Passport Application Method

Applying and paying for a British passport overseas must be done online. The UK Passport Gemach is here to help you whether or not you have a computer! See end of this article.

Steps are as follows:

1. Fill out the application form online.

2. Pay online by credit card (international Visa and MasterCard are accepted).

3. Print and sign your declaration form.

4. For a first-time application, for children up to age 12, or in the case that the applicant is no longer recognizable from their previous passport picture, you must have the declaration form plus one of the two required pictures countersigned.

5. Mail in the declaration form to the provided address with required supporting documents.

For passport renewal: old UK passport and 2 new pictures

For first-time passport: original UK birth certificate of one parent (and for a parent born after 1982, that of the parent's parent, as well), and Misrad Hapnim birth certificate of the child, in English

8. 2 identical new photos according to UK specifications - 3.5 x 4.5 cm

Adult: no smiling, no glasses, mouth closed, cream/light grey (not bright white) background

Child: under six months does not have to have eyes open - also cream/light grey (not bright white) background. Make sure there are no fingers, hats, or pacifiers on the baby's face.

9. Any other current passports issued by other countries or a color photocopy of the entire passport.

On the top of the declaration form, there is a barcode with a tracking number. This number is your link to information on your passport's status. Save a copy of the declaration form in print or on the computer for future reference.

Your passport and supporting documents will be delivered to you separately by courier.

Should your application be missing documents, you have 6 weeks to provide them. After that time your application may be cancelled and payment will not be refunded.

Generally, passports take 2-3 weeks from the time of application until approval and dispatch, but be prepared for it to take up to six weeks - especially during busy seasons, like the summer and winter holidays.

Fees

There is a mandatory courier fee of £19.86, which pays for your passports and supporting documents to be returned to you securely.

Child passport: £56 + courier = £75.86

Adult passport renewal: £86 + courier = £105.86

Jumbo passport (48 pages): £94 + courier = £113.86

Emergency Travel

An Emergency Travel Document (ETD) is granted only in extenuating circumstances, and only when the applicant has already been approved for a new passport by the Passport Office in England. In the case of a first-time passport, an application must be submitted and approved in order to receive an ETD. An ETD is easier to receive for an adult renewal, when the applicant has been previously approved in the Passport Office.

An ETD is valid for the length of your itinerary but no longer than three months. The document costs approximately £100. Its validity cannot be extended and it cannot be exchanged with a full-validity passport.

Certain countries do not permit entry with an ETD, including the United States. Confirm this with the embassy of your destination country before traveling.

How to Apply for an ETD

After submitting a passport application, keep tabs on the status of your passport online or by phone (see Passport Advice Line below) using your tracking number. When the passport is "processed" or "dispatched," it means that you have been approved and may be eligible to receive an ETD.

Make an appointment with the Jerusalem or Tel Aviv Consulate. Although the passport is most likely in the mail at this point, let the appointment be your backup in case the passport does not arrive in time. The appointment can be as late as the day of your flight.

What You Will Need

For an Adult

a completed emergency travel document application form

a recent passport-quality photo

proof of your travel plans, e.g. booking confirmations (or detailed written travel plans if you can't book ahead)

a police report if the passport has been stolen

proof of residence in Israel (bills, addressed envelopes, etc.)

For a Child Under Age 16

the child's completed emergency travel document application form

a recent passport-quality photo

your passport

proof of your travel plans, e.g. booking confirmations (or detailed written travel plans if you can't book ahead)

written proof that everyone who has parental responsibility for the child agrees to the application

a photocopy of the passport photo page of everyone who has parental responsibility for the child

a police report if the passport has been stolen

proof of residence in Israel (bills, addressed envelopes, etc.)

Lost Passports

To replace a lost passport, fill out form LS01 and add it to a regular application package as detailed above.

Passport Validity

You may renew your passport up to 9 months before your current passport expires without losing any validity. The Passport Office can add the unused validity of your old passport onto the validity of your new passport, i.e. 9 months plus ten years.

Passport Advice Line

For all passport inquiries, and to track your passport's status, call the Passport Advice Line at 44-(0)-300-222-0000.

Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:00 am-8:00 pm (UK time)

Sunday and public holidays: 9:00 am-5:30 pm (UK time)

For assistance with British passport applications, no computer access is necessary; contact the UK Passport Gemach at 02-500-2314 (morning hours). Legal translations can also be obtained through this gemach.