Got a passport expiring this year - renew now or wait?

[Gaballout]

Mine runs out in November. Not sure if I should just renew now or wait until then?

No long haul trips so no need to renew once 6 months is up.

Are you likely to go to mainland Europe? Our travel company has said we need 6 months+ remaining on our passport when we travel at Easter.

Do you have a driving licence? Don’t leave yourself without a valid photo ID.

Ah I didn't know for Europe you need 6 months!

Not sure if it's best to be one of the last with the old passport or one of the first with the new one

Got a driving license thankfully.

Mine runs out in July.

I was talking about this with my DP. I have older parents who travel a lot, plus teenage kids who are also going abroad without me this year.

If I needed to get to them in an emergency I don't want to be worrying about there not being 6 months left on my passport so I'm going to renew it at the end of the month.

They don't add the unexpired time to a renewed passport anymore therefore I'd wait as long as you can.

After Brexit you'll need 6 months on your passport to go to EU, you don't at the moment.

I would just do it now, unless you don't plan to travel this year at all.

I think I'd sacrifice a few months to be sure of having a passport, a 10 year passport costs much less than a £ per month so not worth the stress of not knowing what the renewals will be like after March imo

Can you find a Link for the 6 months after brexit?

I'm not doubting it but would be good to know.

Does it depend on if the deal is approved o not?

Sorry, it's three months not six, I got it wrong.

It's a rule for non-EU countries as a whole. Assuming we Brexit we will be a non-EU country and subject to the same regulations as other non-EU countries. It doesn't matter what deal we have.

europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-nationals/index_en.htm

Can’t do clicky link - but gov website says 6 months for EU. Guess it depends what happens tomorrow with the deal

www.gov.uk/guidance/passport-rules-for-travel-to-europe-after-brexit?_ga=2.208793042.170527909.1547316229-271643440.1547316229

Apparently I can do a link!

They will be burgundy passports until 2020 anyway. And it won't affect anything except you'll need a visa after brexit. We renewed last week ha I googled the same thing. No point in wiring IME

Thanks!

I thought the government signed for the new contract to start in October this year?

I guess after tomorrow I'll have a few more weeks to do it in.

If brexit is extended or a revote then the passports say valid until the day they expire in the EU?

I don't know for sure, but the burgundy passports are likely to remain in use until their expiry dates. Just like the old blue ones did when EU passports came in. The Passport Office wouldn't be able to cope with replacing all passports in a compressed period of time and it would be too costly. Just like DVLA won't be replacing every UK EU driving licence.

As I read it, your passport will still "work" but the rules to enter countries will change. So you can use the same passport but it won't afford you the same privileges

Mine expired in Nov 2018 and I’ve just renewed mine as we’re going away for a few days in Feb and then in Summer.

I didn’t even think about if Brexit would affect it

Oh yes the red passports will still work. But not sure if it's best to be the first with a new one or the last with an old one.

Or will it make any different at all lol

I'm just about to order passports for all of us ready for our summer break- didn't even consider the Brexit effect.

Currently, for travel within the EU and lots of other countries, your passport only needs to cover the duration of your trip.

However, post Brexit, if it happens on 29th March, we don't currently know, as that is one of the many things that is part of the deal/no deal/etc etc, so you might come unstuck if it changes to needing six months left, and you don't have this.

However, you might be able to get an emergency appointment for a new passport, should you need it, but this costs more, and there might not be convenient appointments available, if there is increased demand for example.

The passports issue is made worse by the change where you don't keep up to 9 months of unused time, if you renew early, which will probably cause more people to leave their passport renewal until later on, to avoid losing time.

This change seems quite short-sighted to me, as under the old system, you could renew your passport at quiet times of year and when you knew you wouldn't need it in the next couple of weeks and it would come back in days.

OP, if yours runs out in November, you may be effected by this if you want to travel from May onwards, to a country that requires 6 months remaining, which may include EU countries, post Brexit.

Thanks so much Barbara. I'm trying to read the deal but can't even find information about passports!

I'm going to just renew, probably won't go on holiday this year abroad but you never know what will happen