... to suggest you check your passport expiry dates?

[EdithWeston]

As a bit of New Year admin.

I am terribly disorganised, but this is one thing I do manage to do. So I know when renewals are coming up and can send off in good time.

Remembering the passport office chaos this year (and in previous years) and knowing how easy it is not to notice, I thought I'd post a little reminder.

And am ready to be flamed by those who think this is a misuse of AIBU and/or that no such reminder is ever appropriate.

Thanks!

Yes, we should know without looking, but there are four of us, with 6 passports, and they all have different dates and are valid for different lengths of time. . . One of DD's will expire this March, so got to get crackin'.

Don't you keep track of this as you use the passport?

Sorry, this made me laugh. Between five of us we have 11 passports, each of which gets used once every few years.

I know mine is fine as I renewed it last year at the height of the delay but it was turned around within their stated time. I will get DH to check his.

What other new year admin do people do?

Mine runs out in May - I sent it to be updated in November in readiness as we are going away in February. Came back within the week.

We only ave one passport each so we check whenever we plan a holiday but now roughly when they might be due. We have managed to sort it so that none need renewing at the same time. Makes it slightly less expensive at any one time!

Other thing to check is photo driving licence.

I also check my NHS prepaid prescription card as that needs renewing annually.

DS passport was due to expire in April, we travel in May so I renewed it in October while I had money while I remember. I always check passports and EHIC cards when i book a holiday so I know they will be ok.

On that note dont forget EHIC need renewing regulary too

Was just about to say that I know all our passports are OK (although the kids' ones are only for 5 years, not 10), as I'm still in shock as to how much it cost, but I do need to renew the EHICs.

Newbiefrugalgal What happened? Were you stuck in no man's land??

We renewed some of ours this year so I'm ok but I think this is a good idea for a thread

Nice of you to think of posting a reminder, particularly after last year's threads when so many people were stressed about late passports/imminent holidays.

Thanks for the reminder! Both mine and DS's are due for renewal. I am slightly gutted actually as my passport photo is really nice

Mine expires in may. Dare I ask how much I will be looking at in order to get the damned thing renewed?

About £72 iirr

A whole hap of mumsnetters left it far too late last year and had a series of oh woe is me posts which were largely brouight on by their own negligence. I think it's a good idea to remind people to do the renewals now whilst it's very quiet.

And do you all know you can fill in the form online now (for a straight forward renewal) so no need to make a trip to the post office for a form, fill it in wrong, make another trip to the post office for a fresh form, etc etc

Yup, upcoming passport fail here for travel on the 2nd. We have no idea if we'll get through (it's my daughters, valid for dates of travel but not the requisite 6 months afterwards). Totally our own fault, but there you go.

We've arranged a damn good plan B if it all goes tits up. We're kind of hoping it does, tbh....

Also, it appears this time of year is a good time to sort it out. I posted mine off just before Christmas last year, it was back before new year

It might be quiet, but if your in between pay dates, or will take a couple of months to recover financially from Christmas, you can't just magic up the money to renew.

A lot of the posts are usually about the DH forgetting to do his PP, or the children's.

Just because you can afford to travel, doesn't mean that you've got a few hundred pounds, going spare, so that you can apply for PPs, anytime.

DDs and mine run out in October 2017 - we will do what we did before, which is book a date during half term and travel to the Dutch embassy to have them redone. Download the necessary forms 6 months beforehand, check exactly what documentation is needed, get everything together for the day - job done.

The DDs American passports and DH's have to be run through the passport office on base - they all have until spring 2018 on theirs.

It helps that we travel abroad multiple times a year so always check when planning.

We had this - due to living overseas we only had a short window when we could send DS1's off this summer and were caught up in all the drama - sent three off in November (for Mar/Apr renewals) and they were back to us in less than 2 weeks - way under what they were suggesting on overseas renewals online. And of course the extra time is added on if it's less than 9months left to run. Oh - and yes we needed 6months for DHs passport for a business trip in Jan.

Was so much easier when we could do it locally and go to the cosulate - now it all needs to be sent back to the UK which causes a lot more stress!

smugly I posted in chat before Christmas suggesting it was worth doing whilst the office was quiet

I got a text message from the passport office yesterday telling me that DD and DS's passport applications are bring processed. We're not going away until Easter, so I'm fairly sure I'll have them back in plenty of time.

Thanks for the reminder, DD's expires in october so should apply now!

Thanks for the reminder OP! Doing a bit of NY admin myself and had forgotten mine expires this year.

Tobeemoree, where are you travelling to?

Thank you for the reminder. All my passports are ok, so is DH's, DD needs a new one at the end of 2015. Thanks to you, it's now in the last page of the family calendar.

OP, you're a woman after my own heart. That's what I've been doing too.

Yearly admin in my house:
Car tax, mot, service
Quartely checks bills
I pay my BT landline rental a year in advance, I write it in calendar, for example.
Insurances
Professional registrations
Dentist and hygienist appointments

Control freak? Moi? You bet!