Part of our Paris trip preparations included applying for new passports because our others had expired. What a nightmare that turned out to be!
Firstly, time flew by and I had left the applications later than I planned to which made the whole process a little more traumatic. So, I decided to use the post office's 'check and send' facility. For the sum of £7 per person, the post office staff check over your applications prior to sending them out in priority marked envelopes so they are dealt with more quickly. They claim the process will take approximately 2 weeks but the small print cautions you NOT TO BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY UNTIL YOUR PASSPORT ARRIVES throughout the form.
I had ages....No problem!
They were rejected TWICE!
On my second visit I was reminded that I would need a FULL birth certificate for my eldest Son as this was his first passport...He had previously been on mine.
By now I was waking in the middle of the night with visions of ruining my Mums Birthday simply because we had no passports to leave the country with. I was a wreck!
I managed to obtain his certificate online but at a cost, paying over £30 for a 3 day postage service. I had no choice, time was ticking and new laws meant that from April each of us would have to attend an interview for a passport application, we needed them quick!
On 27th March, they finally accepted the applications on my third visit and for a moment I felt relief but soon realised I would not be able to relax completely until our new passports were in my hand.
On the 3rd April my Mum called me in Heacham to say they had arrived and I was finally able to witness it for myself on my return the next day.
I can't tell you how relieved I was.
The check and send service turned out to be a very reliable choice, they had detected problems with my applications and saved me a lot of time waiting for returns in the post. My passports arrived in under the quoted 2 weeks...Well worth the extra expense!
