Description:

British passport holders who need to renew their passports whilst living in Cyprus have only got until 28 May 2010 to submit their application before new procedures are put in place and renewals will be via the British Consulate-General in Madrid, Spain.

The new procedure will increase the cost of a passport renewal by at least €40 and the turnaround time by at least four days.

The extra cost is due to courier charges. The Madrid office has an arrangement with a courier service, and a cost of return postage is fixed at €20. The High Commission is arranging a similar contract to send documents from the High Commission, the cost of which should be around €20.

Passport renewal can be applied for up to 9 months before the existing passport expires and the time will be added to your new passport.

After 1st June 2010 the British High Commission will be offering a “Check and Send” service similar to the one offered by UK post offices. The price of which has yet to be announced.

This service will ensure that applicants’ paperwork has been correctly completed, preventing the hassle and extra cost of repeating the process if the Madrid office rejects them.

The measures are part of a "rationalisation process" which aims to cut costs for the FCO, improve security and reduce instances of fraud. The Spanish office is already receiving passport applications from eight other countries without a loss of turnaround time.

More information and details of what is required can be found on the British High Commission’s website.

http://ukincyprus.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/