Hi Leon,

We're not so bad - you can apply for a passport online and e.g. if you're surrendering an existing ten-year-old passport, you don't have to provide a birth certificate.

However - get this - when you reapply for your driving licence (which you have to do (free) every ten years too), while the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency can check your details with the Passport Office, the DVLA can't get your photo. ... When you apply for a passport, you can take the photo. at home and upload with your electronic application to the Passport Office; when you renew your driving licence, you have to fill out a paper form and stick a photo. to it ...

You couldn't make up this crap ...

Regards,