Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hakwonner]

I would like some advice on this as I am renewing my UK passport this week. I already know we have to send everything off to Hong Kong.
I called the advice line in Hong Kong, but it costs 70p a minute and you have to give card details before they can connect you to an adviser

I downloaded all the forms, so a couple of questions:

1) The form says you need birth certificates and stuff like that. Is that really necessary when renewing?

2) It also says you need a countersignatory who has known you for 2 years. Nobody in Korea has known me for 2 years! I have only been here one year.

Now I'm not sure if these things are more for those who are applying for a first passport, so i can leave them out. The accompanying notes are as vague and confusing as you'd expect an official British government document to be.

Any speedy help on this greatly appreciated, as I need to send everything off this week if I am to get my new passport back in time!

[litebear]

Yes I did it.

No, you dont need the birth cert for renewals.

It only needs to be counter signed if your appearance in your new picture is a dramatic change to your old passport photo. I had a British friend countersign mine just to be safe (he hadn't known me 2 years either). I'd say it probably speeds up the process a little.

Mines took around 2 weeks. Hope this helps. (And your right, the notes are very confusing, I had to call to get all the info above when I did it!)

[Murakano]

I renewed mine just before Christmas and as the above poster said, no birth cert required for renewals.

My countersignatory knew me for less than 2 years too but they didn't bother checking/calling. If you're good mates with someone I'm sure they'll help you out a bit in that regard should HK happen to unlikely check up on you.

[hakwonner]

excellent thanks for that guys. I actually did manage to find more comprehensive notes online that made things much clearer.... so to anyone who has dragged this up by searching, go here for an A - Z of British passports:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/passports1/passports-a-to-z

One question though guys... did you get your old passport back?

I'd like it back just to keep all the stamps/visas etc... but I'm assuming it's needed as it still has my valid E2 visa in it?

[missty]

I did this before Christmas. I had no countersign and it was processed fine. No other documents were needed and it was done really quickly, maybe a month?

I got my old passport back, went to Immigration, and they put my visa from that passport into my new passport. You'll have no need for the old one when traveling. The cost for doing this was free, but you need to do it within a certain time limit of receiving your new passport. I can't remember the exact limit, but its around 2 weeks I think?

[hakwonner]

[missty]

[hakwonner]

Great. Thanks a lot for all the advice.

[Murakano]