My First Italian Passport

Appointment made on 6th January for the 25th. Handed in documentation. 10 days later (today) passport ready.

It’s burgundy (but not shiny). I’m European again!

My new British Passport

So… Here I am, in the middle of a global pandemic, with just about 6 months left on my UK passport. I do the natural thing and apply online to get it renewed- just in case there’s an emergency.

Little did I know that 1) I could have a digital photo taken on any random smartphone and, once uploaded, an algorithm would tell me whether it was OK; 2) all I needed as proof of address was a statement from my employer; 3) it would take longer for the requested documents to get through Customs via the Italian and British Postal Services than it would to a) get it approved; b) printed; c) returned.

I have now forsaken my lovely burgundy European Union British Passport for a Black (?) British one with no illustrations of places of interest on the inside pages.

Brexiters… Don’t you dare say it’s blue… It’s the same colour as the one I had as a kid – you know, the cardboard one with the blue pages inside (?) – and that was black.

Update: Apparently the new passport renewal service – or so I have read, please let me know if I’m wrong- had given jobs to just 70 Brits! The tender for the production of the passport was won by a Franco-Dutch company and is printed in Poland… How European is that?!?!?! 😂😂😂