Now I live in the US.

The UK government has decided that to travel to the UK, a UK citizen MUST use a UK passport. They also, helpfully, don't offer passport services at their US embassies and consulates.

So the process is this: I begin the process on gov.uk, and validate my identity to them, to their satisfaction, using questions only I should know (where did my parents marry, born where and to whom, what time of the day). Once I have done that, I get to upload a passport photo of myself... and then I have to find, and nominate another UK citizen who -does- have a passport, -who is not related to me-, who "has known me for two years", and "has the risk of loss if they were to make a false statement", to go through the same process themselves, validate their identity, and then state that the photo they have seen is of me, that they have known me for two years or more, what the nature of our relationship is, and more.

Then the UK will issue my passport.

Fun story of the app refusals though, id.me, as used by the IRS:

"Scan the front and back of your Driver's License."

[upload scan of front of DL @ 200DPI]

"Unable to find a face in the image you uploaded."

[upload scan of front of DL @ 300DPI]

"Unable to find a face in the image you uploaded."

Huh. Maybe I'll try with a lower resolution.

[upload scan of front of DL @ 72DPI]

"Thank you, now please upload the back of your Driver's License."

Hmm, 72DPI worked for the front, so...

[upload scan of back of DL @ 72DPI]

"Unable to read a barcode in the image you uploaded."

[upload scan of back of DL @ 200DPI]

"Unable to read a barcode in the image you uploaded."

[upload scan of back of DL @ 300DPI]

"Thank you for verifying your Driver's License".

I have had to take photos of each of my two kids at six months old for passports. That was not a lot of fun (though it's nice to look at the baby photo for the older one now).