Childrens first time passports.

I did my 15 year old daughter's first time passport in Feb, and it took 6 days to come back. I used the Post Offices Check and Send facility as well, just to make sure everything was correct. She needed hers back in 4 weeks as she was going away on Good Friday.

Excellent, thank you.

It just depends how busy they are.
I posted E's application form on Monday and the passport arrived on the Friday in the same week so 5 days including postage.
I think you will be fine with 4 weeks as long as they don't have to make any enquiries about the name.

I would use the post office check and send service, I used this last summer and the passport came back in about a week and a half. And this way you will be assured that there won't be a hitch.

Thanks for replying. Doesn't sound too bad, fingers crossed it'll come back on time.

I keep hearing something on the radio about possibly being interviewed if you are getting your first passport but I doubt they would be able to interview a 3 year old! I'm sure it will be back before 6 weeks. On average I think they take 2-3 weeks normally.

I would ring them and check, the first time application service has changed to try and combat identity fraud. There may be something on the website.

http://www.ips.gov.uk/

Genuine question - why did you have to re-register her because your name has changed? Birth cert would still be valid even if you get married in the meantime, surely?

I just got off the phone to them HH. ? The man I spoke to said 4 weeks will be plenty of time as long as it's with the check and send with the post office.

Spacecadet - For the passport you have to send the full birth certificate. We had both children before we married. We were told if we should marry and I take his name (also children's surname) we have to re-register them as the original becomes invalid.
I've also checked this with the passport office who said this was true.
It's a PITA.

quote:Originally posted by LizBjk
I just got off the phone to them HH. ? The man I spoke to said 4 weeks will be plenty of time as long as it's with the check and send with the post office.

Spacecadet - For the passport you have to send the full birth certificate. We had both children before we married. We were told if we should marry and I take his name (also children's surname) we have to re-register them as the original becomes invalid.
I've also checked this with the passport office who said this was true.
It's a PITA.

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Never knew that and seems a bit strange really! Surely that means any change of name on the mother's part (divorce, single mum meets new bloke) would need a change of cert. Surely what your name was at the time of the birth is all that's relevant? Odd rule.

Just assumed it was a personal thing to have your name the same as theirs on the cert, which would of course be fair enough ?

Just have to add that when I clicked that smiley I got the sex icon by mistake, because at the point I clicked that's where the animation was. That could have looked very strange ?

It is an odd rule. It only gets changed once. You have to do it if the mother marries the biological father and takes on his name.
It wont be changed if we ever separate or if I'd married anyone else, even if that person had the same surname as the biological father.
It's a bloody nightmare.

Just make sure you send the right birth certificate, they don't specify which they want so I send the free one (I think it was the free one) without so much detail (just incase it got lost) and they want the one with all the details, fathers job etc.

If they send it back because it's wrong it'll take longer.

It's the full one we're waiting for. We have the free one here, but it only has her name date of birth place of birth etc.

We didn't bother to get full ones when they were born as we knew we'd be getting married.

I had to apply to do it a month ago. When I went two days ago to get the full one the registrar managed to swap the names around. Me and my daughter have a very similar middle name, difference only being that mine ends with an a and hers with an e. They were in the wrong place. Therefor it's invalid.
I was told I could send it off with a letter attached explaining what had happened but it'll cost £150! Wasn't our mistake and we haven't got that kind of money.
We'll just have to wait patiently for the head office to phone and allow the change.
So frustrating.

Whoops sorry, I didn't read on, you already knew about the birth cert.

Hi

Applied for my daughters first passport in March 2008 and it was only 11 days until I got it back and I didn't use the check and send service.

Suppose it depends how busy they are.

I ordered my son's passport late last summer - I didn't use the post office service but I did pay a bit extra for secure delivery.

The certs came back by courier within 48 hours, the passport the day after. I was flabberghasted at the speed.

Hope you get a similarly good service!

That is fantastic Zebra. I'd be floored if they came back as quick as that.

Thanks for replying all. ?