Sections

by J. Cameron-Webb British Consul

THE CONSULAR CONNECTION:

The British Consulate-General is a busy office and provides a wide range of Consular services to an estimated 50,000 British Citizens in this country together with handling over 10,000 Visa applications a year.

In actual fact, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides one of the most far-reaching foreign services in the world. There are 261 Embassies and 16,000 staff covering a broad range of work and dealing with about 3 million Consular cases a year. You may like to visit www.fco.gov.uk for further details of what the FCO does.

PASSPORTS:

A few years ago, the “biometric” passport was introduced. This is an advanced, secure travel document and contains a biometric “chip” holding personal details and the photograph of the holder. This high-quality document is also expensive. This fact coupled with the rising cost of producing passports, made it necessary for the FCO to reduce the number of passport issuance offices (at one point over 100). Regional issuance centres have been created.

As from October 2008, British Citizens in the Netherlands apply for their passports at the France-Benelux-Switzerland Passport Service at the British Consulate-General in Paris. Applicants should visit www.ukinnl.fco.gov.uk and choose the “Passports” option where all information can be found on how to apply. Essentially, the passport application and credit card authorisation form can be printed from that site. The completed application should then be sent by registered post to the Consulate in Paris address on the website. The Consulate in Paris will issue the passport within 10 working days of receiving the correctly completed application.

Both Amsterdam and Paris Consulates strive to ensure that the same standard of service is enjoyed as when passports were issued in Amsterdam. To that end, agreements are in place that Paris will expedite Netherlands’ applications. Furthermore, if you have a reason for your passport to be issued more quickly than the target 10 working days, you should include a covering letter explaining your need for urgency (i.e. reasons why you need to travel). Paris will do their best to meet your needs.

CONSULAR SERVICES:

In Amsterdam, we provide notarial services, registrations of birth and Emergency passports. We can support you if you are arrested, become a victim of crime or experience other such calamities. Also, we can advise on a number of issues to do with documentation in the Netherlands. As we have contact with other organisations in Netherlands we may be able to refer you to one of them if we are not able to answer your question.

VISA SERVICES:

If you need a visa, you should apply on-line and you will be given an appointment date to attend at the Consulate. On that date, you need to bring your completed application, photographs and fee and passport. Your fingerprints and photograph will be taken at the Consulate and sent on-line to the regional Visa issuing centre in Dusseldorf. We will then send your passport by courier to Dusseldorf who will affix the Visa and return it by courier to Amsterdam for posting on to the applicant.

For more detailed information, opening hours and how to reach us, please visit our Netherlands website. www.ukinnl.fco.gov.uk.

J. Cameron-Webb British Consul Amsterdam