[stormystorms]

Hi all!

I am so terribly clumsy and I have dropped my passport in a wet and dirty floor! And it was stepped on a bit! Now it looks muddy and dirty – not "mutilated" or "deformed" – but just dirty.

I have e-mailed my own embassy regarding the matter and am considering replacement of my passport.

My visa won't expire until 2016. Can I have it transferred to my new visa? How will this affect my visa?

I am currently on a civil partner visa!

Any info would be much appreciated!

 

[Joppa]

If the passport is any way damaged or the visa page is affected by dirt and water, it's best to get it transferred to your new passport. You don't want to go through the hassle of your visa being scrutinised each time you return to UK, and Border Agency is notoriously fussy about damaged or defaced documents. Some airlines may not let you board their flight with damaged visa.
Fee for transfer is £147 by post, £522 by same-day premium service and £105 when done outside UK.

 

[ElenaHJ]

Hi there!
What are the processing times if the application was done by post? I've heard some horror stories about people waiting for months. Is it worthwhile at all to apply by post?
Thanks in advance!

 

[stormystorms]

Hmm...given that expense, I don't think I will go for transfer. The visa page looks fine, and it's really not damaged...just "dirty". Is it okay if I get a new passport without the visa? Then, if somebody asks, I can just show my old passport with the still-active visa?

Or will my visa "deactivate" if I get a new passport without it?

 

[ElenaHJ]

Well, my problem is that my visa is in the old passport. UKBA is fine with me travelling on two passports, but some countries say they need my UK residence visa in the new passport, so I'm still undecided about applying by post for £149 and possibly waiting for weeks or splashing £522 on the one-day visa transfer... If the recent post experiences weren't so bad, I'd consider to save £400.

 

[stormystorms]

I did a bit of searching on here too and found that carrying two passports seems to be okay (one active passport, and one inactive passport where the active visa is).

I think that's one I'm going to do, if ever I decide to do anything at all – get a new passport (because the biodata page of my current one kinda faded from the wetness), and carry my old passport with my visa in it around if I intend to travel in the near future (no plans to do so anyway, just wanna make sure).

You'd think in this modern day and age there'd be much better ways to carry your identity and the thing that allows you to live in one place...but alas. Passports. That get wet. Sad.

 

[Joppa]

That's only an issue for your initial visa, which is a sticker (vignette) that must be placed in your passport. When you come to renew, extend or switch to another leave in UK, they will issue instead a biometric residence permit (BRP) which is credit card-size plastic and much more durable.
You still need to carry your passport as well for travel, however.