[size=85:11n6ckjo]Sofia echo 03 May 2010

British embassy in Athens will not issue passports to UK citizens

From 8 May 2010 the British Embassy in Athens will no longer issue British passports. After this date, all British passport holders resident in Greece will need to send passport applications to the regional British Passport Processing Centre based in Madrid, Spain.

The new Regional service is part of a global rationalisation of the UK's overseas passport production. The regional centres will help reduce costs of producing passports overseas and increase document security. The UK has already successfully centralised passports operations in Australasia, Europe, North America and Southern Africa.

The British Passport Processing Centre aims to process correctly completed applications within 10 working days from date of receipt. As applications will need to apply at least 4 weeks before travelling. As applicants can apply up to nine months before their passport expires - this time will be added to their new passport - there is flexibility to apply at a time of their choice.

Anyone who has an urgent and unavoidable need to travel to the UK may still be able to get an Emergency Travel Document from the British Embassy and Consulates in Greece for an one-way trip to the UK. Once in the UK a full passport must be issued before travelling abroad.

The British Embassy in Athens and Consulates throughout Greece will continue to provide assistance to British residents and visitors who need our help. We have a professional and high performing Consular team and the changes to the passport service should free up more time to allow them to meet the growing demand for other forms of consular assistance.

I don't like the sound of that, a lifetime away, I lived in Athens and had to renew my passport and did so very easily at the British Embassy.Now I would have to do it in Spain??? Crazy. :Swoon:

So are you saying that you can no longer renew your passport in Greece even though you liove there