Passport renewal deal not yet in the bag
Home Office says European Union references have not been resolved
Issue still to be resolved between UK and the EU
THE UK Home Office has said the British government has not yet reached a deal with the European Union over the thorny issue of passport renewal.
The revelation follows an article in last week’s Costa Living supplement over ‘ passports and Brexit’.
The article highlighted the worry of thousands of expats who have to renew their passport in the next 12 months, before Britain is set to leave the European Union in March, 2019.
As the passports currently have European Union emblazoned on the front and a further reference inside, many Britons living in Spain have questioned whether they will have to pay again for another passport which contains no reference to the EU.
A spokesman for the Home Office told Costa Blanca News that the issue has still not been resolved in the current negotiations.
He said: “It is our intention that people will be able to go on using their passports.”
However, the British government ‘ will have to discuss this’ with the EU to see if it is acceptable.
The current cost of an adult standard 32-page passport is £83, with the cost rising to £102.86 with a courier fee.
Affected Britons have expressed dismay that the issue has not been resolved.
A Torrevieja resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I have to renew my passport in September and will be absolutely furious if I have to go through the process again and pay again.
“This is just another example of the terrible mess that Brexit has created and the uncertainty that the process is leading to for expats.
“The fact that this issue hasn’t been sorted out yet is more proof that the UK government is in disarray over Brexit and that we are the ones who are suffering the consequences.”
The Home Office confirmed in December that after the UK leaves the EU, burgundy passports will continue to be issued for a short period but with no reference to the European Union.
The much-trumpeted blue and gold passports will be issued from October, 2019, according to the Home Office.