UK.Gov website (this was on facebook this morning)

A message from the British Embassy for all BRITISH EXPATS living in Bulgaria - PLEASE TAKE NOTE

CHANGES TO BRITISH PASSPORT SERVICES IN BULGARIA

We are making important changes to the way we deliver British passports. The UK government’s goal is to ensure that all British nationals living overseas receive a consistent, trusted, secure and efficient service whilst keeping the costs as low as possible. In order to do that responsibility for issuing passports overseas passed from the Foreign Office and its posts overseas to the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) – and Agency of the Home Office, which already handles all passport applications from people living in the UK.
From 3 December 2012, British nationals in Bulgaria will submit passport applications to IPS in the UK for processing. All the information needed to complete the passport application process will be available on the gov.uk website at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. You should avoid leaving applying for your passport until the last minute. You can apply to renew your passport at any time. Any remaining validity up to nine months will be transferred from your old passport to your new one. If you are renewing your passport, you should allow at least four weeks from the date the fee is taken and all the correct documentation has been received. If you are applying for the first time or you are replacing a lost or stolen passport, you should allow at least six weeks. Your application may take longer if IPS needs to request further information. Travel should not be booked until the new passport has been issued and received by the customer. The British Government cannot accept responsibility for costs incurred if travel is booked and subsequently cancelled before the passport has been received. The new passport and supporting documents will be delivered separately by DHL to the address given by the customer.

If you need to travel urgently but your normal passport is not available, you should contact the nearest Consular Assistance team in Sofia. In certain circumstances our staff may be able to issue an Emergency Travel Document but this is not a substitute for a full UK passport.

So the best course of action is to apply as early as possible, and to make sure that you follow the new guidelines.

Please note that our Embassy is not able to take calls about individual passport applications. If you cannot find the information you need on the gov.uk website, please contact the Passport Information Contact Centre or the IPS Customer Service Centre. Details for both will be published on gov.uk.
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Thank you very useful

Many thanks for info Berni, mine has to be renewed next year.

I can't believe I have just read this while catching up on the forum after being away in UK. My hero needs to renew his passport which runs out next April. Given that I have also found out that its necessary to have at least 6 months on your passport for EU countries as well as USA in order to travel,I have just downloaded the documents to fill in from Bulgaria which go to Germany. I will be much happier to have his passport going from Britain. I think I will wait until this comes into force in early December rather than applying now.
How much will it cost? It costs much more to use Germany than renewing from Britain. The worry is that we all need our passports for other things besides travel so its a long time before the passport will be returned. So annoying that it can't be renewed in Sofia anymore.
I should also warn folks to take care about passport photos done in Bulgaria. We were assured in the Kodak shop in VT that the blue background they use for ID is suitable. Its not!!! When in UK I checked my Hero's photos and was told they would not be accepted with that background and that many so-called ID photo shops do not use the official background which is light grey. We now have to go back and ask them to change it. Maybe it is okay for Bulgarian Lichna Cartas but NOT for a British passport!

never understood why the uk does not renew expats their passports, we may have left the uk but we have not left the planet [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] why is germany so obliging that they can have in their hands our personal information that only the uk should really have. and to add insult to injury it costs a lot of money to renew this way.
have the uk been told off yet again by the EU. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

down to good old 'Centralisation'

Totally agree Starlite. We are and always will be British passport holders and should not have to have our details in Germany! How did this come about? Is Germany any safer than the Embassy in Sofia if identity safety was the reason and its very expensive! Will await the new renewal procedure from Britain.

Quote :

Is Germany any safer than the Embassy in Sofia

Knowing Bulgaria as we do I would say YES We all know that in Bulgaria everything has a price

I renewed my passport in the Embassy in Sofia with no trouble and my identity has so far not been stolen! The whole place was totally secure although the courier to my home was a bit slow!

I renewed my passport 2 years ago through the uk using my daughters address as correspondence address, no problems what so ever. they know im not in the uk for 6 years yet they renewed my passport this way. security.....what security. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Maybe things have changed since then I know they was thinking of a face to face interview for renewals but I'm not sure if thats in place yet.

Andy where did you get that info from? How can everyone go face to face for a passport especially when living abroad? I recently went into a UK PO to enquire about renewing a passport. They do a check of all information regarding passports before sending the details and photos off to the Passport Agency. Its called 'check and send' service. It was there that I was told the photos didn't have the right background and that you should have 6 months remaining on the old passport. Very helpful and nothing said about face to face renewals even though I was enquiring on my other half. I, too, could have used my family UK address at the time.
You know, sometimes forums can get you really worried when given untested information.

I just went into the UK passport website about renewal from abroad and it still says the same about sending forms to Germany if you are in Bulgaria. I would have expected this to change by now so have I missed the information from Oddie?

Please help. I have just entered the British Embassy website about passport renewal from Bulgaria and it still says to use Germany! Where did this info come from Oddie because I must have missed it? I wonder if there is confusion because you can renew a British passport when visiting UK. I need to renew my hero's passport asap so a quick answer would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Have you looked here [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]