Hi
I am a UK national resident in HK.
I will need a second passport for various visa applications (Russia, KStan, Ukraine, Mongolia) that have to be made in London whilst I am in HK. I therefore need a second passport. I have held one before but it expired last year.
Overseas issue of UK passports has been withdrawn as far as I can gather and centralised back to the UK using an online system (the splendidly mistitled Gov.UK) or via the Post Office, presumably as a cost cutting exercise although this doesn't appear to have prevented significant increases in passport fees.
My initial contact with the UK Consulate here was less than helpful. I eventually got through the automated phone/voicemail system on the third attempt to somebody whom I can only assume was in the wrong building at the time, as they appeared to know less than half of what I had gathered from ten minutes on the internet.
It would appear that I need to apply in the UK for a second passport somehow. However I am unable to find any guidance on Gov.uk, any method of doing so under the online passport application system or obtain passport application forms from the local consulate.
I realise I'm coming across like Victor Meldrew here, but that's the effect that 30 minutes trying to get an answer out of the Consulate can have on an individual here.
Anybody done this recently who is able to advise as to how one deals with this?