Recently I have had to renew my British passport, so I thought it might be helpful if I passed on my experience.



First of all, don't forget that some countries (eg USA) require a passport that has at least six months left before expiry. The British Consulate automatically credits you with any remaining time on your old passport, so in fact you renew your passport for 10 years plus xxx days.



If you are resident in the UK, then there is no problem. You simply renew your passport in the normal way for the UK. Remember to allow sufficient time (at least 10-14 days) for receipt of the new passport chez vous, as you have to sign in person for the new passport.



If you are only resident in Provence, then you can no longer renew your passport at the Marseille consulate. You have to do it in Paris. Most of us cannot afford to spend some time in Paris, so it has to be done by post.

Full details are on the internet (http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk) but basically you need to complete a passport form in ink, initial each page, and then send it with two photographs taken in the last month, together with the fee, as well as the old passport and your birth certificate, by courier to (I sent mine by registered post):

For queries, the Consulate is open:


9.30 - 12.30 and 14.30 - 16.30

Tel: 0044 208 082 47 29



The passport from has to be witnessed by a British person of professional standing ie doctor/dentist/lawyer/policeman/engineer etc., who has known you for at least two years. I didn't know anyone in that category in France, but on enquiry they said they would accept a retired British professional, or a professional equivalent in France. My French dentist very kindly obliged.



He/she has to witness the form and preferably put his/her professional stamp on the form. He/she also has to sign and date one of the two photographs with the words:



"I certify that this is a true likeness of ABC"



The website provides at least eight pages of photographs that are not acceptable!!! Basically the two photographs must be:



a) taken in the last month,


b) professionally printed ie no photos off the computer (but the booths in Monoprix etc are acceptable),


c) identical,


d) 45mm high x 35mm wide,


e) in colour,


f) taken against a plain light grey or plain cream background,


g) with no glasses,


h) taken with nothing covering your face,


i) facing forward,


j) no smiling




etc;, etc; etc.



In other words, a good old-fashioned "criminal" photo.



The current cost is 154 euros for a standard passport (you can have a passport with more pages if you are a frequent worldwide traveller), plus 21 euros for the Consulate to courier the new passport to you. You must be there in person to sign for it. You can pay the fee by printing out a credit card payment form, or by certified cheque. The Consulate will not accept a personal cheque, nor cash.



If you are unfortunate enough (like me) to need to telephone them at the above British number, then you get diverted to an agency, which demands your credit card details before they will speak to you, and then charge you for the call. This cost me a further £4.76 on my credit card.



At the end of the day, after sorting out all the bureaucracy, I was very impressed. The courier service not only were able to find my Mas without phoning, but also managed to get inside (I presume through a kind neighbour) and knocked at my door. This was an all-time record.





Gillian Kingsley of the Anglo American Group of Provence

www.aagp-provence.com

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