Your passport to a winter break
Long delays, confusion over expiry dates — how not to be caught out when it’s time to renew
HaNdy things passports, aren’t they? and they only need renewing every ten years. But something strange happened after the various lockdowns, when passports were consigned to the backs of cupboards, bottoms of drawers or even lost. everyone seemingly needed a new one.
and with people booking holidays last minute to avoid changing travel rules, many were plunged suddenly into a bureaucratic rabbit hole that would make a Franz Kafka novel seem like a Mr Men book — nonrefundable appointments, courier company meltdowns, fast-track services booked up for weeks, new restrictions for the small matter of Brexit.
The good news is that, with a little preparation, you can save yourself the headache. Here’s our guide to dodging the pitfalls of renewing your passport . . .
THINK AHEAD
CHeCK your passport’s expiry date at least three months before an upcoming holiday — or as soon as you start thinking of booking one, if you’re the last-minute type. The Passport Office helpline says there are waiting times of up to ten weeks for the standard service, which costs £75.50.
If you end up relying on the one-week fast-track option, you’ll have to fork out at least another £66.50, while the faster online premium service will set you back £177. That’s money you could spend on an extra night away.
Be warned that over the past few weeks, hundreds of people have complained about the delays at courier service TNT, which has an exclusive government contract to deliver official travel documents. Just another reason to start the process early.
WHEN TO UPDATE
ONE of the big changes since the beginning of the pandemic is that we now need at least six months’ validity on our passports to travel to europe.
Here’s where it gets confusing. The EU’S website says: ‘If you are a non-EU national wishing to visit or travel within the EU, you will need a passport valid for at least three
months after the date you intend to leave the eU country you are visiting, which was issued within the previous ten years.’
Six months is recommended because UK citizens can stay in the eU for up to 90 days, then need at least three months’ validity on their passports when leaving.
The second point refers to some UK passports being valid for a few months longer than ten years. For example, a passport issued in October 2011 might have an expiry date in March 2022. For travel purposes, October 2021 should be viewed as its expiry date, i.e. exactly ten years after the passport’s issue.
It might sound unlikely, but we have heard horror stories of readers being turned away from flights for this reason.
renewing your passport when it has six months or less left is a good rule of thumb. Six months’ validity is also required for travel to countries such as the U.S., Australia, Canada, Turkey, China, Thailand and egypt.
For more information, check entry requirements at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
SAVE TIME OR MONEY STANDARD
PRICE: £75.50 online, or £85 for a paper form. TIME: renewing, replacing a damaged, lost or stolen passport, or changing your details takes six weeks (although the website warns of up to ten weeks). A first passport takes seven weeks. GOOD TO KNOW: Forms can be found at post offices, but going online is recommended as applications can be tracked immediately (rather than after ten weeks by post).
ONE-WEEK FAST-TRACK
PRICE: Adult, £142; child, £122. TIME: The passport is delivered to you within seven days of the appointment in all instances, according to the Passport Office. GOOD TO KNOW: Must be done using paper forms, which are taken into a non-refundable appointment that can be booked up to three weeks in advance. Appointments can be changed up to two days prior. This service will have the longest queue and requires in-person attendance.
ONLINE PREMIUM SERVICE
PRICE: £177. TIME: Non-refundable bookings can be made up to two days before. Passport collected during the appointment. GOOD TO KNOW: These book up fast. You must take with you your old passport and a digital photo. The passport must be picked up in person. It can take as little as two days.
CHECK & CHECK AGAIN
APPOINTMeNT availability seems to fluctuate, so it is worth repeatedly checking online.
SPeAKING to anyone on the phone is difficult. It is likely you will just be redirected to the website and quoted a waiting time of ten weeks for the regular service.
THe process is different for those with dual citizenship, see gov.uk/government/ publications/dual-citizens/dual-nationality.