British Passport 101

British entrepreneurs who want to do business in the world’s largest economy are increasingly taking advantage of a visa program that allows them to own and/or invest in a U.S. business while living in the United States on a long-term basis.

The E-2 (Treaty Investor) is a renewable non-immigrant visa allowing entrepreneurs from the United Kingdom to invest in a U.S. business and move to the United States to “develop and direct the operations of an enterprise.” {A similar program, the E-1 (Treaty Trade) visa, applies to businesses conducting international trade and commerce with the United States.} The E-2 allows British investors to live in the United States for an initial period of five years. It can be renewed as long as the business continues and the applicants remain in the country. 

If you are living in the United States and trying to renew your British passport, chances are good you are struggling to figure out how to get a British passport photo.  After all, if you walk in to your local Walgreens or CVS here in America and ask them about a British passport, it is unlikely they will know anything about the photo requirements since the majority of customers are American and they only inquire about American passport photos.  So how do you get a British passport photo in the United States, and what is the size of the photo?

Above all, please know that traditional paper photos are no longer accepted by Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO).  So if you are searching online for answers about the size of a British passport, then you are on the wrong track.  HMPO will only accept digital photos.  A digital photo is an image that can be taken using your smartphone or other digital device (such as an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, or iPad among others).  You will e-mail this image to yourself so you can download it onto your desktop computer and then have it ready for upload when you complete the online passport application on the U.K. government website: https://www.gov.uk/.

The best way to get a digital photo is by having a friend or family member come over to your home and snap a photo using a smartphone or tablet.  You will need to find a plain white, or light-colored background (such as light gray or cream color) without any texture (no tile or brick), and there should be no objects in the background.  Stand about 1 ½ feet from the wall and your friend will stand about 4 ½ feet in front of you and will aim the camera so that your head, shoulders, and upper body are in the frame.  Brush your back hair and make sure your entire face is visible.  Look straight into the camera and maintain a neutral expression with mouth closed.  Take as many photos as you like until you get the right one.   

The U.K. government has provided a short video that offers an easy to understand demonstration of this process.  Here is the link to the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=JWbfnOYmx6I&feature=emb_logo.  The U.K. government also provides examples of good and bad digital photos on their website: https://www.gov.uk/photos-for-passports.  As you can see from the examples, it is also important to make sure there are no shadows in the background or shadows cast on your face.  

Once you have a good photo, you will upload the image into your online application where it will be scanned by their software to determine if it meets the standard.  You will get a response within seconds.  If your photo result is “Good” then you can continue through the process; if your photo is “Fair” or “Poor” then you will need to take a new photo.  You can also give us a call at 404-682-5445 or schedule an appointment to speak with us by clicking on the “Schedule A Call” button on our website if you are having trouble.  We are experts on making sure British passport photos are handled correctly, and we will do the entire application process for you from beginning to end.

Updated February 22, 2021 -- Please see COVID-19 section on the bottom of the page for the latest information regarding how fast you can renew your British passport from the United States.

We often get asked this question and advise that you should renew your British passport before the expiration date. It is a good idea to keep your passport up-to-date so you are not scrambling at the last minute to renew your passport before an important trip.

Many countries require you to have a passport with at least 6 months validity upon arrival at their port of entry. Furthermore, some countries require travel visas prior to entry. For example, if you reside in the United States and want to obtain a tourist or business visa to travel to China, you must have at least 6 months validity on your passport prior to the date of entry.

Updated February 20, 2021 -- Please see COVID-19 section on the bottom of the page for the latest information regarding how fast you can renew your British passport from the United States.

If you are trying to renew your British passport from the United States, it is important to understand that all passports are now issued in the United Kingdom. This means there is no expedited service available to renew a British passport if you live outside the United Kingdom. You must send your passport application and all necessary documents to Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) in the United Kingdom.

According to the UK government publication, it can take 4 to 12 weeks to process an overseas passport application. To calculate the processing time of a passport application once HMPO has received all the correct documentation, please refer to the UK government website: https://www.gov.uk/overseas-passports

A secondary British passport is exactly what it sounds like. It is a second passport issued by Her Majesty’s Passport Office that can be used for international travel just like your primary passport.

A secondary passport is typically issued to business people and others that travel frequently for their work. Having a secondary passport is convenient for those instances that require travel to countries whose visa processing times are lengthy. For example, a visit to India will require a travel visa and will likely take several days to process. This means you would be unable to attend an emergency meeting at your company’s factory in Mexico because your passport is in the hands of the Indian consulate. A secondary passport solves this problem.

Losing your British passport in the United States can be an unsettling experience, but there is no need to panic because the British government is prepared for these occurrences. Your first step is to contact the British Embassy in Washington DC or one of the eight consulates in the United States to report your passport lost or stolen. Please access the following link to find the nearest British government office: https://www.gov.uk/government/world/usa.

It is important that you report your passport lost or stolen as soon as possible so that no one can use it fraudulently. To report your passport lost or stolen to Her Majesty’s Passport Office you will fill out Form LS01 (Lost or Stolen British Passport notification). Please access Form LS01 by clicking on the following link to the UK government:

Updated February 21, 2021

With over 800,000 British expats currently residing in the United States, there are many of you wondering how much it costs to renew your British passport in the USA. It is important to know that the Regional Passport Processing Center in Washington DC no longer accepts passport renewal applications.  Passport renewals are now being processed at Her Majesty’s Passport Office in Durham, United Kingdom, which is home to the largest passport office in the United Kingdom.  

Renewing a passport is a fairly straightforward process and the costs include the government fee and courier fee to return your new passport to the United States from Her Majesty’s Passport Office. The government fee (including return courier fee using DHL) for an Adult standard 32-page passport is £105.86 and the fee for the Adult jumbo 48-page passport is £115.86.