London Embassy with a Newborn

So this is a unique scenario...

My husband and I (we are both USA citizens) are expecting our first child in February in London after living in the UK for 3 years --we moved here for his job.  As it is our first baby we have decided to move back to the United States 6 weeks after the baby is born to be closer to family.

I have researched all the rules in applying for new baby's USA passport and should be no issue regarding filing, but I am concerned of the following:

1) Is it really difficult to bring a newborn to the USA embassy in London?  Baby will only be 2 weeks old when we go there.  Can you bring a pram/bassinet inside?  I have heard there are no elevators which is frightening with a heavy duty pram.

2) I am temporarily handicapped and on crutches due to knee surgery right before I got pregnant and SPD.  I doubt I will be off them so soon after a birth.  I am frightened of going there with a pram and crutches (thank god for strong husband!)  Do they have some kind of handicapped entrance?

3) Newborn photos?  I see all the rules for adults, but with a newborn who can't even hold up his own head, how do you hold him in a photo with no person (me) or background visible?  Sounds impossible!!  Any advice?

Any help regarding these issues to help get me prepared will be greatly appreciated as I am already stressing about this move back to the states while becoming a mother for the first time.

This thread should answer all your questions: http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=4481.0 Especially the ones toward the end by MrsLit.

Thank you very much for the link, but that one small post by MrsLit was the only mention of disabled access in the entire 12 pages. 

That thread does not accurately answer my question regarding the pram as well and I have read every page before posting.  I'm assuming I will be able to use that disabled access, but with the pram?

Also concerned about photos and there is no mention in the thread about that as well.

Sorry...there's another thread that does cover it all but I don't have time to dig it up for you. So..


You go to a photoshop (snappy snaps or Jessops) they're familiar with baby passport photos...they just laid our daughter on a white background on the floor arranged her with my husband holding her head and at the count of 3 he moved his hands & they took the pic.

At the Embassy you'll go through a metal detector, the pram/pushchair through an xray machine then you get it back and if you're disabled there's a service lift that you'll be escorted to & from the building. You can take your bags however your mobile will be held at security until you leave.

As Weby says, if you find somewhere that has the capability to do American passport photos, they will be able to accommodate for a newborn (usually as Weby describes by taking the picture with the baby lying on the floor).  We ended up using a professional photographer for DS passport photo as we live in a small town and all the places that offered passport photos were only able to take UK photos (they either had only grey backgrounds or the paper was pre-lined so the wrong size).

I don't know about the disabled access as it wasn't an issue for us (don't remember seeing any elevator doors) but if you're not able to take the pram in with you, they will most likely just have your husband use the regular entrance with the pram and meet you where the appointment is.  You can bring the pram into that room though.

The baby changing area is down 2 flights of steps and inside the women's restroom (not sure where the men's restroom is or if they have changing facilities in there). 

Personally I found the entire process to be very un-baby-friendly...you are in a DMV-style waiting room where you are called to several different windows on several different occasions (which disturbed our LO while trying to feed or sleep or do anything else).  It was an easy process though and only took around an hour and a half.

This is all GREAT information!  Thank you ladies.  Especially the part about the baby on the floor with a white sheet for photos.  I am a graphic designer, so I may try and do that myself. 

I am not happy about having to change a newborn down two floors of stairs that I can not walk myself, but at least I know what I am in for.  My husband may have to take over in the mens room for that one.

I know they are building a new American embassy south of the river that I am sure will tackle these issues.

I haven't taken an infant or child to the embassy but I was just there a month ago to replace a damaged passport and I did notice several couples there with newborns and about half of them had prams.

To take my photo, I went down the road to Gould Pharmacy.  There was a man having his baby's passport photo taken and he had no idea what to do, but the people that worked there knew exactly how the photo should be taken and were very good and patient with the baby.  They have a website here:http://www.gouldpharmacy.com/Photos.asp.  They're literally a 2-3 minute walk down the street from the embassy and the pictures are only £5 which is pretty good considering they print them and everything.  The pictures were ready within minutes.

As far as a lift, I can't remember seeing one, but I wasn't paying much attention.  You might want to call the embassy to find that one out?

I was there in September with my baby and there were plenty of others in similar situations. As previous posters have said, it wasn't the most baby friendly place but you can indeed bring your pram.

It sounds as though you've already booked your appointment online but in case you haven't, I would advise you to do so well in advance. When I booked my online appt, there was no availability for several weeks (I think it was about 7 weeks). Since you plan on leaving the UK soon after, I'd advise you to get that sorted out.

I got my son's photos done at my local Snappy Snaps although it took a few attempts to get it done...my son was always either crying or sleeping and the baby's eyes need to be open. It was pretty straightforward though and Snappy Snaps knew what to do for the US passport photos.

It sounds as though you've already booked your appointment online but in case you haven't, I would advise you to do so well in advance. When I booked my online appt, there was no availability for several weeks (I think it was about 7 weeks). Since you plan on leaving the UK soon after, I'd advise you to get that sorted out.

My LO was born in the summer and I noticed this back then too.  They were basically booked 3 months in advance and they weren't accepting any appointments any further in the future.  I was able to book an appointment for 2 weeks later over the telephone but I then had to cancel that appointment. 

When I re-booked my appointment (in November) there were several appointments (10+) available for everyday and the only days that weren't available were holidays.  I was shocked to see the difference.

The baby changing area is down 2 flights of steps and inside the women's restroom (not sure where the men's restroom is or if they have changing facilities in there). 

Men's toilets are on the opposite stairwell to the one leading to the women's (or the stairwell on your right if you walk in the main entrance).  DH says he can't remember if there was a baby changing area in the men's toilet, but he believes there was.