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Gel Pen Passport Application

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 4:48 pm
by aragon
Hi,

Need a bit of advice. I was told by the post office lady that my application might be returned as I filled the passport form with gel pen and not biro pen. I was bit shocked really. She sent the application anyway. She told me that its 50 -50 as its hard to say its gel pen. She only found out cuz I told her when she asked.

My question is if that would have to happen, will they refund me the money for passport application or the £80 is a gonner. I know I will not get the check and send money back as the lady was pretty confident on that.

Bit stressed now.

Re: Gel Pen Passport Application

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:31 pm
by secret.simon
I can not speak for the Home Office caseworkers, but I would find it hard to believe that they are so potty as to reject an application based on the type of ink used.

The requirement to use a biro pen is logical. As newcomers to this country will have noticed, it rains frequently in this country. If the application is traveling by post, there is a reasonable chance that the application could get wet or damp in transit and that ink (fountain or gel) would smudge, thus rendering the application either hard to read or useless to analyse.

I believe (I could be wrong) that if the application is rendered unreadable, they would get back to you to resubmit the application within a specific timeframe. Keep an eye on your post.

So, don't get too stressed. The caseworkers are humans too and not out to get you by any means fair or foul.

Re: Gel Pen Passport Application

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 6:44 pm
by 1kiril
You won't get any money back if your application is rejected. Doubt it will get rejected tho as long as it readable and letters not smeared all over.