Herebelow email sent by Jil van de Lint to the Secretary of Petroleum Wives Club (PWC) to be forwarded to UK Passport holders in the Netherlands:

You may already have heard that later in 2008 there are likely to be changes in the way passport services are delivered to British passport holders in The Netherlands. This is driven primarily by advances in IT and communications technology and the need to deliver a high standard of service as efficiently as possible. We are therefore aiming to reduce administration and deliver beneficial economies of scale. Passport fees have been frozen this year, and such changes help to ensure that we keep fees as low as possible. Although the exact dates on which the changes will take effect have not yet been determined, information on the changes will be publicised on our website well in advance.

British passport holders resident in the Netherlands will in future submit their passport applications by post to the British Consulate General in Paris, from where their passports will be issued - also by post. There will be no requirement for passport applicants to travel to Paris. The current commitment to process correctly submitted applications within ten working days will be maintained. The implications for British passport holders resident in the Netherlands should therefore be negligible.

Most grateful if you could include these details in your newsletter/notice board for your members. Full details of the passport and visas services along with other services for British nationals can be found on our web site at www.britain.nl.

Regards
Jill van de Lint
Senior Press & Public Diplomacy Officer
British Embassy - The Hague - The Netherlands
www.britain.nl
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