Applied for a new passport last year on line.
Went to a photographer who took my picture, cost £6.95
He put that picture on line with a number attached(lasts a month)
Put the number in my on line passport application
Got new passport with in 5 days.
I think it takes a bit longer now.
That’s the one.
I have just taken Sues photo and it was accepted via the on line application form so the photo cost nothing. All one has to do is take the unedited photo and put it on the computer. Going through the application form you get to the photo page and just put the photo in. nothing could be more simple. After the photo has gone through their system you get accepted or not accepted, it even resizes to the requirements. The painful part is paying
I think when you renew a British Passport now, it has a maximum 10 years validity now, too.
I think the old system of adding on any unused time from your old passport when you renewed it was stopped a few years ago.
Those who still have the older passports with a longer validity period can still use them for some countries but they need to check the rules of the country they are going to.
If travelling to an EU country, in addition to needing an expiry date of at least 3 months longer than the date you plan to leave, they also have rules about the Issue Date - the passport must have been issued within 10 years of the date you enter the country - so if a Brit has an old Passport with a 10 year and 6 months validity period, they may not be able to rely on using it for travel in the EU in those last six months.
How many hoops are you expected to jump through, I wonder. 
These additional taxes are a convenient way to raise extra revenue.imo
My friend is from Tanzania and went to visit her family a couple of years ago. She bought tickets, got to airport and was refused travel as she only had 5 months left on her passport. She was everso upset and showed them her return ticket but they wouldn’t give up and she cried all the way home.
Certain Post Offices (see online) offer a service where they take your photo, complete online forms for you, send it all off and then you get regular messages updating you on when they receive the application and how it’s moving along. We found this excellent last year and we received ours back within 7 days.
So it doesn’t have to be verified by a “professional” or is that because they already have a photofit database of us all somewhere for facial recognition at the airports?
there is a section on the on line application that asks if you are providing a photo taken by your self or not. if you click on the taken be ones self then no professional verication necessary.
At the end of the online application you have to tick a box saying something like your confirming the above information is correct
Offical passport quote
5 1. If required, get someone to confirm your identity
We’ll tell you if we need someone to confirm your identity. They can confirm your identity online without a printed photo.
At an airport in the UK all you have to do is place your passport face down on a self check in machine which reads your passport information. It is all automatic now
taking your own photo they say the camera must be 5ft away and the photo showing upper body and face, no glasses to be worn. Also the photo megapixels are specified.
Believe me unless you are a complete moron doing it on line is so easy. Saves having to book to have your picture taken and time and travel costs. Even I can do it which is proof enough, just need your old passport handy for information on it like passport number etc
I am not sure if that is good news or bad news. 
When I looked at getting a British passport (I thought it might be cheaper) I was told I would have to apply as if it was my first passport because my last one had been expired for so long. I have no idea what that actually means but I am saving up for a dinghy if it is too complicated - Dymchurch has nice flat beaches as I recall.
They have that here too - absolutely useless if you have a beard, just can’t cope with that.
It’s a bit like those self service tills at supermarkets they have to have someone on hand all the time as half they time people can’t do it.
Not that easy to get my photograph authorised. Chief Nurse I volunteer for - refused. Office Manager I volunteer for - refused. A photography technician friend - refused. A priest from the church I used to attend - accepted. Passport Official must be having a bad day in the office.
Such a PITA !
Take your own photo all you need is a camera and computer. Photograph yourself put it on the computer then follow passport renewal instructions. At the very end just tick saying it is you take took it to confirm
Then a week later they reject your photo and ask for another one
not quite. when the photo is downloaded onto the passport office site it says passed or failed
Not quite that simple. You take your photo download it and send to passport office. You get a link back what you send to certain professionals* to endorse and email back to passport office… *Like nurse, GP, vicar even a chiropodist. I sent to a chief nurse but it got rejected as was the others I tried to use.
I have just done mine and sent it off so they got it yesterday. today I have just got. they may want professioinal endorsement for first time applications or out of date old passports. Our old ones are still current for the next two months. I think you missed the "TAKE YOU OWN PHOTO "bit and self endorse.
Dear,
Application reference: PEX *** *** ***X
We’ve received your old passport.
We’ll check your application and your old passport. We’ll contact you if we need more information.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
And
Find out how long your passport application is likely to take(opens in new tab).
We’ll check your application and your old passport. If we need more information, we’ll contact you.
When we’ve finished checking your application, we’ll update this page.
quote
You should allow up to 10 weeks from when we receive your old passport, any supporting documents, or confirmation of your identity details if needed.
Also not just my passport but Sue’s went together in the same envelope so they have both
Passports approve and being printed, as I said no need to have endorsed
new passports arrived yesterday and old ones to be returned later on
