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Saturday, February 06, 2010 15:34
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New arrangements for British passport services overseas
Starting in March, UK passport applications in Thailand are to be processed in Hong Kong
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is reorganising the way it deals with passport applications as part of a plan to make the way British passports are issued more efficient and secure. The reorganisation is aimed at keeping down the cost of a new passport.
An important part of the change is that, all applications for passports will be processed by regional Passport Processing Centres, so applicants will need to allow some extra time for applications to be sent to and from the Processing Centre.
From 8 March 2010, passports for British Nationals will no longer be processed in Bangkok.
In some countries, applicants will still be able to hand in their application and pay at their local British Embassy/High Commission/Consulate. In others, the application should be sent direct to the regional Processing Centre.
Details of how the new system is set up country-by-country can be found on the FCO website: www.ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk
The FCO will still aim to issue at least 90% of all straightforward passport applications within 10 working days of receipt of the correct documents and fee, although this will exclude the time taken for delivery.
British Embassy/High Commission/Consulates will continue to issue travel documents for applicants who need to travel in an emergency.
British Ambassador to Thailand, Quinton Quayle, said “The British Embassy is working to ensure that the introduction of the new arrangements runs smoothly. Further information about the forthcoming changes can be found on the Embassy website, which we hope will help to answer any queries at this stage. We can assure customers that we will continue to offer the best service possible.”
The British passport is trusted as a secure document the world over. We want to keep it that way so that British travellers continue to enjoy the convenience and benefits of a travel document which is known to be difficult to forge or obtain fraudulently. Limiting the number of locations where we print passports reduces the risk of them falling into the wrong hands. The new processing centres will be staffed by teams specialised in passport examination, fraud detection and secure document technology.
