Argghgh.. DDs 'child' passport has expired and need an adult one urgently...

[bbcessex]

posting here for traffic.

DD has a school trip in Feb.. needs a visa for it - school requested passports to be submitted by this Friday. Just went to get her passport and it expired in August. ARGHGHGHGGHG. Didn't realise. She's now 16 so I will need to 'renew' but it seems that as she is now 16 she needs an adult one and the form says this will take 6 weeks.

Does anyone have any happy stories to help? I'll be going to the main post office tomorrow morning first thing to check...

[Domino20]

You can pay extra for a check and send service. My Mum got hers back in under a week. (Last month). You're lucky it's not coming up to summer, it will be fine x

[sleepwhenidie]

I think there are companies that can get the job done (certainly can for existing adult passports), but they charge ££ for it. I'd have thought the reason school wants passports now is to flag up such issues though? Maybe check why they need them before panicking?

[SusanneLinder]

If you are near a passport office and its a renewal, you might be able to get a same day appt, but it is expensive..
Had to do this myself, but depends when you can get an appt

[MadisonAvenue]

My son got his first adult passport earlier this year, not peak holiday time, after his child passport had expired and it was back in less than a week.

[sleepwhenidie]

It sounds like a different set of circumstances than just a renewal though (similar to a stolen passport)....check and send not an option?

[dementedpixie]

You do it as a renewal not a new adult passport so it shouldn't take 6 weeks. New adult ones are for people who have never had a child passport before.

[bbcessex]

Okay.. possibly I'm panicking ? (hope!). They need the passports asap to apply for the visas but I will check when the cut off is.

It says on the website 'it takes at least 6 weeks for your first Adult passport'. I wonder if that's "first ever passport?".

Normally DD bringing forms home late; this time it's my fault

[MadisonAvenue]

sleep I assumed that with my son's passport and thought he'd need an interview with it being his first adult one but that wasn't the case, it just ended up being a straightforward renewal.

[MadisonAvenue]

bbcessex that was the conclusion I came to, that it meant the first ever passport.

[dementedpixie]

From .gov website:

Children who are 16, or almost 16

Your child must apply for a 10-year adult passport if they’ll be 16 within the next 3 weeks or they’re already over 16. They don’t need parental consent.

Follow the process for renewing an adult passport if they’ve already had a British child passport.

If your child has never had a British passport or they’ve only been included on yours, they must apply for an adult passport.

[Shakirasma]

When my DD's child passport expired nd she needed an adult one it just went through as a renewal, sent off and returned in around 1 week.

[dementedpixie]

You can fill the forms in online too

[Kenworthington]

They're quite quick now. Ds 1 had to apply for an adult one in oct as hed bloody lost his (2 weeks before our holiday eeeeeek) and it came within a couple days. He used the check and send service at post office

[dementedpixie]

www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport

[dementedpixie]

I don't think check and send speeds up the process, they just check for errors. I normally just do it myself

[bbcessex]

Ok.. I'm feeling a bit better now.. thank you all.

Why do I never find out the problem during the day, when the phone lines are open?!

Thanks again. I think I might book an an on the day appointment; assume if I put the old passport number in, it will tell me if I can't do it?

[blueskyinmarch]

My DD2 had an Easter school trip booked and they needed her passport details. But she was turning 16 in the December and I was stalling on it as I knew I wasn't going to get her new one before then. Once she was 16 we applied immediately and it came back very quickly. Certainly not 6 weeks, more like 2. Do it now and it might be here before Christmas.

[dementedpixie]

www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently/cost - option of 1 day and 1 week for adult renewal

[IJustWantABrew]

You can go and sit and wait for a passport, there's about 3 places in the U.K., Ireland, Durham and somewhere else down south. It takes about 6 hours and they do the passport whilst you wait but I think dd would need to be with you

[228agreenend]

Dh did his passport renewed on line. It was here within a couple of weeks. Why don't you speak to the school to find out the final date they need it. I can't imagine Friday will be the final date.

[BackforGood]

a) you still have over 6 weeks
b) they never take that long
c) isn't it a good job the school asked for them now ?

[eatingtomuch]

I renewed my sons passport at exactly the same time last year. Did the check and send at the post office. Was back in a week. This was child to adult and had run out like yours.

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

both ds1 and dd got adult passports from their expired child ones...came through very quickly.

and both passports were very expired, from when they were three and five!

[eurochick]

Backforgood there is more than 6 weeks but they need time for the visa application. That can take several weeks.