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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Son's passport expiring - family hols in ruins

828 replies

blueshoes · 16/10/2021 21:00

Dh and I were looking forward to our family holiday in Crete, Greece for the October half term. We watched the covid-19/PCR situation closely not realising that my 15 year old son's passport has less than 3 months. Just found out today. This is our first foreign holiday since covid struck.

The government website says that for entry to Greece, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave Greece, or any other Schengen country.

We leave on 30 October and my son's passport expires just short of 3 months on 22 January 2022. It is too late to renew his passport as we are leaving in less than a week.

Ds cannot come with us, can he? Sad We f_ked up.

Anybody recently travelled to Greece with Ryanair with less than 3 months left on their passport? Is it a bad idea to turn up and chance it or bite the bullet now and plan on the basis ds cannot go.

OP posts:
PedrosPony · 17/10/2021 07:40

Morning @blueshoes I hope you get this sorted. We also wanted to go away for half term and I started my daughter's renewal on the 20th sept. Still waiting! We did discuss her and her dad not coming (he has too much work on now) and she was absolutely fine about it. She's 11. We've decided not to go now and will wait till next year.

She also didn't come with us when we went away in the summer holidays as it clashed with her first day of school - we did not know this when we booked the holiday! She was adamant she wanted to stay home and had a whale of a time splitting the week with her nannies.

So in the end just do what works best for your family 😊

Ajl46 · 17/10/2021 07:40

@blueshoes

Appreciate the replies.

We looked into the one week fast track. I understand we have to book an appointment and then it is one week from the appointment. The earliest appointment we can get is mid-November, which is no good to us.

Anyone got their passport recently faster than that? rainysky, sunndyD, when you say same day, was that recently?

Agree that cost is not the issue compared to the cost of the holiday. It is whether it is do-able to renew within 4 working days in the first place.
T

Have you tried the premium service? www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently/online-premium-service
ThumbWitchesAbroad · 17/10/2021 07:41

you're getting a hard time from some holier-than-thou people on this thread, @blueshoes!

Different story if he were 12 or under, but he's 15! I can just bet he'd be thrilled to have a week to himself, staying with mates, rather than coming on a family holiday.

TBH, my 13yo would be happy if that were to happen to him now!

Hopefully you can get the passport sorted ASAP, but if not, sounds like he will be perfectly fine staying with friends instead.

Continentalmama · 17/10/2021 07:43

This is one of those MN posts where my reality just does not align. A 15 yr old spending the week with their mates playing Xbox or in restaurants with their parents... It might not have been the original plan but no he's not going to be scarred or angry or never forgive you as some seem to insinuate. You'll all have a great week and next holiday remember to check the passports earlier. I cannot see any harm done and the hysteria over this is totally bizarre to me.

Silvercatowner · 17/10/2021 07:43

OP you are being so patient ignoring the holier than thou banshees on this thread.

ppp4321 · 17/10/2021 07:45

I have a 15 and 17 year old and think you're getting an unnecessarily hard time on here.

If all other avenues failed, I'd hope that the authorities might be more lenient on a kid's passport not having the required 3 months left and risk all going.

I had a friend who only realised her passport had expired when she checked in for the flight for her honeymoon. They let her fly and I think the British ambassador organised a temporary passport for her when she got there. But it was a while ago and she wasn't a child so it may no longer apply.

TattiePants · 17/10/2021 07:46

@blueshoes we also dropped the ball a few years ago with both kids passports. We’re close to Durham passport office so booked a next day appointment for first thing in the morning. They can’t do same day service for children’s passports but we received them in the post the following day. From realising the passports had expired to having new ones took about 3 days.

TheHoundsofLove · 17/10/2021 07:49

@Continentalmama

This is one of those MN posts where my reality just does not align. A 15 yr old spending the week with their mates playing Xbox or in restaurants with their parents... It might not have been the original plan but no he's not going to be scarred or angry or never forgive you as some seem to insinuate. You'll all have a great week and next holiday remember to check the passports earlier. I cannot see any harm done and the hysteria over this is totally bizarre to me.
My thoughts entirely.
Soulstirring · 17/10/2021 08:04

@blueshoes we’d do the same in your position and DS would love a week with friends or grandparents. It’s a tough situation and hard decision to make. Don’t beat yourself up, it’s a mistake and certainly not intentional. Be proud your son is mature enough to accept it. You can make it up to him soon enough.

Stickystickystick · 17/10/2021 08:07

@TattiePants this is not something they can do with passports at the moment due to Covid restrictions. You can't just go to the passport office anymore unfortunately

Babymamamama · 17/10/2021 08:14

The thing is though the OP doesn’t know any other parents whom she can pull this favour with. So it seems to be on the child himself to arrange seven nights of sequential sleepovers at different addresses. How is the OP going to check up on her son if she doesn’t know where he’s staying? Why would parents who’ve never met her agree to parent her son while she’s on the beach? If he ends up back in his own house (which who can blame him is what i would do) how is she going to police that?
When people say he would love it, what choice does he actually have?

Pottedpalm · 17/10/2021 08:15

Such drama llamas on Mumsnet! I think your plan sounds absolutely fine. Even if there is a last minute issue with one friend you have family in place to fall back on and he also had access to his own home. He sounds a grounded chap who wont be weeping at being left behind. As you say, the problem might be getting him to go next time, though we found once ours were of an age to pay for their own holidays, they were more than happy to join ours. Even now they are in their 30s.. 😄

2lsinllama · 17/10/2021 08:18

@Babymamamama
I’ve made these points several times upthread but been made to feel I’m over reacting.
The fact remains that, regardless of how grown up he is, he is under 16 and legally someone needs to be responsible for him.

Arabelladrinkstea · 17/10/2021 08:22

Thank goodness the morning posters seem to be the logical thinking ones, glad you’re getting mostly positive feedback now OP.

I have to say you have a massive patience not to rise to the goading posts Grin

Babymamamama · 17/10/2021 08:22

I’d love the OP to come back on the thread and update afterwards on how it actually goes. I’m honestly not trying to be mean OP just to make you see that your plan is not ok from a parenting perspective.

ElizaDarcysDeeds · 17/10/2021 08:23

I'd expect at least one of the unknown parents to contact the school and the safeguarding officer. Parents leaving a child alone for a week whilst they go on holiday (legally he is a child regardless of how stoic 🙄 )and telling him to stay in 7 different houses during a pandemic increasing the risk that all the families involved would need to isolate (since an overnight stay counts as a contact) hence increasing the risk to the entire school community.

FWIW someone who is practical doesn't forget to check passport renewal dates (even before Brexit passports expired); forget about Covid during a pandemic; give their 15-yr-old a set of keys and fly off for a week. With the added bonus of announcing it on MN so the Daily Mail can run a feckless parents' thread.

PurpleOkapi · 17/10/2021 08:25

@Babymamamama

The thing is though the OP doesn’t know any other parents whom she can pull this favour with. So it seems to be on the child himself to arrange seven nights of sequential sleepovers at different addresses. How is the OP going to check up on her son if she doesn’t know where he’s staying? Why would parents who’ve never met her agree to parent her son while she’s on the beach? If he ends up back in his own house (which who can blame him is what i would do) how is she going to police that? When people say he would love it, what choice does he actually have?
Yes, that's my problem, too. I can believe that the 15-year-old is sincerely in favor of this plan (though as you said, it's not like his opinion matters to OP anyway). But OP doesn't know most of these people and is leaving it to her 15-year-old to figure it out himself. At best, it will be his friends asking their parents "Can OP's DS stay with us for two days while his parents go to Greece?" And then if DS doesn't show up as scheduled, is anyone going to follow up on where he is and whether he's supposed to be there? I doubt it.

I'd feel very differently if the plan involved him staying for the entire week with someone OP actually knows. But apparently those of us who work for a living aren't allowed to ever speak to the parents of our children's friends unless there's an emergency, such as a vacation to Greece. Who knew?

AttilaTheMeerkat · 17/10/2021 08:31

"Ds and I are going in person to the passport office on Monday morning to try and get it renewed on the spot. That is not an option stated anywhere on the government website, but we will try it anyway, whatever the cost. It is worth a go".

I am sorry but I do not think this will succeed. You will not gain entry into the building unless you have a prior appointment.

I recently visited the passport office at Victoria to renew my adult passport (via their 7 day service offered). The security staff on the door ask about your email confirmation after booking this online showing your appointment time. Even then my passport was sent onto Peterborough to be processed overnight.

Fossie · 17/10/2021 08:44

I can’t believe the hysteria on here. OP I don’t think there is anyone with anything more helpful to suggest. I strongly suggest you step away from here. Good luck in whatever you are able work out.

Fernhilde · 17/10/2021 08:44

The OP just needs to assign one of the extended family members as check in. By a set time each day DS will message/phone them to let them know he has arrived safely at his sleepover slot for that night.

pjparty · 17/10/2021 08:45

Not sure how it works in practice (Ryanair might slap on some extra cost or something knowing them!) but I thought all the tickets were somewhat flexible now during covid and you could move them at least once. Just in case you can't get it back and prefer the whole family to be there.
I went to boarding school and remember speaking to my parents and them telling me they were going on holiday without me with my two younger siblings who lived with them. I was absolutely gutted to be left out even though there was no way I could have gone anyway and I was being looked after would never have know if they didn't tell me anyway (didn't need to couch surf!) I am sure he will say he if happy enough to stay but might be feeling differently

BurntO · 17/10/2021 08:45

I’ve also worked at the passport office, you will get no where if you turn up. Absolutely no where. I

Boysnme · 17/10/2021 08:46

@blueshoes

I feel different about it now I see your kids ages - I had wrongly assumed they were younger and can understand he wants to stay with his pals.

I think I’d be ok with this if he was going to one or two mates - a different one every night would worry me, particularly if he gets covid. I’d also be considering what will happen if you can’t get home (do you still need PCR tests etc for coming back? No plans to go abroad any time soon so not really kept up with the rules) - where will he go then?

Can you delay your flight out by a couple of days to wait on his passport arriving?

GayParis · 17/10/2021 08:47

@Silvercatowner

OP you are being so patient ignoring the holier than thou banshees on this thread.
I'm the furthest thing from a perfect parent but surely even I see it's not 'holier-than-thou' to take into account how a 15 year old boy would actually feel on being left behind while his parents and his sibling go on a holiday together.

As I said, what he says and how he actually feels will be two different things entirely.

HoppingPavlova · 17/10/2021 08:49

I'm sure your 15yo son is happy to stay home and those posters who have younger kids don't understand it yet.

Well I have adult kids and don’t understand itHmm. I’m sure the 15yo son will be happy to stay home. I’m sure his mates will be happy to have him. I really really doubt the friends parents will be happy taking responsibility for a teen for whatever part of the 8 days he rocks up into their care. This is a mile of difference to a one night sleepover where parents are a short drive away if the worst were to ever occur. It puts those parents in a really shitty position and while they will say yea, it’s essentially because they are likely being told he has nowhere else but needs to couch surf while his parents are whooping it up overseas.

It’s also different if you are family or very close friends but it seems OP doesn’t know any of these patents from a bar of soap. They will rightly feel she is one hell of a CF.

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