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David
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Probably a somewhat Dumb question but here goes.

If we move to France and become Residents what happens regarding Passports?

If our UK Passports run out whilst we are Resident in France, what do we do?

Do we have to trudge back to the UK, especially now they will be introducing Personal Interviews?

David Lovell

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It used to be just about the same price as those getting them in the UK, the reason being that  the Home Office ued to run the service. It changed over to the Foreign Office and what happened the price nearly doubled. The embassy staff have to pay the same as us, apparently. We are suppoed to get our passports from the consulate if we are french residents. Although if we are back when they run out, then we can get them in the UK.
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You can, quite legally,renew your English passport in the UK whilst there on a visit.  The same day service costs more than the postal service, but it does mean that you don't spend time without a passport.  Several people have told me this is not legal, but both my husband and I have done it without any problems.  We made the appointments from France, at the passport office we were asked for an address where we were staying (relatives) and I used my Carte de Séjour as one extra piece of identity so we did not try to pretend we were not French resident - in fact I had nice chat with the girl behind the desk about living in France.  Dropped the paperwork off in the morning and picked passport up late afternoon.  This may be more convenient for someone who has to return to UK regularly for work etc.
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I can see why we should get them in the country we live in. IF something happens then the consulate will have all our details won't they. As far as I know we couldn't send them back to the UK to get them renewed and timing a trip for a passport pick up is not always convenient.

My husband's ran out the day after he got back to the UK last autumn, we had had all the forms ready to send it off in France and had forgotten, which is probably lucky as there was a sudden death in the family. We had a lovely trip through to that lovely city of Durham and got the new one there.

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If you really want to keep your passport whilst renewing it and living in France it is possible (or was a couple of years ago when I did mine). Apparently you can visit your local consulate/consular office (and there are actually quite a lot around France so its not a trip to Paris). Here your current Passport will be verified (i.e. that it is you and you have the Passport). The application is then submitted and you keep your passport. Your new passport is sent to the local consular office from where you must pick it up (and presumably give in the old one - or allow them to invalidate it).

I did not do this myself - just wandered around France for a week or to without any valid ID and I don't know if the same is still possible as its quite a few years now before I need another passport.

Ian

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Have just done (renewed) ours by post via British Embassy in Paris - very straightforward and passports arrived in under 2 weeks.  We were warned to make sure that the photo conforms to their very stringent requirements (this is becasue they are the new style recognition technology) - got our photos done in supermarket booth and no problems.  We were also warned not to let one smidge of the signature go outside the box on the form,as this will cause it to be rejected.

Our biggest headache was finding someone appropriate to sign the back of the photos - originally thought we would ask our notaire or our doctor, but it has to be a British citizen. 

Chrissie (81)

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We've renewed two recently and have one more to go next month - for both applications we simply took a digital photo, then made sure it corresponded to the guidelines given and printed it on photographic paper.  No problems with either of them.

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If you were born before 1928, Paris Consulate will renew your passport free of charge. One of the advantages of growing old gracefully!

Last year, when I changed my UK driving licence for a French 'meme chose' (pretentious, what moi!), they would not accept digital reproduced photos, so had to make a dash to the nearest Intermarche for 'proper ones'! I brought this subject up on the telephone when talking to a nice lady at the Consulate. She confirmed that they would not accept digital photos, even if they were on photographic paper!

So in any event, it is best not to take the chance of having all your papers sent back and having to post it it all again!

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  • 3 weeks later...
[quote user="Lautrec"]If you were born before 1928, Paris Consulate

will renew your passport free of charge. One of the advantages of

growing old gracefully!

Last year, when I changed my UK driving

licence for a French 'meme chose' (pretentious, what moi!), they would

not accept digital reproduced photos, so had to make a dash to the

nearest Intermarche for 'proper ones'! I brought this subject up on the

telephone when talking to a nice lady at the Consulate. She confirmed

that they would not accept digital photos, even if they were on

photographic paper!

So in any event, it is best not to take the chance of having all your papers sent back and having to post it it all again!

[/quote]

How can they tell the difference? Our local LeClerc Photobooth - and I

suspect most are like this these days - actually takes digital photos

(I know this because it allows you to see the photo before committing

to print it). With high quality, megapixel cameras everywhere these

days I defy anyone to be able to definitively say if a photo's origin

was optical or digital once it's on good quality photo paper.

p

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  • 8 months later...
Just to update this piece of information: Your photo cannot be countersigned by a citizen of any Country. They must have known you for at least two years, be living in the UK, hold a current British or Irish passport and submit their passport number on the application form. Countersignatories are frequently checked for verification. Any deviation will result in refusal. Also as a matter of interest renewals can be made by personal appontment in the UK even if the applicant lives abroad either by the Premium (4 hour service) or the Fast Track (One week service with the passport sent by secure courier, not Royal Mail,  to a valid UK address). At the present time there is a rolling programme of face to face interviews for first time applicants, not all areas have an available office therefore some can still be dealt with by post only. If you are to be called in for interview you will be advised within 8 days of the initial application.

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Glad you added that Ceejay, as it is not quite the same if you are resident in France. We renewed ours in August of this year through the British Consulate in Paris. It cost 187 euros each [:-))] and we were able to get the photographs signed by our (French) neighbour who is a teacher (it has to be a professional person). My photo (taken in a booth) was sent back as they said it was too light, so I had to go and do it again, when I made sure I wore something darker that didn't pick up the flash! 

There is a British Consulate office in Bordeaux, which is nearer to us, but according to the information on the website you now have to apply to Paris. If we had realised how much it would cost we would have done it in the UK when we were back there last Christmas - isn't it always the way!

EDIT: Not sure why the start of the second paragraph is in larger font, nothing to do with me!

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[quote user="Chrissie"]

Have just done (renewed) ours by post via British Embassy in Paris - very straightforward and passports arrived in under 2 weeks.  We were warned to make sure that the photo conforms to their very stringent requirements (this is becasue they are the new style recognition technology) - got our photos done in supermarket booth and no problems.  We were also warned not to let one smidge of the signature go outside the box on the form,as this will cause it to be rejected.

Our biggest headache was finding someone appropriate to sign the back of the photos - originally thought we would ask our notaire or our doctor, but it has to be a British citizen. 

Chrissie (81)

[/quote]

Do the British Embassy in Paris have a website (I can't find it)? Is there a downloadable form?  I have three children's passports to renew (they run out so quickly).

 

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[quote user="Cathy"]

Do the British Embassy in Paris have a website (I can't find it)? Is there a downloadable form?  [/quote]

The website is here http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1059132495834

I got a new passport them recently via downlaodable forms, but I have no children. However I'm sure all the options are there for you.

I had my application for renewal denied for the first time on a technicality (to do with the photo) so be careful.

I still can't say I agree with them for denying me (at the gate, as it were) but I complied with their bizarre/anal requirements and it was sorted out ver quickly.[:)]

 

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Spot on, Tresco.  All forms and the photograph requirements downloaded.

Thank you so much everyone for this thread. My four children are educated in France and their passports were expiring during the school term.  I was concerned about how to apply for their renewals during a short UK holiday.  So you've solved my problem.  I find this Forum SOOOOO useful for everyday living. [:)]  And a bit of fun occasionally. [:D]

 

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