Passport advice

[Notters]

Renew. It's not peak season for this so turnaround will be well inside the 3 weeks.

The only risk might be your photo failing the rather strict rules. Best to use somewhere that knows what they're doing so it gets through the first time.

I used https://www.paspic.com/ for my daughter, which was excellent.

 

[Bigtomfu]

Do you work in London anywhere near the passport office in Victoria? If so worth paying the extra £20 and get a timed appointment as they'll turn around and reissue your passport within 2 hours of having checked your forms.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I used https://www.paspic.com/ for my daughter, which was excellent.

Our local newsagents sorted out ours, neither of which were rejected.

 

[The Spanish]

Do you work in London anywhere near the passport office in Victoria? If so worth paying the extra £20 and get a timed appointment as they'll turn around and reissue your passport within 2 hours of having checked your forms.

Seconded.

 

[drew]

Thing is you need to renew anyway and what if there are problems and delays when you get to the states and your flights back are affected.

 

[Hastings gull]

Yep...personally, I'd go for getting a new passport before travelling - you have enough time. .gov.uk says that you'll get it back within 3 weeks using their standard service (£72.50), or you can pay £103 for the 1-week fast track service (which also requires a visit to the passport office).

My daughter applied for her new born, so as to go abroad soon, and the passport arrived back within a week, if you decide to renew. I would do so, just in case that plane is late, and you will avoid all sorts of bureaucratic wrangling. If a serious terrorist incident were to cause severe delays, then your passport would have expired and in a climate of tension, might be even more problematic.
By the way, I went to the Passport office and it was very quickly done. Fell foul of their X ray machine on entry, as I naively took scissors with me to cut the passport picture if needed . . They do it, I was told. So don't take a weapon . . .

 

[Yes Chef]

I've just had to get another passport after stupidly losing it on the Dieppe-Newhaven ferry, and I got it after SIX days. No check and send, no paying for it to be fast tracked and I even made a minor mistake on the form, you should go for it.