Australian Child Passport help needed please x

[kadina]

We are due to move back to Australia, my kids are Australian, unfortunately one needs a new passport, i understand you cannot just renew a kids passport you have to get an entirely new one, but it seems i can only do this online?? can anyone advise me if there is any other way of doing it from the UK?? its a real pain cause it requires original documents to be sent in the post once you have printed off the online application which I am reluctant to do , any help would be appreciated, why its so difficult I don't know, with the amount of different nationalities we have in the UK it should be something you should just be able to do at the post office like if it was a UK one

[cliffy]

My daughter, living overseas, has an appt on Friday to renew her son's Aussie Passport with her nearest Embassy. They don't live in UK.

She filled in the online form, and had to pay by Bank Transfer, and I believe once the documents and photos are checked they are sent to Australia House in UK for processing and issue. Check with them, I am sure they commonly issue Passports to Aussies living in UK.

[snifter]

Hubby got his new Aus passport easy enough here in the UK. It expired and he needed a new one. I think he either sent it all off and got it back within a couple of weeks or went to the Aus house in London for the day.

 

Everyone has to send in their old passport to be cancelled etc. There is no getting round this if you send it in the post. We send that sort of thing via special delivery with the PO and never had a problem.

[kadina]

Thanks to you both unfortunately I am too far away to go to London I live in Devon. thought this would be easy, can anyone advice who I actually contact to do it online ?? when I looked at the london embassy website it said you had to go in person to actually do it, really need to get this sorted out if Snifter could kindly advice who her husband contact online that would be great , many thanks xx

[snifter]

It appears for a childs passport you need to apply in person though the child does not have to attend. You may not have any way around this.

 

http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/Passports.html

 

May be you'll just have to book an appointment and take a day trip up there. We are not that far from you and hubby made the trip for our son's first Aus passport iirc.

[kadina]

Thanks so much for that information since posting my earlier comment I ended up ringing the embassy in london to clarify things and yes I do have to go up there, such a pain if it was an adult one it could be done in the post but instead i have to do a 10 hour round trip to do a kids one, ridiculous if you ask me but no other way around it, why they do it like this I will never know we already have passports you think it would have been more straight forward but sadly not, thanks for all your help on this xxx

 

 

 

It appears for a childs passport you need to apply in person though the child does not have to attend. You may not have any way around this.

 

http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/Passports.html

 

May be you'll just have to book an appointment and take a day trip up there. We are not that far from you and hubby made the trip for our son's first Aus passport iirc.

[Sallyh]

It's not really a big deal, most passports these days require interviews. I did it in London a number of years ago, and I just got the train there, took a ticket and had it issued. I personally thought that was better than any application that I had to wait for. You could make a trip of it and do something nice in the Smoke at the same time. Maybe stay over night or something. I also prefer doing something in person than posting documents.

[kadina]

You are entitled to your opinion hun but personally i think its still rediculous, its not like its protecting the child or anything they don't even have to go with you !! and yes it is a big deal when your partner works and you have to rely on people to look after your kids to do a 10 hour round trip just to do it, I renewed both british and Ozzy passports while in oz and not once was there a problem you either did it in the post or at the post office. and going up to London on my own for the day is not my idea of fun as theres no one that can come with me, its not like you even get it there and then it still has to be sent to you in the post once you been up there. Yes I have to make a trip of it now cause the kids have to drag back to Essex with me now so I can go up there for the day just want I wanted for the easter holidays the annoying thing is I was up there at xmas and could have done it then

 

 

It's not really a big deal, most passports these days require interviews. I did it in London a number of years ago, and I just got the train there, took a ticket and had it issued. I personally thought that was better than any application that I had to wait for. You could make a trip of it and do something nice in the Smoke at the same time. Maybe stay over night or something. I also prefer doing something in person than posting documents.

[cliffy]

Yes, I agree it could be a problem, a major problem. When my daughter first applied for her eldest son's passports she was required to fly from her country of residence to the nearest Embassy, Denmark, several countries away and a major expense, as it also involved an overnight stay. At the time, I contacted our (her) local MP, Andrew Southcott. The Office were very helpful and made many enquiries, but there was no way around the regulations. And it was then sent to UK for processing. I agree, the system should be changed. Some countries allow you to use another embassy to lodge and certify, but not Australia.