Passport - Renewal

My passport expires in December and I was thinking of getting it renewed now. I see from the passport offices website that they can add up to nine months onto the date (taking me through to Dec 2018).
Question is does anybody know if there are any changed planned in the next 9 months with regards to the content/security of your passport? For example they are not going to add fingerprints which means I would have to return it and probably pay another fee.

-Steve

[Neil]

I would do it now, more likely the cost will go up rather than anything else, £80+ I've just paid [V] Not sure about any planned changes tbh, not read of anything.

[HighFlyer]

Can you provide a link? I always thought that a passport could not be extended past ten years.

Thanks,
Sarah

Originally posted by HighFlyer
Can you provide a link? I always thought that a passport could not be extended past ten years.

Thanks,
Sarah

Hi Sarah,

When I renewed mine in December (it wasn't due until March), it came back with an expiry date of 10 years + 3months.

David

[HighFlyer]

Ah, my misunderstanding, its not extending your current passport but adding on validity from your previous passport. Cheers David!

Thanks,
Sarah

[mitchja]

There's more info on this page which mentions you can only add upto 9 months on a re-newed passport from your old one.

Regards

If they change the type of passport your current passport normally remains valid until it expires anyway. When biometric passports came in, you could still use your old one with no issues. If you have 9 months or less on it, I'd renew when you have a month with no travel. Use the renewal link on their web site, and they'll send you the form pre filled, you just need to sign it and send it back, all quite easy.

For a quicker renewal, pick up a form at a Post Office, fill it in & pay the additional fee for the Post Office to check your application. I did this, dropped my old passport off on a Saturday at the Post Office (& paid both the PP + checking fee) and the following Saturday I got my old cancelled passport back in the post. Later the same day there was a knock at the door & a courier was there with my new passport. 1 week turnaround (in October) - can't fault the service there.

As others have said, once you're into the 9 month renewal window & have a few weeks when you don't need your passport - get it renewed, as the price will only continue to go up. I had six months carried forward from my old passport onto the new one.