This is a departure from the managing and making money-related topics I usually cover. Today, I will cover how to renew your British passport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The blog will apply to anyone renewing a British passport outside the UK.

Why?

For no particular reason other than to inform other digital nomads, ex-pats, or international students.
I was travelling in Central Asia then, and my British passport was due to expire in six months. My base was Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Two concerns

Bad Experience

My first worry is related to an experience I had in 1993 when I went to the British High Commission in Lagos to try to renew my passport.

The lady I encountered was rude. She shouted at me and threw my documents back at me, claiming I didn’t have enough supporting documents despite my birth certificate and expired passport. I felt humiliated as I picked up my paperwork from the floor where she had thrown them.

I returned six months later with much more, only to be greeted by the same lady, to my horror.
I displayed all of my newly acquired docs. To my amazement, the officer exclaimed, “Wow!” You don’t need any of these; you only need an expired passport and birth certificate, which she accepted with passport my application. I wasted six months and a lot of money for nothing.

13-Weeks Wait

The additional worry I had was the 13-week wait period for a new passport. The UK passport official website stated that a renewal could take up to 13 weeks on both the UK and Bishkek versions. I would be in a foreign country far from the UK without a passport. What if I had to leave right away because of an emergency?

British High Commission Bishkek

In contrast to my time in Lagos, my encounter at the British High Commission in Bishkek went smoothly. Everyone I spoke with was friendly and helpful, from the front desk on the ground floor to the commission’s various officers.

The office was smaller than I had anticipated. A helpful security officer checks you in and ensures you don’t have any weapons on the public side. There is only one counter with a screen separating the public from the officers of the High Commission.

The Meeting

The officer took my paperwork and checked that I had all the requirements. 

Though I had everything I required, I had not realised that I also needed a colour copy of each page of my current passport. 

It was a straightforward remedy. I was sent to a nearby copying shop. But it took ages to copy my document, and I was concerned that I would be late returning (they close at 5 p.m.). I arrived five minutes before they closed, out of breath. The officer said, “Oh! You did not need to run. I would have waited for you.”

My passport application was submitted with no drama. 

The Process

The best part of this process was I did not have to send my current passport with my application. So, my second worry—not having a passport while in Central Asia—was no longer an issue.

I could see why they needed a colour copy of my passport now. It was to avoid having to surrender my passport. The officer signed to indicate that he had seen the originals.

I was told that my new passport could take up to 13 weeks to arrive and that I could contact them by phone or email if I had any issues.

Two weeks later, I received a call to pick up my passport. Wow! It was incredible to go from 13 weeks to 2 weeks.

Your new passport is sent securely to the British Embassy. When I went to pick up my new passport, my old one was cancelled and returned to me.

To Summarise:

The following is an action-by-action rundown of what I did.

• I applied online at the Overseas British Passport website  
• I read the requirements that relate to my needs thoroughly. 
• Downloaded the following forms from the official website.

Passport Application forms

Passport Application payment forms

Passport Application Supporting docs

Passport Application Guidance

• I gathered the needed information – refer to the Supporting documents and Application guidance.
• I scheduled my appointment – the earliest available appointment was three weeks away.
• Arrive on time for your appointment.

Passport Renewal Requirements

• Completed and signed Passport application form
• Completed and signed Passport application payment form
• Passport photo. This should be in colour and passport size, with a white background and taken within the last six months – check the exact dimensions here.
• Your current expired/expiring passport plus a colour copy of every page, including the back and front cover
• Original and colour copy of Kyrgyz Registration document – Acts like your address verification document – see a photo of what mine looks like above.
• Original and colour copy of your Kyrgyz Visa – The Kyrgyz authorities issued two visa documents. One is an A4-sized sheet of paper, and the other is an A5-sized document. I was unsure which to take with me, so I took both. This is a case of “More is more.”
• Fees. You can pay with all major credit and debit cards. I paid £104.50 and an extra £23.01 for the courier service to cover the cost of sending my new passport to me. Check their website for the exact fees that apply to your application.

Contact Details

Office: Orion business centre | 21 Erkindik Boulevard | Office 404 | Bishkek | 720040 | Kyrgyzstan
Telephone: +996 (312) 303637/+44 20 7008 5000
Email: [email protected]
Website

I hope you found this information helpful. If you enjoyed reading this post, sign up for my email list, and I’ll send you new posts as they come out.

I wrote a blog on Kyrgyzstan, The Best Life, at less than £20 a day. Find it here.

Thanks for your time!