Originally Posted by
DernierVirage
I have never bothered getting a second passport, since previously I have always been able to get it renewed very quickly from overseas. The problem is that all the changes in the administrative set up took place not long after the last time I renewed my passport, so I wasn't really aware of the problem sooner. I agree that I now need to get a second passport, to take some of the pressure off !!
They're really handy. As a rule of thumb if you're filling a 48 page passport in the 10 years you shouldn't have any issue.
The cost is trivial compared with the cost of visas, let alone airfares. You can get that 2nd one immediately, keeping your old one for now.
Last time I renewed, I did both passports (one had 1 page free, the other had 2 half-pages) on the 4 hour service in London.
Another option would be to send your passport back to a family member in the UK via fast/secure delivery, then they could do the fast-track service and post back, should be about 10 days in all. They may be able to do the same-day counter application (not just London, but Liverpool, Belfast, etc), in which case I suspect you could have it back in 96 hours (Ship Monday moring, in London Tue Evening, first thing at Victoria Wednesday, new passport at 1300, ship out on the evening flights, in HK by Thursday evening)