!

[v15ben]

Did you guys have your passport photos counter-signed?
My appearance hasn't changed at all since my last passport was issued in 2005 so I should be OK without a counter I think

[Joat]

Unless you have already done so, I would scan your current passport and that includes every page plus the cover.
You never know when things go missing in the post!!

[AJS-]

Any teacher who has been there a while, or other professional living there can countersign.

[v15ben]

I'll get my boss to counter-sign the form and everything will be scanned and copied too. Good job I have a quiet day at work tomorrow

[v15ben]

One other daft question. I assume you get the old passport back? I'd quite like to keep it as a momento

[AJS-]

v15ben said:

One other daft question. I assume you get the old passport back? I'd quite like to keep it as a momento

I never sent mine off as you need to use a passport as a form of ID here. Not sure if the same applies to Korea?

ETA: Though when I went to get a passport in the London office, they let me keep the old one with the corners cut off to show it's no longer valid.

[Joat]

I have just replaced my passport whilst I was at home over the Christmas holiday as I only had 5 months left on it for my return to Korea.
I didn't bother getting mine counter signed and the photo in my old passport was taken in 2002 and that was when I had a tash!

[jimmyjimjim]

v15ben said:

Hello from Ulsan, good to see another PHer in the Land of the Morning Clam.

Edit to show what I read it as to begin with....

You get your old passport back; mines in the fire safe now as it has my original L1 visa stamp in - momento reasons also.

I would get the photos signed on the back; I did, I got the bank manager to sign mine as my boss was 1500 miles away.

Didn't have to bother with the additional birth certifcate stuff either(too old), though it was requested and sent.

$288 for me if I was to get the 48 page version; a little bit cheaper for you, it appears. Ouch.

[jimmyjimjim]

Joat said:

Unless you have already done so, I would scan your current passport and that includes every page plus the cover.
You never know when things go missing in the post!!

Good advice for anyone in a foreign country with a visa.

[v15ben]

Much as I thought with the passport then. I do like all those random stamps and comments written by various border people over the years

Land of the Morning Clam

[IanUAE]

When I applied for my new passport they stappled the old one to the new one after cutting the one corner off every page in the old passport. They did this because my UAE residence visa was still valid in the old passport.

The goods news now is that it will take upto 4 weeks to get a new passport as the application etc gets sent to Germany (or so I have been told), or I fly back to the UK for 2 days. I wonder what the company is going to say....