re-newing Australian passport in the UK

[blackstan]

Hello all, been a long time since ive been on here. My wife and I have spent several years in Australia over three periods, the last was 3 years , 2007-2010. We became Australian citizens then, we returned to the UK in 2010 for various reasons, mainly family stuff and we have been here way longer than we expected. So the problem is our oz passports ran out in Feb this year. Ive checked the website for the Australian high commission in London and phew it seems like a bit of a long drawn out thing to get an oz passport here in the UK. As we live in the north its even harder, it also states you must have an interview...anyone had one? what does it entail?. We planned to go back to oz this year, NSW, on a bit of a recce, but the fires then the covid obv stopped our plans. We wish to go back for a visit first but with the aim of moving back later on. any info would be good cheers.

[Quoll]

Renewed mine in London in 2018. Yes, it is a long drawn out process - the interview is very straightforward, they basically just eyeball you, check you've filled out the forms correctly, ensured you have photos of the right dimensions (from my observation of people being interviewed while I was waiting, around 70% of them did not! Get your pics done professionally from somewhere that knows what the Aussie dimensions are) and then sent you on your way.  Entering the Aus HC is an experience in itself with guards behind bullet proof screens, standing on the x and getting all your belongings scanned. It is more expensive, not only because you have to factor in your trip to London (all of you!) and the levy for having your passport renewed overseas.  And all that is assuming you can get your computer to talk to the application form (my son had trouble with that).  When we did ours there was about a 3-4 week wait for an appointment time but that may have been increased now as they were closed to applications during covid, so there will be a catch up.  It wasnt difficult, just time consuming and expensive.  My friends were whinging about the cost of renewing their GB passports which had recently increased, until I told them that my Aussie passport was well over twice as expensive.

Edited to say, as yours have only just expired, you have less to do in providing information so that is a bonus

Edited August 5, 2020 by Quoll

[Parley]

God knows why you need an interview if you are a citizen and can send in your old passport.

Bureaucracy gone mad.

[Quoll]

1 hour ago, Parley said:

God knows why you need an interview if you are a citizen and can send in your old passport.

Bureaucracy gone mad.

Yup, it was a highly bureaucratic process from beginning to end. Might be to ensure that everyone has photos of the right dimensions though, they'd be spending hours sending stuff back if what I saw was anything to go by.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Quoll

[newjez]

1 hour ago, Quoll said:

Yup, it was a highly bureaucratic process from beginning to end. Might be to ensure that everyone has photos of the right dimensions though, they'd be spending hours sending stuff back if what I saw was anything to go by.

Make sure your witness is on the employer list. It's different from the UK one. Check it online.

Anything wrong or they don't like, and it's another trip to London. They made me bring the kids in too.

[Quoll]

3 hours ago, newjez said:

Make sure your witness is on the employer list. It's different from the UK one. Check it online.

Anything wrong or they don't like, and it's another trip to London. They made me bring the kids in too.

Trying to remember, does it need a witness if the last passport has recently expired? I vaguely recall that it’s only necessary if it’s in excess of 2 years expiry. My son’s expired about 10 years ago and he’s had issues with getting a witness although he shouldn’t (he’s just being lazy and doesn’t want to spend the money LOL) and at the end of the month he will struggle to get to London for an interview- he’s not bothered this past couple of years when he was virtually next door!! 

[newjez]

16 minutes ago, Quoll said:

Trying to remember, does it need a witness if the last passport has recently expired? I vaguely recall that it’s only necessary if it’s in excess of 2 years expiry. My son’s expired about 10 years ago and he’s had issues with getting a witness although he shouldn’t (he’s just being lazy and doesn’t want to spend the money LOL) and at the end of the month he will struggle to get to London for an interview- he’s not bothered this past couple of years when he was virtually next door!! 

The signature needs a witness.

We used our chiropodist, which would have been ok for UK but not Australia.

Fortunately we know a police man, so we got him the second time.

[Antipodista]

I got mine done in Liverpool...they do outreaches from time to time where they travel to larger UK cities. Probably doing way less at the moment due to the pandemic...

https://uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/outreachvisits.html

[blackstan]

thanks for all the replies, I haven't even started the form yet, but we have our interview booked in for October, so we will have to make a couple of days of it. I agree with getting it done professionally , don't want any return trips!. yeh I agree with the cost!..i renewed my british passport in Sydney in 2009 and it was in and out...cant remember the cost. ah well we will just have to cross the 't's dot the 'i's and stand where we are told on the day and get it done. thanks for all your replies you have been most helpful