Digital Camera

Passport office workers will Go On strike for five weeks between 3 April to 5 May, over a dispute about jobs, pay and conditions.

A quarter of The Passport Office's 4,000 employees are expected to walk out.

What does that mean if you need to get a new Passport ?

You can renew your Passport - at a cost of £82. 50, payable by debit or credit card.

You will need your existing Passport and a digital photograph.

Or you can apply by post, at a cost of £93.

You will need to fill out a form which you can get from any Post Office which has a check and send service, or by calling the.

You will need 2 new and identical printed photos of yourself.

The Passport Office recommends you have your photos taken in a booth or at a photo shop because they are more likely to pass the standards for a Passport photo.

A photo taken in these places will come with a code that you can use to upload the pictures to your online application.

If you take your photographs At Home , you will need Someone Else to take them using a Digital Camera , tablet or smartphone.

There are strict standards for a Passport photo, which you can read.

You will need to have one of two new print photos validated if, or if you are renewing your own Passport and you cannot be recognised from your existing Passport .

If you have unexpired visas in your existing Passport , send it with The Visa attached to it along with your application.

Your previous Passport will be returned to you and you will be able to use The Visa if you carry both passports.

The Passport Office says you should apply for a new Passport 10 weeks before you are due to travel.

If you need a Passport urgently, you can pay extra to get it sooner.

You will need to book an appointment and visit your nearest Passport office In Person and pay online. You can book an appointment up to 3 weeks in advance.

If you need a Passport urgently or for medical treatment or because a friend or family member is seriously ill or has died, the government advice is to call.

If you are travelling abroad, you need to renew your Passport if it has expired or if it does not have enough time left on it.

How much time you need on your Passport depends on the country you are planning to visit. You can check this.

For Spain, France, Greece and other popular summer destinations in the EU, your Passport needs to be valid for at least three months after the date you plan to leave the country you are visiting.

And your Passport should be issued less than 10 Years before the date you are planning to enter Spain or another EU country.

The government says The Strike does not affect their guidance which is still to allow up to ten weeks to get a Passport .

A Home Office spokesperson said:

" We Are disappointed with The Union 's decision to strike after engaging in constructive talks to find a resolution.

" We Are working to manage the impact of strike action whilst ensuring we can continue to deliver vital services to The Public , with comprehensive contingency plans in place. "

In 2022, hundreds of thousands of people waited.

This Was due to a surge in demand, as coronavirus travel restrictions were lifted.

There were More Than seven million Passport applications between January and September 2022. The busiest month was May when More Than 1. 2m requests for passports were submitted.

Source of news: bbc.com