diy passport photo

[John Rumm]

The scanners that I have seen are optical devices only. So if you can't see the print, then neither can they.

[Kev]

Too right, they say that it must be an honest, loyal upstanding pillar of the community then say that you can get a f**king MP to sign it. Lets face it most people in prison are better pillars of society than politicians.

Kevin

[Frank Erskine]

How true.

[daddyfreddy]

I think you might be reading it wrong, Dave. I've had a passport done recently with this new technology they have for passports and you just had to make sure the background was white and the pics were to a certain size.

Mine were done at a photo-booth where they all come in one piece so they have to be trimmed anyhow.

[Broadback]

Recently I renewed my and my wifes passports. I went to a photo booth and the result was outside the specification by my reckoning, so I did it by digital. Both were ok, my passport was the old type, my wifes came a day later that was the type with a chip.

[Ed Sirett]

The problem was finding someone for my son's passport (5 at the time), who had known him for the required amount of time. The person in question was a neighbour who was a professional photographer and owned her own house. She is retired but "Peterborough" needed some headed letter paper of her business to accept her as a person of Standing.

The only reason we needed the extra passport was because Ryan Air (not UK passport control) doesn't allow children to travel without their own passports.

[John]

There are facilities with the on-line photo processing places such as

Quick service and good quality. "Passport photos are available in two styles: UK/Irish and USA. A UK/Irish passport print contains eight identical images, each sized 35mm by 45mm. A USA passport print contains 2 images each sized 2" by 2". You can rotate and crop your photo to get the best 'head and shoulders' - just click on the crop and enlarge link in your shopping basket."

[Roland Perry]

In message , at

21:10:39 on Mon, 7 Aug 2006, Ed Sirett remarked:

There must be some kind of waiver for getting a newborn a passport!

"Photo-Id for children under 16 years is not required in the following circumstances:

• Children travelling with an adult on UK domestic flights and UK-Republic of Ireland-UK routes.

• Children included on the passport of the parent with whom they are travelling.

So what were the circumstances that Ryanair insisted on separate ID?

The [government's] reason for separate passports is to discourage kidnapping, but I've always thought this rather odd. In the past the child could only be kidnapped by the parent upon whose passport they were added. Now they can be kidnapped by anyone who has access to the child's passport. (And most cases are not of *involuntary* kidnapping, of course).

[Christian McArdle]

Indeed, the search was based on a mistaken premise. For a child's passport, the countersignatory needs to have known the parent for 2 years, not the child.

Christian.

[Andy Hall]

I have just finished working on the bureaucracy to complete my passport renewal.

I can confirm that the whole process is rife with incompetence and inconsistency. I didn't have high expectations, but they have managed to fall even below those.

Specifically:

- My (48 page) passport is nearly full and some countries require one or two clear pages for their visas, hence prompting a need to renew at

8 years rather than 10. There is an inconsistency in their information. In one area they say that it is not possible to renew a passport more than 9 months before expiry at all. Phone call to help line to ask for guidance. Yes they can, but will only credit up to 9 months of unexpired time to the new passport. Pointer to different link on web site explaining that.

- Attempt to do on line application. Ha. Forget that. Either you can ask for a form to be sent or you can do an online application and they send you the printed form in the post. What a joke.

- Go to local sub post office for a form. No they don't have them - only main post offices because they operate a check and send service. Umm.... but I might just want a form that I send in the post. Go to town centre, park and pay and go to main post office. They had the forms on a rack, so at least no waiting.

- I read through the notes in general (only 4 sections to fill in). Not too bad except there is a place to write "country of birth" - doesn't say what they want in the notes. UK? United Kingdom? England? Another call to their 0870 number and conversation with lady in Norn Eyerlnd. They don't mind what you write because the passport will say the same thing anyway.

- There's a colour leaflet with the application form explaining the parameters for the photographs. There are some real howlers here from samples of photos that are and are not acceptable. Apart from the background and straight face comments already made, they say that the distance between crown (top of head without hair) must be between 29 and 34mm in the photo, face mustn't be covered etc. Their examples in the leaflet have the correct overall photo size but virtually none of them conform to their stated requirements.

• Most of the faces have a smile on the face

• None of them have a 29-34mm high face

• There is a photo of a lady in purdah. It's marked as unacceptable. In the notes it says that it is acceptable if worn for religious reasons. Speaking out of both sides of mouth.

- Check on issue of biometric passport as a result of hearing about upcoming changes for entry into the U.S. Passport Office says that some are being issued but it's fairly random. So I check their web site again and it says

"Do I need a Biometric Passport to enter the US? The US Senate announced on 15 June 2005 a one-year extension (to 26 October 2006) to their requirement for Biometric Passports."

This is a requirement for entry under the Visa Waiver program, otherwise a visa application is needed for a visit. From past experience, a lot of pissing around at the U.S. Embassy potentially for each visit. I don't have time for that several times a year.

Another call to Passport Office. Can I request one please? No way to do that, but I could include a letter requesting it if I wanted. No guarantees.

I check with the Foreign Office and the U.S. Embassy. No it isn't like that

"I understand that further changes are to take place in 2006

Passports issued on or after October 26, 2006, must also include an integrated circuit chip capable of storing the biographic information from the data page, a digitized photograph and other biometric information."

Another call to UK Passport Office. Oh yes. That is right. It's when they are *issued* not that there will be a requirement for all passports to use the VWP. They promised to change the web site.

- Now I look at processing time. Standard procedure is over two weeks. No good. Fast Track service. Better, but one week of working days from receipt of documents to sending them back. In other words, two weeks. Finally I find the Premium Service. They can do same day, but one has to make an appointment at one of the offices an show up in person - basically write off a day. Then there's a two week lead time anyway.

- Finally some light at the end of the tunnel, and so far not a train coming the other way. I call a consular service. They have a booked agency slot at the passport office and can collect the application, photos and old passport tomorrow afternoon and return the completed new passport on Friday. Perfect. All this despite the best efforts of HMG not to provide a decent service. Let's see what happens.

I think I'll get that well earned drink now.

[Christian McArdle]

You can also download a PDF to print off yourself. This is what I did. No need to call at a post office.

It sounds perfectly reasonable to me. The latest one I applied for (a first passport, not a renewal) actually came back in half the time.

It seems they provide a whole range of different services, offering different response times, including one you seem quite happy with.

I bet if you tried to get a passport from another country then you'd really find out what bureaucracy means!

Christian.

[John Rumm]

One presumes that the consular service is not provided by HMG though...

[lairdy]

What does the blurb say, exactly ? I managed to download their guide to taking an acceptable photo and it looks like the one I was sent when I renewed my passport last year (mind you, they changed this year to be some even closer agency to His Tonyness than they used to be, so who knows if they've not changed the spec to be head size within 2 microns of 34.09mm or whatever).

I did my own, and my new passport arrived back in a couple of days. Yonks old Epson colour printer and glossy paper. YMMV.

--=20 "The road to success is always under construction."

[Andy Hall]

This I couldn't find. They said that they wanted to scan forms and that home printed ones weren't good enough.

On average it might. Unfortunately, I need to have a defined and minimum time because I'm travelling somewhere or other pretty much every week.

They don't provide a same day collection, lodging, processing and return service. The best they can offer to an individual is to make an appointment (two weeks in the future) in London. Basically that would mean a whole day on the exercise (opportunity cost) plus £40 in train fares. Not worth it.

[Andy Hall]

No it's not. Cost of that with a consular firm is about £75 plus the passport office fees. I think it's worth it though when one considers £40 in train fare plus the opportunity cost of a lost day.

[Christian McArdle]

You can apply for a 2nd passport without surrendering your first. Just pretend you visit Israel as well as Arab countries. Then you can use the slow service, whilst still travelling on your previous passport.

Christian.

[Andy Hall]

To quote:

The photographs must be:

- identical;

- recent (taken within the last month);

- 45mm high x 35mm wide (however, please do not trim your photographs to meet this condition);

- taken against an off-white, cream or light gre plain background so that your features are clearly distinguishable against the background;

- printed on low gloss, plain-white photo-quality paper (with no watermarks, embossing or printing on the back);

- free from copyright (for example don't send school photographs as these are produced under copyright);

- undamaged, for example, by creases from paperclips;

- of you on your own (no babies' dummies, toys or other people visible;

- a close-up of your head and shoulders so that your head, from the bottom of your chin to your crown (that is, the top of your head without hair), is between 29 and 34mm high, and your eyes are in the area marked by the shaded band above; and

- clear of writing on the front and back. If your application needs to be countersigned (see note 10 of "How to fill in your passport application form", please ask your countersignatory to certify the back of one (not both) of the photographs with the handwritten words, "I certify that this is a true likeness of (give your full name and title), and to sign and date the endorsement. The other photograph must be blank on the back

The photographs must:

- be in sharp focus and clear;

- have a strong definition between the face and the background; and

- be printed professionally. Photographs printed at home are not likely to be of an acceptable quality.

The Photographs must show:

- no shadows

- you facing forwards, looking straight towards the camera;

- a neutral expression, with your mouth closed (no obvious grinning, frowning or raised eyebrows);

- your eyes open and clearly visible (with no sunglasses or heavily tinted glasses, and no hair across your eyes);

- no reflection or glare on your glasses, and the frames should not cover your eyes (you may find it easier to remove your glasses);

- your full head, without any head covering, unless it is worn for religious beliefs or medical reasons; and

- nothing covering your face. Please make sure nothing covers the outline of your eyes, nose or mouth.

[Andy Hall]

Yes, I thought about that, but then one needs a justification, a letter from the company (which can't be from the applicant, making it difficult for me.) So then the second one could be used for Arab countries, but the first one would still need renewal before the next trip to Israel. Mind you, that could be a little into the future.

[Christian McArdle]

Will just having a suitable stamp in your passport and a letter intending a visit be enough?

Ever been to Cyprus or Turkey?

Yes, you would need to plan in advance. If you get them nicely 5 years out of phase, then you never need worry again!

Christian.

[Andy Hall]

That's for the passport office application- i.e. wanting the reason for needing two.... Probably something like this would be OK.

Nope. No real reason to go to either.

Probably Russia is the largest PITA in terms of bureaucracy concerning visas that I've encountered.

I can see the point.