Renewing US passport

What with the page that the vignette my entry clearance (that thanks to you all I got without a problem) takes, I've now only got three full clean pages in my passport left.

It expires in April of next year and we are already planning about three city breaks on the Continent this year, the stamps for which will take up alot of the space.

I'm thinking of renewing my passport well before it expires just to save myself the stress, but I have a couple questions:

1) How long does it take to renew it from the embassy? If I did it in the next couple weeks, would I have it back in time for a trip over Easter?
2) Do I have any need for my passport while looking for a job, registering at an NHS surgery, etc, or is my BRP sufficient?
3) You can do it all by post, correct, or do you have to go there?
4) Do I need to notify the Home Office of a change of passport? (Do I need to update--and be without, for some time--my BRP?)

2) Do I have any need for my passport while looking for a job, registering at an NHS surgery, etc, or is my BRP sufficient?

You need your passport for all of these things. Right now your passport is your only legal ID to show anowhere. Your BRP is simply your visa. Your US ID is only good for proving you are allowed to drive right now.

Oh right. I guess I had just assumed you could use a BRP like a green card, which can stand alone as a piece of ID.

You need your passport for all of these things. Right now your passport is your only legal ID to show anowhere. Your BRP is simply your visa.

Are you sure? The answer to question 2 in the opening post, seems to be that the BRP is what is needed to prove a right to work in the UK and to access the NHS without being billed? The US passport only has the 30 day entry vignette.
This is from the government site-

What’s on your BRP

Your BRP will include:

    your name, date and place of birth
    your fingerprints and a photo of your face (this is your biometric information)
    your immigration status and any conditions of your stay
    whether you can access public funds, for example benefits and health services

You may have a National Insurance (NI) number printed on the back of your BRP. Not all BRPs have this - it depends on factors like the date it was issued and your visa status.

Why you need a BRP

You can use your BRP to confirm your:

    identity
    right to study or work in the UK
    right to any public services or benefits you’re entitled to

https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits

And this-

You should bring your biometric residence permit with you when you access healthcare in the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/overview

Are you sure? The answer to question 2 in the opening post, seems to be that the BRP is what is needed to prove a right to work in the UK and to access the NHS without being billed? The US passport only has the 30 day entry vignette.
This is from the government site-

What’s on your BRP

Your BRP will include:

    your name, date and place of birth
    your fingerprints and a photo of your face (this is your biometric information)
    your immigration status and any conditions of your stay
    whether you can access public funds, for example benefits and health services

You may have a National Insurance (NI) number printed on the back of your BRP. Not all BRPs have this - it depends on factors like the date it was issued and your visa status.

Why you need a BRP

You can use your BRP to confirm your:

    identity
    right to study or work in the UK
    right to any public services or benefits you’re entitled to

https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits

And this-

You should bring your biometric residence permit with you when you access healthcare in the UK.
https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/overview

When I signed up with my GP they required my passport, BRP card and proof of my address when I joined the centre. They made copies of all of them.

When I was working with an employment agency when looking for work  I was required to bring my passport, BRP card and my NINo to prove my right to work in the UK on my initial visit with them. If you work with more than one agency, each will require the same thing.

The three employers I have been hired by also required all of those things at time of hiring. Wouldn't have been hired without it (it is the passport). (Current employer requires passport of their UK employees).

I had to have my passport to apply for my NINo.

You must have your passport to apply for your UK provisional driving permit of which you can't take any part of the driving test (theory included) without it.

Yes, you could use your BRP card as an ID, but why would you?! It costs about £300 to replace and you'll be without your passport for several weeks. It's your visa, why would you carry it around? It's as important, if not more important, than my US passport!

Get your UK provisional license and use that as your ID over here. It's cheap to get, under £40. But you will be without your passport for a week or two depending on how long it takes to process. It's not too long.

Eta: stupid phone keyboard  had to fix some weird words

Oh, should also add that if you are looking at a job through an agency and you've never worked with them before they require you to meet with them first before you could have an interview with the actual employer. At which they will require your passport, BRP and NINo for their records.

I was able to apply for my UK provisional licence with my BRP. I definitely didn't send off my US passport.

Just a note that you can start work without a National Insurance number, you'll just be charged at the emergency rate until you get it. It's better to have it when you start work, but not completely necessary. As lyonaria said, your employer will need a copy of your passport and BRP for their files.

Registering for the NHS takes no time at all. I went to the GP office, filled out a form, showed my documents (I think they took scans of my BRP and US passport) and that was it. I left with my documents and I haven't had to show them anything else since then (I registered early 2013).

colinhflowers - The US passports that are renewed/applied for from outside the US now get 52-page books. The old passports were 28 pages. You used to have to request extra pages (free when renewing, for a fee at any other time), but not anymore for applicants outside the US. Renewals within the US get their choice of 28-page or 52-page books.

Good to know that you probably won't have to worry about running out of pages with your new passport. Now you can travel your heart out!

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/news/visa-pages-no-longer-issued.html

Great, thanks guys. I suppose the first order of business for me then shall be to find a job--I've already got NI and NHS numbers from my last time in the U.K. (I assume I won't need a new one?), and I should have proof of address soon if not already as my husband added my name to bills a month ago. I changed my address a while ago with my bank there, so if nothing else I suppose I might be able to get a statement or a letter from them, which should be fine to register at a surgery, right?

I'm not as anxious about running out of pages before expiry, so much as I'm just (irrationally, I admit) about whether it might become more difficult to get a passport outside of the country with the new administration... I know it's silly, but if you told me even two days ago that they would stop letting in green card holders and even dual citizens, I would have thought you were insane!

Great, thanks guys. I suppose the first order of business for me then shall be to find a job--I've already got NI and NHS numbers from my last time in the U.K. (I assume I won't need a new one?), and I should have proof of address soon if not already as my husband added my name to bills a month ago. I changed my address a while ago with my bank there, so if nothing else I suppose I might be able to get a statement or a letter from them, which should be fine to register at a surgery, right?

I'm not as anxious about running out of pages before expiry, so much as I'm just (irrationally, I admit) about whether it might become more difficult to get a passport outside of the country with the new administration... I know it's silly, but if you told me even two days ago that they would stop letting in green card holders and even dual citizens, I would have thought you were insane!

If you've already got your National Insurance number and you're registered with the NHS, then you're in a very good position!

I think my GP asked for proof of address just to be sure I was in their catchment area. They weren't too picky on what it was and they were very friendly. It was super easy and took me less than half an hour - ymmv.

You never know what the future will bring, especially these days, so I don't blame you for thinking ahead on renewing your passport. It might end up being unnecessary worry (fingers crossed), but better safe than sorry!