Passport question...

M0T · 15 Feb 2008 at 23:06

When I applied for my driving license I was given the option of providing the DVLA with my passport number so they could check my details matched so I wouldn't have to send any documents in.

When I applied for my railcard I was given the option of providing my passport number so I didn't have to send any documents in.

That being the case, why do I have to fill out a ridiculous form and send a load of photos off in order to get a passport? If government agencies can access my passport data, why can't I just fill my driving license number out online and have them use all that information to send me a passport to my registered address?

M0T · 15 Feb 2008 at 23:11

Biohazard said:
Well different.

Passports cannot be viewed as the same as a driving licence.

Your premise fails.

Please explain.

Passport form requires:
Name
Address
Date of Birth
Place of birth
Phone number
A photo and a person to sign it.

Which coincidentally are the same things a driving licence requires (though possibly not the place of birth).

If we were to fill out a single form, why could we not just request a driving license etc from the information we have already given the government?

M0T · 15 Feb 2008 at 23:20

Gillywibble said:
There are much stricter controls regarding passports, for obvious reasons.

They don't seem any stricter than a driving license.

Fill out your information then send in 2 photos, one signed if necessary, which is exactly the same as a driving licence. They even ask the same questions, that is why I can't see why they can't use the information they already have from one application to fill out another.

M0T · 15 Feb 2008 at 23:25

Raymond Lin said:
You try leaving the country with your driving licence

You can go to scotland

The strictness is to do with the anti tamper aspect of the passport itself, rather than the information used to get it (which is very similar).

The only time it is strict is if you have never applied for one before, but for those of us who have I can't see why once you are on the system you need to keep filling out pointless forms.

M0T · 16 Feb 2008 at 00:34

Lets change it around.

Why isn't there a voluntary ID card (that is nothing like the big brother thing they want to introduce) that is as secure as a passport that means I don't have to fill out a form for everything, just the number of my ID card and then whatever I want is made using the data from that and sent to my registered address?

M0T · 16 Feb 2008 at 00:39

Isotope said:
ID card argument, that could go on for days!

Won't happen though, requires too much organisation.

Don't see how its a problem if it is opt in.

M0T · 16 Feb 2008 at 00:43

If it contained you driving license and passport. Its all going to end up on a chip anyway so if it were all contained on one card it might end up being cheaper.

M0T · 16 Feb 2008 at 00:46

No more so than currently losing you driving license or passport seperatly

M0T · 16 Feb 2008 at 00:50

How about if the card contains a photo and a chip, and all the chip does is to connect to a centrally held database so a reader can show driving license status, passport status etc. Kind of similar to putting a debit card in an atm and showing your bank account details.