[pinkpiggy]

Just wondered if anyone had renewed their passport from NZ and how easy is it?

Mine expires in Aug 2009 - I know it seems a long way off but I know you have to have 2 years left it in when emigrating (correct me if I'm wrong). So I thought it might be worth renewing my passport now before we get PR. What do you think? :confused:

[jubjub]

I renewed mine with 18 months left on it, I think they can only give you 6 months of any unexpired time, so you would get a new one valid for 10yrs & 6 months.. It is cheaper from the UK to do it too, and saves you having to pay to get NZIS to move your visas about.

I did post the link somewhere (I think yesterday!) for the high commission in welly, and I dont have it on the laptop...

[wiki]

You can download a form and send it off to the British Embassy in Wellington and they issue your new passport. Similar cost, if I recall, and pretty easy.

But getting a new one now could well save you money since you'll have to pay NZIS to transfer your blue stickers into your new passport. I don't know what that charge is, but knowing NZIS it's probably a $100 or so

*goes to investigate*

[jubjub]

found it

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=10238

[Jenny & Mark]

I have renewed my dutch passport here in Canada and it took less time and money than it took to renew my Canadian passport here in Canada. I don't know if that helps, but great question.

Mark.

**wow. fast replies. :) ***

[Croft]

I renewed mine with 18 months left on it, I think they can only give you 6 months of any unexpired time, so you would get a new one valid for 10yrs & 6 months.. It is cheaper from the UK to do it too, and saves you having to pay to get NZIS to move your visas about.

I did post the link somewhere (I think yesterday!) for the high commission in welly, and I dont have it on the laptop...

For UK passports you can add up to 9 months (http://www.ukpa.gov.uk/passport_renewing_eligible.asp), I did that with my last renewal when we got our blue stickers (so getting the maximum 10 years 9 months - literally on the day they processed it!). The online application form is fantastic, fill it n, print it out and there's a big bar code across the top which they just scan. I had my new passport back within a week, on the standard renewal service!

The reason I had it changed was that I only had 9 months and a few days left, so NZIS said the intial entry visa could only go up to that maximum, not the year maximum it usually is. If you have 2 years left you should be OK, just remember to transfer your RRV to your new passport.

[pinkpiggy]

Thanks one and all for the extremely quick responses. :clap