I applied to UKAbroad for renewal of UK passport in Thailand. I submitted the application and paid the GBP 275 fee. I was then told, almost by return, that online renewal was not possible and the fee would be refunded with a 3pct service fee deducted.
I was only refunded gbp 246 which means they took far more than 3pct service fee. Most importantly, they must surely have known that on line renewal was not allowed before accepting my application.
Response from U.K.ABROADJul 14, 2026
Hi Christopher
Normally, when a refund is processed, a 3% fee is applied to cover non-refundable bank and payment processing charges, as well as the administrative work involved in reversing the transaction.
However, in this instance, and as a gesture of goodwill, we have decided to waive this fee and refund the full amount to you.
No fees will be deducted from your refund.
The only reason the fee was slightly less is due to fluctuation of the exchange rate.
CH
C H Q.
James Henry is completely correct: do not use it
James Henry is completely correct. I used them last year and it cost me £259. My partner has now gone through the gov.uk website, which costs £95, and is as easy to navigate, in fact UKabroad must copy a lot of it. UKabroad proved to be an intermediary whose only discernable extra function was to get in the way. Incidentally at the end I could demonstrate that I had been conversing with a robot (which had, en route, sent me absurd advice).
Response from U.K.ABROADMar 30, 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. We take feedback very seriously.
Please allow us to clarify that while we are not a government agency, we are a legitimate service provider that assists with the processing of British passport renewals, replacements and applications from abroad. Our role is to offer additional support and services not provided on the official government site, which may account for the difference in price. This information is available in our terms of service and FAQs, as well as a disclaimer on every page of our website which we strive to present as transparently as possible.
U.K.PASSPORTS offers an independent service, not associated in any way with any government. You have the option to apply directly on the government website, however, our services exist to prevent the risk of possibly losing your government fees if your application is rejected or delayed for too long. To view our authenticity, click here: https://ukpassportsmail.com/authentication/
DISCLAIMER
U.K.ABROAD is an online legitimate and private British document services company assisting applicants worldwide who are living in the USA/ Mexico/ South America/ Caribbean, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe, Asia. U.K.ABROAD offers an independent service, not associated in any way with any government. You have the option to apply directly on the government website, however, our services exist to prevent the risk of possibly losing your government fees if your application is rejected or delayed for too long.
JH
James Hamilton H.
Concerning
Luckily I pulled out before paying anything. And that is only because I was shocked at the price the were asking. Unfortunately, that is not revealed before beginning the process. So the individual has submitted quiet a bit of personal data until you get to the payment page. That screams scam right? However, my biggest concern is that while I back peddled with the info, I believe it is already in their servers. Stupidly, I contacted them to ask if that data was indeed erased and received an email that it had. Then. Next day, received another email: same person (?) asking for payment. Conclusion: Data has not been erased. I'm concerned. Had my email. What else do they have? Where do I report this? I know there will be an AI response to this as many of you have already had. That does not alleviate my fears. I hate online transactions!
Progressive edit as of October 31.: So, as you can see, I did get the AI response with no right of reply. Heres the thing. The UK GOV website states very clearly what the your costs will be before you even begin the process. While UKAbroad may affirm their integrity in all things which may just be above board, and very convenient to non cautious clients, it does not excuse the fact that the fees are not clearly stated at the outset so clients can make an informed choice
Response from U.K.ABROADOct 31, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. We take feedback very seriously.
Please allow us to clarify that while we are not a government agency, we are a legitimate service provider that assists with the processing of British passport renewals, replacements and applications from abroad. Our role is to offer additional support and services not provided on the official government site, which may account for the difference in price. This information is available in our terms of service and FAQs, as well as a disclaimer on every page of our website which we strive to present as transparently as possible.
RJ
Rob J.
Scam - use gov.uk
Scam - go direct to gov.uk
For a simple renewal they charge 250 quid rather than the 90 quid gov.uk charges.
Response from U.K.ABROADOct 21, 2025
U.K.ABROAD is an online legitimate and private British document services company assisting applicants worldwide who are living in the USA/ Mexico/ South America/ Caribbean, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe, Asia. U.K.ABROAD offers an independent service, not associated in any way with any government. You have the option to apply directly on the government website, however, our services exist to prevent the risk of possibly losing your government fees if your application is rejected or delayed for too long.
CU
customer
Unnecessary service / scam service
When I typed into the browser's search "renewing a British passport" this company's links and website information came up. Obviously I wanted to appy via the British government's website and not via some unnecessary middleman posing as an official website who was going to charge me EUR 150 more than the British government just for sending on my application data. They even have a crown logo to make it look as official as possible. I wasn't even sure what the official website is so I was fooled at first.
During the registration the overly expensive fee made me suspicious, and then I had to write my full name to confirm that the company could act on my behalf.
I broke off the scam application and searched for the official British government's website.
Response from U.K.ABROADSep 15, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. We take feedback very seriously.
Please allow us to clarify that while we are not a government agency, we are a legitimate service provider that assists with the processing of British passport renewals, replacements and applications from abroad. Our role is to offer additional support and services not provided on the official government site, which may account for the difference in price. This information is available in our terms of service and FAQs, as well as a disclaimer on every page of our website which we strive to present as transparently as possible.
U.K.PASSPORTS offers an independent service, not associated in any way with any government. You have the option to apply directly on the government website, however, our services exist to prevent the risk of possibly losing your government fees if your application is rejected or delayed for too long. To view our authenticity, click here: https://ukpassportsmail.com/authentication/
HC
Heather C.
I felt totally scammed by this company…
I felt totally scammed by this company . I paid them on registration . Uploaded my photos . Was asked to retake the photos and heard nothing from them for 29 days I emailed them three times a day for a week . There is no visible phone number . I reported the transaction to my Bank today to reclaim the funds . I had a call from the agent today saying all my emails had gone into her spam folder …. If it’s such a great company why not update me ……. Very disappointed should have stuck with UK Gov website ….
Response from U.K.ABROADMay 15, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. We take feedback very seriously.
At UK Passports, we are committed to providing a professional and efficient service to all our clients. While the majority of our customers have a positive experience, we understand that there may be occasional challenges. Despite our efforts to provide timely assistance, external factors can sometimes impact the process.
We regret any inconvenience you have faced and understand how important a smooth and timely passport renewal is. Our team strives to maintain clear communication and resolve any issues as efficiently as possible. We acknowledge your frustration and apologize for the delay in responses.
Please be assured that we take all feedback seriously and will review your case internally to identify areas for improvement. We have also issued you with a full refund.
DISCLAIMER
U.K.ABROAD is an online legitimate and private British document services company assisting applicants worldwide who are living in the USA/ Mexico/ South America/ Caribbean, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe, Asia. U.K.ABROAD offers an independent service, not associated in any way with any government. You have the option to apply directly on the government website, however, our services exist to prevent the risk of possibly losing your government fees if your application is rejected or delayed for too long.
TL
Tracy L.
Misleading
If you are reading this review, you've probably already figured out by now that you accidentally navigated to a third-party site instead of the actual government site to renew your UK passport. And you're probably kicking yourself for not being more careful to look at the URL. The site looks deceptively similar. Sure, if you scroll down and read the fine print, you will see that they are a "document services provider" but it's a bit sneaky the way they make their site look similar. If you look closely at the Google reviews, you will see this "company" is based out of a residential condo in Florida. Who are these people you're giving away your information to? Make sure you go to the proper government site, gov.uk. Their form is VERY EASY to fill out and nobody needs third party help with this. In fact, the form is almost identical.
I got a full refund when I made a dispute through Paypal, and I feel the need to warn others. When you contact the company, they will tell you they have to keep a 25% fee even though no service was rendered. Paypal did not agree with them.
Response from U.K.ABROADMay 6, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. We take feedback very seriously.
Please allow us to clarify that while we are not a government agency, we are a legitimate service provider that assists with the processing of British passport renewals, replacements and applications from abroad. Our role is to offer additional support and services not provided on the official government site, which may account for the difference in price. This information is available in our terms of service and FAQs, as well as a disclaimer on every page of our website which we strive to present as transparently as possible.
U.K.PASSPORTS offers an independent service, not associated in any way with any government. You have the option to apply directly on the government website, however, our services exist to prevent the risk of possibly losing your government fees if your application is rejected or delayed for too long. To view our authenticity, click here: https://ukpassportsmail.com/authentication/
We have searched our data base and we cannot find any reference to your application. Can you please confirm who your consultant was in order for us to investigate this further. Looking forward to your feedback.
DISCLAIMER
U.K.ABROAD is an online legitimate and private British document services company assisting applicants worldwide who are living in the USA/ Mexico/ South America/ Caribbean, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe, Asia. U.K.ABROAD offers an independent service, not associated in any way with any government. You have the option to apply directly on the government website, however, our services exist to prevent the risk of possibly losing your government fees if your application is rejected or delayed for too long.
ST
saskia T.
Don’t Be Fooled by the Design – This Is NOT UK.GOV
I had a very similar experience to others who were misled by this company. I was trying to renew my son’s British passport and ended up paying €236, mistakenly believing I was using an official UK government service.
Their website closely mimics UK.GOV, using the crown logo, Union Jack, and official-sounding language, which makes it easy to assume you're dealing with a legitimate government body. In reality, they are a third-party document handling company, and their terms and high fees are hidden in the fine print.
After paying, I asked on Facebook if others had paid as much for a child’s passport renewal—and was quickly warned about this company. That’s when I checked Trustpilot and found the many scathing reviews. I realised I had been misled and finally found in their terms and conditions that I’m eligible for a refund minus a 25% service fee, since the application has not yet been finalized.
I have now written to the company politely to request cancellation and a refund, as per their own policy, and I’m waiting to see how they respond.
If they do not return my money as requested, I will take further steps, including reporting them to the relevant fraud authority in my country. I will also update this review with the outcome.
Please avoid this company and go directly to the uk government webiste for passport renewals. It’s the official service—reliable, secure, and far less expensive. This company is exploiting public trust and should be held accountable.
Response from U.K.ABROADMay 5, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. We take feedback very seriously.
Please allow us to clarify that while we are not a government agency, we are a legitimate service provider that assists with the processing of British passport renewals, replacements and applications from abroad. Our role is to offer additional support and services not provided on the official government site, which may account for the difference in price. This information is available in our terms of service and FAQs, as well as a disclaimer on every page of our website which we strive to present as transparently as possible.
U.K.PASSPORTS offers an independent service, not associated in any way with any government. You have the option to apply directly on the government website, however, our services exist to prevent the risk of possibly losing your government fees if your application is rejected or delayed for too long.
To view our authenticity, click here: https://ukpassportsmail.com/authentication/
