DC's passport runs out mid/end of July.
We were hoping to visit family abroad in the summer, for several weeks starting anytime soon/when travel is possible, to mid-August, returning in time for two week quarantine before (hopefully) school starts again in September. We would probably drive, avoiding planes and airports etc.
Just checked passport office and it seems that
- no fast track available
- generally applications take longer than usually (usual is 3 weeks) due to reduced staff
Has anyone got any recent experience of child passport renewal? How long did it take? For 'non-urgent' renewals, so no 'urgent business travel' or 'urgent compassionate travel' or such.
We are mulling if we should just go ASAP (as soon as rules and regulations in both countries and transit countries allow) and come back before passport expires, or send it off for renewal now and risk not being able to travel at all until it gets back in 4/5/6 ... weeks.
I'd rather not go straight away (we're both working from home term time so it wouldn't be a holiday, just working from home from a different place) but DH can't bear the thought of potentially not going until late July and only having a couple of weeks before needing to return. For all four of us, our mental health isn't too great and the thought of getting away to see family and be in a place where cases are as good as zero and lockdown has been largely lifted, is a bit of a lifeline we are all holding on to.
If we'd know the passport was likely to return to us (renewed) within three weeks or so, we'd feel a lot better about waiting a little longer.
Can you help us please with some recent experience?
TIA!