Do children need six months left on passport when visiting UK?

[ChickyChickyParmParm]

We live abroad. Kids have British passports.

We're planning to visit the UK in July/August. DC1, who will turn 5 on the trip, has a passport that expires in December.

Will this be a problem? I don't know whether the six month rule still applies - or if there is a possible exception for children who have a shorter expiry on their passports (five years).

Thanks

[SmallGreenBouncyBall]

if travelling from europe the passport has to be valid for the trip.
if visa are involved, check those requirements before booking

[meditrina]

No, there are no restrictions on passport validity for British nationals in Britain.

The passport simply needs to be valid on the dates of travel.

[ChickyChickyParmParm]

No visas involved, and we're not coming from within Europe.

But looks like we'll be ok with meditrina's advice. Thanks!

[SavoyCabbage]

I've brought my dd's in with days to spare because I waited to renew them in the uk rather than overseas because it's so much cheaper.

[lifeisunjust]

There has never been a 6 month rule for any entry into the UK, irrelevant the nationality.

All British citizens can enter the UK, so long as they can prove their nationality and technically that includes arriving with no passport - in practice this is only easy if at a juxtaposed port and having previously been in possession of a UK passport marked "British citizen" (there are other British nationalities with UK passports).

[tomatodizzy]

If they are British they can enter Britain on a British passport that expires in the same month. My children have duel nationality one of them went to the UK with both passports and his British passport had expired, we were expecting them to stamp the other passport and have to explain that he was going to renew his British one while there. They didn't even stamp his other passport and let him in on his expired British one!

[lifeisunjust]

If they are British and can prove it, as I said they can enter the UK full stop, no need for passport.

[lifeisunjust]

PS UK Border officials are not allowed to stamp other passports if a British passport is presented, in same way as no EU passports can be stamped.

[TheAussieProject]

Agree with all stated above, but some airline companies won't allow you to fly with them, so you should check with them.

[lifeisunjust]

All airlines who fly into the UK are fully aware of the rules for passports in the UK - that passports must be valid on arrival (no 6 months rule) and furthermore that British citizens CAN arrive with expired passports or no passport, so long as communication is made to Border Force in advance and the chief of the day is willing to waive Carriers Liability for that passenger.

[TheAussieProject]

Yes but what about flying back home after the UK visit?

[tomatodizzy]

If they only have a uk passport can it be renewed while there? I find this is much easier and cheaper than doing it from the country I'm in, just get your countersigner lined up early. We never go for less than a month. As a resident of the country I am in I can enter with less than 6 months, the rules are different for tourists. You need to check your resident rules.

[lifeisunjust]

The gap in price between a UK passport renewed from outside the UK (which is still actually made in the UK but the actual passport comes from another secret country) and the price of the UK passport whilst renewed inside the UK is much much less than it used to be thankfully.

A straightforward UK passport renewal is currently taking less than 2 weeks inside the UK, you just need to be in the UK whilst it is processed.