Immigration Corner | How to obtain a UK passport urgently

Dear Mr Bassie,

Please advise how I might be able to obtain a United Kingdom passport urgently.

– JE

Dear JE,

Persons can pay to get their passport sooner if they have not already applied and they believe that the standard service will take too long.

Those persons will need to book a passport office appointment and pay online. Persons should know that they can book an appointment up to three weeks in advance.

If they need a passport to travel urgently for medical treatment or because a friend or family member is seriously ill or has died, they should call the Passport Adviceline instead.

Persons can apply for a faster service if both of the following circumstances apply:

• They are in the UK;

• They need to renew, replace or update a passport, or get a first child passport.

Please note that persons cannot apply if they are outside the UK, applying for an emergency travel document. Those persons applying for a first adult passport should use the standard service.

If they have already applied for a passport and have not received it yet, they should not pay for an urgent passport, as they will not get a passport sooner. However, they might be able to upgrade their existing application instead.

WAYS TO APPLY

There are two ways to apply for an urgent passport. As part of the application, they will need to attend an appointment at the nearest passport office.

ONLINE PREMIUM SERVICE

Persons can get a new passport at their appointment. These appointments last up to 30 minutes. This service can also be used to renew an adult passport.

ONE-WEEK FAST TRACK

Persons can have a new passport delivered to their home within one week of their appointment. Someone might need to be at the address to sign for it.

Persons can use this service to:

• Renew an adult or child passport;

• Change their name on the passport, for example, with a marriage certificate or deed poll;

• Amend their personal details on the passport;

• Replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport;

• Apply for a first child passport.

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, the global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: l awbassie@yahoo.com