Passport office saying DDs passport cannot be renewed, even with emergency appointment- looking for advice..

[OwlMother]

Dd is due to travel to France on the same day as her 16th birthday. Unfortunately I have only just realised her passport is only valid until July. If there is brexit with no deal government advice is that she will need six months validity.

No problem, I thought. I'll just renew it. Do the express thing if I need to. But the passport office say no. Dd is not allowed a new passport until after her 16th birthday. She can't have a child renewal because she's nearly an adult, and she can't have an adult passport because she's only a child. It seems absolutely crazy but after several phone calls I'm no further on.

Does anyone have any experience of this? Or any suggestions? I acknowledge this is my fault for booking her flights without checking, but I had checked her passport was in date, just hadn't appreciated the brexit implications. I suppose there will be more of this to come.

When is she due to travel? Exactly how long do you have to get this sorted?

I don’t understand why she can’t have a child passport. DS got a passport when he was 12 - it will last until he’s 17 and then he’ll get an adult one.

Sorry if I've left gaps in the story. She should travel on February 10th. She currently has a child passport but isn't allowed a child renewal or an adult renewal.

That sounds wrong, my sister was hoping to renew at 16 for nephew but he had to go on a school trip so she (annoyingly) renewed it for 5 years only as a child passport?

In my professional capacity as a trainee immigration lawyer I worked with a brilliant passport advisor who, if anyone can help, will be able to. passportservices.co.uk/. Give them a ring tomorrow and they'll know if anything's possible. They'll only charge if they can sort it for you. Good luck and happy birthday to your daughter.

This advice applies only if we left the EU without a deal. We have a deal and will be in transition until December. Surely she will be fine with a passport valid until July unless she is flying out just before it expires.

She won't need 6 months validity for EU yet. Dd got a child renewal at 15 though.

We will be in the transition period when your DD travels so she won't need 6 months validity to travel. That only applies if there is no deal after 31 December.

She should travel on February 10th.

That is cutting it very fine even for a renewal. I think the only way she is going to be bale to travel is to use the passport she currently has. It doesn't expire until July so theres plenty of time left on it. I thought you were going to say she travels in June. I doubt there will be any problems with travelling in February she has a valid passport I highly doubt they are going to stop her travelling.

Why isn’t she allowed a child renewal?

We have a transition agreement with the EU which is valid until December 2020. This means nothing changes until December 2020.

So she only needs a valid passport to travel. She does not need 6 months validity. So I do not think you have a problem.

You won’t need six mo the left it will work not need to be valid. Please don’t listen to the Brexit hysteria.

*six months left for it to be valid.

They won't give her a child renewal as she's almost an adult.

The government website says she needs six months, there's a calculator thing you put the details in.

A renewal can be done on the day, I could have an appointment on Saturday and have one that day.

I suppose there's the potential that the government website hasn't been updated yet?

Which government website says that?

www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-for-travel-to-europe

I'll try and post the screenshot..

The government website says this;
Passport validity
Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you don’t need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, the rules on travel will stay the same until 31 December 2020

Passport timings atm, I sent sons off on thurs 9th after doing online renewal, received it back Monday 20th, pretty good turnaround. Normal post. He's 15 1/4 and did a normal child renewal.

Because unless we leave without a deal on 31/1 it is wrong. And that is not going to happen.

The withdrawal agreement has now passed through the Commons and the Lords and received Royal Assent so we are leaving on 31/1 with a transition deal that lasts until December 2020.

She has a valid passport. She can travel.

The Gov page was last updated in April so I'd take it with a pinch of salt.

This is the message when I input the details

You cant do a same day child renewal. Are you and the passport office talking at cross purposes? She should be able yo get a new child passport- but not same day, and she cant have a same day adult passport as she isnt an adult?

Passport should be fine for travel to the EU without the 6 month validity for the rest of this year.

That only applies if there is a NO DEAL Brexit.

But we have a deal