Passport Application Method
Applying and paying for a British passport overseas may only be done online. The UK Passport Gemach is available to help you through the process. See end of this article for more information.
Application steps are as follows:
- Fill out the application form online.
- Pay online by credit card (international Visa and MasterCard are accepted).
- For a first-time application or for a child under 12, complete the form and get it countersigned.
- Mail the declaration form to the provided address with required supporting documents:
- For passport renewal: old UK passport and a colour copy of the front page of your foreign passport – if you have one.
- For first-time passport:
- Original full UK birth certificate of one parent (for a parent born after 1982, that of the parent’s parent, as well)
- Misrad Hapnim birth certificate of the child, in English, or with an English translation.
- Digital photo of the applicant. Please note: Only digital photos are accepted for online passport applications.
- Adult: no smiling, no glasses, mouth closed, cream/light grey (not bright white) background and no shadow.
- Child: – cream/light grey background, and no shadow. Make sure there are no fingers, hats, or pacifiers visible in the photo especially when taking a baby’s picture. The baby must be looking directly at the camera. If the face is slightly to one side, the picture will not be accepted.
- If the applicant has another passport from a different country, then a colour copy of the front page must be sent with the documents.
On the top of the declaration form, there is a barcode with a tracking number, called the PEX number. This number is your link to information on your passport’s status. Save a copy of the declaration form either in print or on the computer for future reference.
Your passport and supporting documents will be delivered to you separately by DHL courier.
Should your application be missing documents, you have 6 weeks to provide them. After that time, your application may be cancelled and payment will not be refunded.
Fees
There is a mandatory courier fee of £19.86, which pays for your passports and supporting documents to be returned to you securely.
- Child passport (including courier): £75.86
- Adult passport renewal (including courier): £105.86
- Jumbo 48-page passport (including courier): £115.86
Emergency Travel
An Emergency Travel Document (ETD) is granted only in extenuating circumstances, and only when the applicant has already been approved for a new passport by the Passport Office in England. In the case of a first-time passport, an application must be submitted and approved in order to receive an ETD. An ETD is easier to receive for an adult renewal, when the applicant has been previously approved in the Passport Office.
An ETD is valid for the length of your itinerary but no longer than three months. The document costs £100. Its validity cannot be extended and it cannot be exchanged with a full-validity passport.
Certain countries do not permit entry with an ETD, including the United States. Confirm this with the embassy of your destination country before traveling. It can take 2-3 working days until your application has been approved. You will then be notified when to go to the Jerusalem or Tel Aviv Consulate to collect the ETD.
How to Apply for an ETD
What You Will Need
For an Adult
- A completed emergency travel document application form
- A recent passport-quality photo
- Proof of your travel plans, e.g. booking confirmations or your flight itinerary
- A police report, if the passport has been stolen
- Proof of residence in Israel (bills, addressed envelopes, etc.)
For a Child Under Age 16
- The child’s completed emergency travel document application form
- A recent passport-quality photo
- Your passport
- Proof of your travel plans, e.g. booking confirmations (or detailed written travel plans if you can’t book ahead)
- Written proof that everyone who has parental responsibility for the child agrees to the application
- A photocopy of the passport photo page of everyone who has parental responsibility for the child
- A police report if the passport has been stolen
- Proof of residence in Israel (bills, addressed envelopes, etc.)
Emergency Passport for babies
Once the passport has been issued in the UK, the passport office can then give permission for the Consulate / Embassy to issue an emergency passport. Both parents and the child must come to the appointment.
Lost Passports
To replace a lost passport, you must first cancel your passport. It is advisable to report a lost passport as soon as possible. Once it’s cancelled, you can then complete the application form as detailed above. It will then need to be countersigned.
Passport Validity
You may renew your passport whenever you want. You do not need to wait until right before it expires. A child will get 5 years validity and an adult (from the age of 16) will get 10 years validity on their new passport.
Passport Advice Line
For all passport inquiries and to track your passport’s status, call the Passport Advice Line at 44-(0)-300-222-0000.
Hours:
Monday-Friday: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm (UK time)
Sunday and public holidays: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm (UK time)
For assistance with British passport applications, contact the UK Passport Gemach at 02-500-2314 (morning hours). They offer services such as help with applications, advice on tracking the passport and legal translations. No computer access is necessary.