Facts about the British Passport

Today I went to the Passport Agency in Victoria Station, London.
There you can read the information on the chip of the passport, as they one machine available for the public.

For me and my partner this didn't work because the machine could apparently read only the old models - at least this machine!

I checked other people and talked to some of them. The curious fact is that people who went there to pick up the passport received all the old model - they were renewing.
So, their model had the chip showing and the details on the back.
Mine is the new model with the British weather and hidden chip.

Probably the machine couldn't read the chip because the chip is in a different position. And this machine is quite specific how you can insert the passport inside.

One fact that called my attention is that the old model has a really strong plastic sheet with the details. And the new one is so fragile! Very soft and fragile!

Not sure why some people are still receiving the old models though.

I received new type of passport on 14t April2011

The page with the details is very soft as well, correct?

Glauco wrote:The page with the details is very soft as well, correct?

Yes. New passports with hidden chip are like that.

True Glauco, that is the only thing I didn't like about the passport.

Hi All,
Just returned from Calais. First time using a british passport.
However they couldn't read the microchip from either mine or my partner's passport. The immigration officer was struggling to read it, and gave to a colleague to read in his system. It didn't work either.
Then I asked and explained what happened in the passport office (unable to read the chip at the machine).

She said that when traveling in Europe this shouldn't be a worry, but I could have problems when trying to go to the US for example, and that I should contact the passport office to ask for a replacement of my passport!!! Wow!!!
Thank God that I just went down to France, and not the US as my first trip out of the UK! Annoying to have to chance it. I hope they can fast track it or that I at least don't have to go for an interview again, and get my passport pictures countersigned by a professional, because this will add time to the process.

I have received my british passport on April 2010 so will it be problem if travel abroad because i never user my passport

Thanks for your help

Glauco wrote:Hi All,
Just returned from Calais. First time using a british passport.
However they couldn't read the microchip from either mine or my partner's passport. The immigration officer was struggling to read it, and gave to a colleague to read in his system. It didn't work either.
Then I asked and explained what happened in the passport office (unable to read the chip at the machine).

She said that when traveling in Europe this shouldn't be a worry, but I could have problems when trying to go to the US for example, and that I should contact the passport office to ask for a replacement of my passport!!! Wow!!!
Thank God that I just went down to France, and not the US as my first trip out of the UK! Annoying to have to chance it. I hope they can fast track it or that I at least don't have to go for an interview again, and get my passport pictures countersigned by a professional, because this will add time to the process.

No, you will not have problem at all! I am the unlucky one! Perhaps the faulty was with passports produced on the exact same day, as mine and my partner's passport didn't work either.

Not sure if it's because it's the new model, not sure... I hope some senior member can comment on this.

According to ICAO, a faulty chip doesn't make the passport invalid at all. So I think that it will not even be a problem to go to the US. But who knows?

I like the new model, and would prefer to keep it instead of the old "birdy" one (I don't like the bird pictures at all hahah)...

Today I decided to bring mine and also my partner's passport to IPS Victoria and both worked in the machine. The machine was able to read both chips this time! Crazy!
So no problems at all with my passport!!! Everything working perfectly. Now I just need to relax and enjoy!