How to renew Indian passports in the UK

If you hold an Indian passport while living in the United Kingdom, we strongly recommend that you know how to renew an Indian passport in the UK.

Why?

Well, what if your passport expires, or you lose it, or it gets stolen? Or what if you run out of blank pages on your passport, or you change your name or address?

You can’t predict the future - anything is possible! So, you should always be prepared for anything that could happen.

Start doing some research now to ensure you’ve got all the documents required when it comes time to renew your passport. And just so you know: the Indian passport renewal service in the UK isn’t fee-free.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll let you know how to renew an Indian passport in the UK, what documents you’ll need, the fees, and how to book an Indian passport renewal appointment.

How to renew your Indian passport in the UK

A company called Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) Global Services Limited works with the Indian government for offering visa and consular services to Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) and anyone else who needs to apply for a passport or a visa from abroad.

To renew your Indian passport in the UK, follow these steps:

1. Fill up the application form and take a print-out of it.

2. Collect all the required documents, photos, and other evidence, if any (more on that below).

3. Book an appointment online at your nearest VFS application centre.

4. Before receiving your new Indian passport, you can track your application status online.

If there’s an emergency, like medical or family problems, or your passport’s been lost or stolen, and you need to leave as soon as possible, you can sign up for an urgent service called the “Tatkal Service”. VFS Global might hand over Tatkal applications directly to the High Commission of India or a Consulate General office, to speed up the passport renewal process.

Please keep in mind that there may be fraudsters who claim that they can facilitate consular applications for a fee.

Even if anyone tells you that he or she’s got personal connections inside the Indian Embassy in the UK, so they can arrange favourable treatment for your application, it would be better not to believe them.

In fact, don’t pay a fee to any organization other than VFS Global for renewing your Indian passport in the UK. The High Commission of India has warned against such services, and if you face any urgent problem, you can speak to the embassy staff directly.

What documents do I need to renew my Indian passport in the UK?

All applicants for Indian passport renewal in the UK usually need to submit the following documents:

• A printed and signed copy of the passport renewal application form that you had submitted online

• A printed and signed Visa Facilitation Services (VFS) declaration form

• 4 recent passport photos (in color, against a white background)

• Personal Particulars Form (PPF) for police verification in India

• A printed and completed Annexure E form

• Proof of your UK address, and a self-attested copy of the same

• A self-attested copy of your current passport’s first and last pages

Apart from these Indian passport renewal documents, you may also need a few other ones, depending on your particular passport application and your personal situation. Make sure to check all the details before attending your meeting.

For example, if you submit the passport renewal application form 3 years after your passport expires, but you’ve got a valid UK visa, you’ll need to take a copy of your visa or UK Biometric Card.

Along with that, if you’re staying under the jurisdiction of London or Edinburgh, you’ll have to take a notarized affidavit in the prescribed format. You’ll also need to provide a letter addressed to the respective mission, clarifying the reason why you’re renewing your passport after such a long delay.

However, if you don’t have a valid UK visa, you can submit a copy of your entry visa, and if you don’t have that either, you’ll be paying an £81 GBP penalty fee. Besides, you’ll have to take a document explaining how you’re working on regularizing your stay in the UK.

What do I do if my passport was lost or stolen?

In case your passport is lost or has been stolen, you’ll have to submit all the necessary documents we’ve outlined above, as well as:

• A police report regarding the stolen or lost passport

• Annexure F

• A self-attested photocopy of the lost passport

• A Lost Undertaking

• A letter describing how you lost the passport, or how it was damaged

• Further proof (like Permanent Account Number or PAN card, Election ID card, or driving license) issued by the Indian government (or other Indian authorities) to establish the fact that you’re an Indian citizen.

How much does it cost to renew an Indian passport in the UK?

Here’s a breakdown of the fees you have to pay for some common Indian passport services if you move to the UK:

• Re-issue of a passport that has expired just a year ago, or due to lack of any more blank pages, or a change of your name, address, signature, or appearance: £57 GBP for a 36-page passport and £76 GBP for a 60-page passport.

• Additional fees for an urgent service named “Tatkal Service”: £110 GBP

• Re-issue of a passport that has expired more than a year ago: £79 GBP for a 36-page passport and £98 GBP for a 60-page one.

• Re-issue of a passport that’s been lost or stolen: £112 GBP for a 36-page passport and £131 GBP for a 60-page one.

• Re-issue of a child’s passport (under 15 years): £39 GBP

• Affidavits for passport services: £22 GBP

• Consular surcharge: £2 GBP

• Penalty fee (if applicable): £81 GBP

You can pay the fees online (if you’ve made an online application for your Indian passport renewal), or using a debit card, bank draft, or postal order. VFS doesn’t accept payments via credit cards.

How do I book an appointment for Indian passport renewal in the UK?

Once you’ve completed your application form online, you need to make an appointment with the nearest VFS application centre in the UK. For that, you have to log in to the VFS website using your email ID and password.

If you haven’t logged in before, click on “New User?” to register for a passport service appointment. After you complete the registration process, the registration will expire after 30 days from the day you register.

There are VFS application centres in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester, Belfast, and London (at both Hounslow and Goswell Road). You can make an appointment at one of these centres and attend for submitting your Indian passport renewal between 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM.

How long does Indian passport renewal in the UK usually take?

Well, it depends on the circumstances. If your passport has recently expired, its renewal can take anywhere between 10 working days and 6 weeks.

Renewing an Indian passport that expired more than a year ago can take up to 7 weeks or more.

Indian passport renewal in the UK: tracking your status

During Indian passport renewal UK, tracking the process is quite simple. Once you’ve lodged your application for passport renewal, you can track your application status online via the VFS website.

You can also pay to get automated emails or SMS messages notifying you about the application process.

In case you need to send money from the UK to India or the other way around, you can use the Xe website or app for fast and secure international money transfers. And before exchanging Indian or UK currencies, check out the live currency exchange rates via Xe’s free Currency Converter.

So, what are you waiting for? Download the Xe app or sign up now!