Kalkan Turkish Local News has been advised by the British Embassy, that from 15 June 2010, the British Consulate General in Istanbul will no longer issue passports in Turkey.

After that date, British nationals living in Turkey will need to send their application by courier to a central passport administration office in Germany.

The new address is:

Passport Section
British Consulate General
Yorck Strasse 19
40476 Düsseldorf
Germany

It is claimed that service delivery times will not be adversely affected.  Details of passport application fees, how to pay, and courier costs can be found on the British Embassy website www.ukinturkey.fco.gov.uk .

The British Consulate General in Istanbul will continue to accept applications until 15:30 on 14 June 2010.

Passports can be renewed up to nine months before they expire and the extra time will be added on to the new passport’s period of validity.

Consular offices in Turkey will continue to issue Emergency Travel Documents for customers who need to travel urgently.  Requests for Emergency Travel Documents will only be approved in limited circumstances and evidence of the urgent nature of your requirement must be provided.    

For the latest information and Frequently Asked Questions please visit the Embassy website at www.ukinturkey.fco.gov.uk

Background to this change
The UK Government has said that it is committed to looking for opportunities to reduce administration, centralise excellence and deliver beneficial economies of scale. It is claimed that the move to a new passport administration centre in Germany, will bring in more sophisticated measures to safeguard personal identity, and reduce opportunities for passport fraud. 

This change is part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Passport Rationalisation Project set up in May 2008 to deliver a more streamlined and efficient passport operation for British Nationals abroad, to achieve immediate financial benefits to the FCO, to UK taxpayers and to establish a sustainable operating platform for the future.