Passport Advice Needed

[thenimblethief]

My son Joshua (Joshuawbb) is starting the 3rd year of his BA at Xiamen University. My question is this:

Joshua's passport runs out in September. He went over on a child's passport. Apparently he needs to renew it at the Hong Hong consulate. He has looked on their website and it says that the application needs to be supported by birth certificates for both myself (dad) and his mum. Has anyone had to renew their passport in China, and can give us some advice? Did you have to supply original copies of parental birth certificates and were there any complications?

Joshua would normally ask this question on the forum himself but since he has moved into a new apartment there have been some very frustrating problems getting his internet set up. (If anyone has any experiences with the internet supplier in Xiamen, it would be interesting to hear). Once he gets this annoying problem sorted out he will be back on, posting. I must admit I enjoy reading his posts, and the replies he gets from you guys.

Your help would be much appreciated.

Malcolm (Joshua Webbs dad)

[jbradfor]

Interesting. That is not required for renewing a passport at a place in the US. [i assume he is over 18 now? I hope so, as IIRC he'll be married soon ] Since he is renewing as an adult (I know, hard for you to believe!), but his last passport was a child's passport, he needs to submit DS-11 in person (unlike a normal renewal that can be done via mail). But as you can see from this page, he doesn't need your birth certificate.

I took a look at the American Consulate in Hong Kong's web site, to see if their requirements differ, and I don't see what Joshua sees. The problem is, I don't see his case listed. It's not a Routine Renewal (as he was under 16 when he got his current passport), it's not a "First Time Passport Application for Adult Passports" (this is for adults getting their first USA passport, i.e. just naturalized, not for getting your first adult USA passport), and it's not a minor passport (as he is over 16 now, I presume). I might have missed something , but could you check with him on exactly what he thinks he saw?

[gato]

He's a British citizen. :-)

[jbradfor]

DOH! Is that what "Basingstoke England" means?

Nevermind.....

[jbradfor]

I was curious, so I checked the British Consulate in Hong Kong this time. I still don't see that requirement.

In fact, the requirements are easier than in the USA. It counts as a normal renewal if

You still have your last passport (standard adult ten-year or five-year child’s passport issued before you were 16) – as long as this passport was issued to you only in your name (or previous name if you are applying for a passport in a new name). If you were included on your parent’s/guardian’s passport as a child and now require your own passport, you are considered to be a first time passport applicant.

The only weirdness I saw was section 3 of form C1: for women who are British citizens through marriage, but no similar section for men who are British citizens through marriage. I'm sure there is some history to that....

[anonymoose]

I renewed (or should I say replaced) a passport in Shanghai. I didn't need any kind of official documents. I just filled in a form, complete with photographs, and as far as I remember, that was it.

[frank the tank]

I changed from a Childs passport to an adults passport (Australian) a few years ago. I know it could be different because of the nationalities but I only needed my own original certificates and it was a very pleasant experience. They even accepted the photos of myself that the ladies in the photography shop had photoshoped my brown eyes to blue despite me insisting that because I'm a foriegner it doesn't mean I have blue eyes!

[joshuawbb]

Hello everyone, just popped onto here by chance and saw this. I'm in an internet bar at the moment and the internet hasn't been available in my apartment since I moved into a new one in March. Rather annoying problem, unhelpful China Telecom but will get sorted out soon hopefully. Anyway, that's a different issue.

I honestly thought too that I didn't need any birth certificates. Indeed, as has been said, as far as I can see too the requirements are not written anywhere on the Hong Kong UK Embassy itself, but it appears in one of their PDF guidance documents to filling in the application.

To clarify a few things, the adult passport aplication is form C1, a PDF downloadable from the website. At the end of the application it reminds the applicant to make sure that the relevant "documents" are included with the application, referring to a list included in the "C1 notes" PDF (downloadable from the same place), which is a clarification guide for the application. Only at the bottom of that PDF guide does it mention the birth certificates - in a section more-or-less named "documents required for adult passport, for person born after 1982", it states that birth certificates from myself and my parents are required. I thought it seemed really unusual too.

Sorry, got to rush off now. A big thanks to all of you for your posts.

[jbradfor]

You're right, I see that now. That is really weird. Note that for born before 1983, it states that if you provide your current passport, such documents are not needed, but that paragraph is not in the section for born after 1983. I have to believe that is just an omission, but then again, I'm not the one renewing my passport in a foreign country.

Looking at the link provided (http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/passports1/passports-a-to-z/d-topics/documents), the plain text seems clear to me that this isn't needed:

Supporting documentation is not required for renewal of valid or recently expired passports.

But as you said, the best answer will come from someone in the same position as you. As for me, I'm 0-for-3 of the needed criteria ;)