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.

No help but I think you've left the name in the screen shot so you might want to get it removed

You can do a child renewal at the passport office. But this isn't the issue. They won't do a child renewal for her as she is practically an adult. And they will process an adult renewal for her but she can't have the passport until after she's 16. I'm not saying it makes sense but this is the line they are consistently sticking to.

I don't think a family holiday to Florida is any more weighty in their view. What they will say if you push this is that you shouldn't have booked with these issues with the passport.

You wouldn't be able to book an appointment as they only do them for adult renewals not child ones and as yet she is still a child.

With only 3 weeks it would make more sense to wait but others are right we do have a deal so we are going into a transition phase which lasts till the end of the year so the current passport is sufficient.

I bet you can book an online appointment as soon as she turns 16 though, because she can have an adult passport! Although as you seem to have arranged for a second Irish passport this may not be relevant.

Already reported, thank you.

OP we travelled a few weeks ago and my son only has 3 months left on his passport, it was absolutely fine

Unless I've misunderstood the OP the point here is that the travel is after Brexit day, anything that has aleady happened or will happen in the next week is totally irrelevant.

The online booking also won't let me book an appointment for her

But you can't book an appointment to renew a child passport. That's why the system won't let you book presumably?

The passport office website too me my ( adult) passport ( due to run out at the end August 2020) was already invalid to visit France in early February - so there does seem to be a lot of confusion as to how long you need on the passport!

It's not really the point, but you can make an appointment to renew either a child or an adult passport. This would then be with you in less than a week, so plenty of time before feb 10th. Unless of course you're like Dd and are within 21 days of turning 16.

Thankfully that doesn't seem to be an issue- thanks for all the links and helpful comments, love Mumsnet for this type of thing!

www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently

But we are not going to have a no deal brexit by February; the implementation period to negotiate a deal starts on 31 january and I think the PM has said we’ll (aim to) conclude it by end 2020. Talks are not going to break down and end in no deal before mid February.

I renewed my daughter’s one last year 28 days (I just had a look) before she turned 16. I did it online and no one questioned it.

Oh sorry just saw the 21 day thing. That’s such a shame.

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?

This...

Sorry; had internet problems and the thread moved on!

Glad that the problem seems sorted

Ok, so just to update. MPs office have spoken to the home office who says that after the 31st January we will all need 6 months validity into passports in order to travel to Europe.

They have also had the same nonsensical answer about DDs passport. She can't get an adult or a child renewal at present.

They are escalating the matter within the home office.

It is extremely unlikely that the UK will leave the EU without a deal.

Parliament and the British government have approved it. The European Commission and the European Council signed it today. Next Wednesday the European Parliament will vote on it and they are expected to vote yes.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51234625

OP : Again, if the Home Office have said that they are WRONG.

Not surprising as this is not a Home Office responsibility. Your MP’s office have spoken to the wrong department.

Honestly, I despair.

It won't be the MP but a junior in their office, many of whom are new in post. I'm not sure what you are chasing now tbh. You have been reassured all will be fine if we leave as planned.

The effect of that rule would be to prevent people aged 15 and a half from travelling to most countries outside the EU for a period of six months. So that is clearly nonsense

This.

But anyway, she's travelling to France and it will be fine.

www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-france#passports-and-travel

Check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip. Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.

You’ll need to renew your passport before travelling if you do not have enough time left on your passport.

The rules on travel will stay the same until the end of the implementation period on 31 December 2020. During this time you can continue to travel to countries in the Schengen area or elsewhere in the EU with your UK passport.

From my reading on this the issue is that while we can still travel through the Schengen area without visas etc, we are no longer EU citizens and so the situation is slightly different to before.

From the telegraph today

Will UK citizens need a new passport?
Travellers visiting the EU after January have been advised to have a passport with at least six months of validity left after the document ceases to permit unrestricted travel across the EU.
The Home Office is also warning holidaymakers of another rule change, which could catch out seemingly-organised travellers in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
“If you renewed a passport before it expired, up to nine extra months may have been added to your new passport’s expiry date,” reads a statement on the Home Office website. “Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the six months needed.”
The Home Office estimated last year that up to 3.5 million British passports did not comply with no-deal entry requirements. Travellers with soon-to-expire passports would be well advised to apply for new ones early to avoid possible delays caused by a rush to renew.

So post 31st January we’ll be subject to the 3+3 rule for Shenghen areas? 3 Month for 90 day visa and 3 month post latest possible exit date?

I suppose it makes sense.

OP could you keep us updated? I appreciate this is stressful for you but it’s a really interesting crack your daughter has fallen into re passport timings.

Also, in regards to a PP you absolutely do not need 6 months on your passport for the USA as a U.K. citizen currently - I’ve arrived in the USA with 6 days left on my passport and been let out with only 2 days validity - other than a raised eye and comment at U.K. border on the way back about how I was cutting it fine, there were no issues. (Also, I don’t advocate you go anywhere with that little left on a passport but my other passport was stuck in an embassy waiting for a visa and it was an urgent work trip so...)

Will do. There been a suggestion that they may be able to post date the start of her new passport- give it to us pre 10/02 but give it's start date as 10/02. This would mean she wouldn't have an adult passport while still a child. One person at the passport office thought this was a possibility, another didn't. It's an avenue that's being looked at.

That article you have posted specifys no deal brexit but we are going to be leaving with a deal so does not apply.

What a nightmare, nobody has a clue what Brexit really entails, even those who 'negotiated' it.

Hope all goes well OP, and maybe worth checking your travel insurance just incase. Not sure if they'd cover something like this, but worth asking the question as a worst case scenario?