Holiday, Passport, Brexit. What would you do?

[VanillaCoconutDove]

Right, I’m a world leader in procrastination and leaving everything to the last minute.

Going to Spain on Saturday the 13th April, my passport expires in July. If we do leave the eu on Friday the 12th, it’s suggested we’d need a minimum of 6 months remaining on any passport, and I could imagine passport control offices across eu countries being told to enforce this particularly for the first week to make an example.

I can apply for an urgent passport but today is the cut off for that logistically (at an expense of £177 which I could really do without pre holidays!) and there won’t be a consensus on the brexit decision until Wednesdays summit.

Basically, what would you do? I really don’t think brexit will go ahead on Friday, but Sod’s law and all of that.

Nothing is certain but I don't which we'll leave on Friday. I know that doesn't help though and I'd be as stressed as you!

I went on holiday on 29th March for one week. Renewed my passport because there was only a few months left, got an International Driving Permit because our HR sent an email out saying we had to have one and the Spanish passport control barely looked at my passport and my IDP didn't leave my bag!

I thought some countries require at least 6 months on a passport anyway? And I thought Spain might be one of them. Goes off to Google....

I am facing the exact same dilema. I have slighty more time than you but I'm concerned that the passport applications will go crazy as everyone renews

I'd wing it because I'm cynical and suspect this will drag on for much longer.

Is it worth the risk for the sake of less than £100?

I had a similar dilemma and just renewed, it wasn't worth the stress for me.

Yes Plexie if I were going to the states I’d have made sure to have had 6 months when I booked the trip. But I think the rules are eu travel to Eu countries can be up to the expiry date of the passport.

I wish these summit talks with macron were happening today!

It’s going to cost about £200 to renew this week, which is half of my holiday spending budget.

I feel like it’s one of those I’ll kick myself If I do/kick myself If I don’t scenarios.

I think Spain requires six months anyway already inside eu

The other bit to consider, is when was the passport issued? The UK used to add in up to 9 months of remaining validity, giving you a passport with an expiry of upto 10y9m after issue.
If we crash out with no deal, those extra months wont count either.....

I don't think we'll leave the EU without a deal on Friday but you need to weigh up the risk. How much money will you lose? Is it a solo holiday or a family holiday?

You can check if your passport will still be valid here:

www.passport.service.gov.uk/check-a-passport

Is your passport valid for exactly 10 years or was it a renewal with outstanding months added to it? There seem to be new EU rules about the expiry date being 10 years from date of issue, regardless of whether the date of expiry stated in the passport is later.

Border control at Spain are not going to give two hoots when your passport expires, you just need a valid document, they can't not let you in.

On return UK border control might say you need to renew but they aren't going to mot let you back in either.

I wouldn't worry and would just go

A law was passed last night to rule out no deal this week. Don’t stress.

Ah fortunately due to my excellent track record of procrastination my last passport had expired and resulted in a 100 mile round trip dash to the passport office 3 days pre holidays. So the issue date is July 2009.

I'd probably just risk it to be honest. Chances are you'll be fine.

However - they've been warning about this for MONTHS. We're off to the EU on 3rd May and checked all our passports against the government checker back in Jan or Feb. Why have you left it so late?

My personal view is that there is no way the EU 27 will let us crash out on Friday. Most of the 27 have said that they will agree an extension and the few that are dithering won't want to be held responsible for a veto that could have widespread economic and other serious consequences (peace in Ireland, etc). I think you'll be fine.

Procrastination.

I was prepared to see how the march 29th would actually impact us, thinking I had a two week buffer to sort it out. Now it’s delayed to the night before travelling. I’ve worked 10 long days consecutively and boring grown up admin jobs are anathema to me. Plus, a general cynicism that Brexit will actually happen this week.

Not in anyway helpful but what is the point of a 10 year passport if it is effectively invalid for the last 6 months....? Isnt it more like a 9.5 year passport? I get that you would need it to cover the period of travel plus a bit extra to allow for unforseen changes to flights etc....but 6 months seems slightly excessive to me.

Good point!

"
Today 10:31 Buscake

A law was passed last night to rule out no deal this week. Don’t stress."
Why isn't that on BBC news? So leaving with no deal would definitely, 100% be illegal?!

I actually once went to France on an expired passport. I even checked the dates and then picked the wrong one up. The French didn't even notice and the British gave me a funny look on returning, before just waving me through.

Ah Baroness golden memories of a happy united Europe.

I’m mostly anxious that passport control will be told to clamp down. I don’t want to be a sad face in a queue for a daily mail headline about holidaymaker misery!

I would get it renewed, though would imagine there may well be some flexibility even it goes to no deal. I think no deal is still possible if EU refuses extension.

It's not an extra £200 though is it ? You will have to renew anyway in a few months which is £75.50. So it's an extra £100ish.

I actually had to double check that as it was a long time ago and a blue passport, but yes, it was just after Maastricht. (Which was in 1992)