GRAND TURK, Turks and Caicos Islands; Friday, July 17th, 2009 - As part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Worldwide Passport Rationalisation Project, there will be changes to the procedures for applying for a British Citizen passport in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). However, British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC) applications will still be handled by the TCI Immigration Department.
These changes are being introduced in order to deliver a more streamlined and efficient passport operation for British Nationals abroad and to establish a sustainable operating platform for the future.
Until now, persons applying for a British Citizen passport have been able to do so through the Passport Office in Liverpool via the TCI Immigration Department. This procedure is about to change.
From the 3rd of August 2009 the TCI Passport Office will not accept applications for British Citizen passports. Applications that have been submitted before this date will be processed in the usual way.
Persons wishing to apply for a full validity British Citizen passport, including first passport issues, should do so by sending their applications by courier or registered post to the UK Passport Service Centre in Washington D.C. This will be the new passport production centre for TCI and the region.
The mailing address is:
The UK Passport Service Centre for the Americas and Caribbean
British Embassy
19 Observatory Circle, NW
Washington, DC 20008
USA
You may use a courier company of your choice and at your cost to send your application, but please note that returned passports and documents will arrive from Washington via UPS. The cost of the passport itself will remain the same (currently £124 or $211 for a standard 32-page passport) but an additional charge (currently $21) will be made to cover the cost of returning it via UPS.
The vast majority of applications, which have the correct supporting documentation and payment fee, will be assessed within 10 working days of receipt in Washington. Applicants will need to allow additional time for their applications to transit between TCI and Washington, but overall the time taken to process an application will be quicker than the current 6-8 weeks for one sent to the UK for processing.
This change is part of a global initiative to streamline the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s passport operation to make it more cost effective, secure and sustainable.
You can obtain more information, guidance and copies of application forms from
www.ukinusa.fco.gov.uk or from the Passport Information Helpline (provided by Careline Services) which handles all passport telephone enquiries for Washington. Hours of operation: Weekdays from 0830 - 2030 Eastern Standard Time. 0 11 44 208 082 4721. Please note this is an international number. Calls are currently charged at a rate of GBP 0.69 per minute + VAT. Please have your credit card ready before you call. (Telephone service providers will also charge for the cost of the international call).
Background Notes:
In order to keep costs covered, the UK Government is committed to looking for opportunities to reduce administration, centralise excellence and deliver beneficial economies of scale.
This change will help achieve all these aims and help safeguard personal identity, reduce opportunities for passport fraud and protect UK borders without compromising the security of systems and processes or affecting the UK’s commitment to deliver 90% of passports within ten working days.
Partnership arrangements between posts have existed for a number of years affecting 150,000 customers a year. Rationalisation is a logical next step. For example, the British Embassy in Madrid processes applications from Portugal, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Italy and Malta. It works well and service delivery times have not been affected.
At the heart of these changes is a strong desire to maintain good customer service and value for money, whilst meeting the need for greater document security. New passport hubs will be centres of excellence for examination, fraud detection and prevention, decision making and training as well as passport production.
The FCO believes these arrangements will put the UK in a stronger position to deliver further enhancements to it’s application process and systems, including the development of online services and a more secure emergency travel document for those who need them.
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