Have you lost or damaged your passport? Don’t worry, you can get a new one and the process is reasonably easy to understand and to follow. It’s important to remember that you’re basically re-applying for your passport, so it’s important to get the application process underway as soon as possible to prevent any delays and ensure you get your passport back quickly.
Here’s what you need to do:
Re-application for your passport
You can apply for your passport either online or by visiting your local Post Office and filling in the relevant form. It’s important to note, however, that it’s not a free service to re-issue a lost or damaged passport.
It costs £75.50 if you’re applying online, and £85 if you’re applying via a paper form.
It’s important that you fill in the form as accurately and as clearly as possible. Remember the same rules apply as when you applied for your passport originally. Write legibly and provide all of the personal information necessary to ensure that your application can be dealt with in as swift a manner as possible.
If your form is badly or incorrectly filled in, the Passport Office may have to contact you for clarification, send the application form back to you, or, in isolated cases, possibly even reject the application. So invest the extra time and fill out the form properly.
Re-sending your photographs
You will have to take another passport photo if you’re going re-apply for your lost passport. There are many ways you can do this, whether it’s using an online service such as Paspic, a photo booth, or by visiting any high street photography store.
You will need to send two identical photos of yourself with the new application, both of which will have been signed by an appropriate counter-signatory who conforms to the proper conditions.
Remember that though you only need to have one photograph signed, you need to send two photographs with your application, and both must be of acceptable standard and identical.
