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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:
Lightisnotwhite · 16/10/2021 22:44

@Kendodd

THTS HAS FUCKALL TO DO WITH BREXIT!

Yet another near hysterical cry of 'it's not Brexit' . We're hearing this almost daily now.
Before Brexit as EU citizens, traveling to EU countries, we didn't need all this slack on our passports, in fact we didn't even need a passport, just a national ID card (if you're country issued one, ours doesn't) would do.

It’s only pointed ever said in response to the “ near hysterical” crying of Remain voters over everything. It’s over. Deal with what we’ve got. Or maybe look at some positives like the Covid vaccine ( currently used worldwide). Or maybe we’re finally getting the chance to have the low paid get more equity rather than a country subsided by cheap Eastern European labour.

Having a valid passport has been problematic to many, even when we were in the EU. If anything Brexit will actually help this as we have to check them more often.

Original poster
blueshoes · 16/10/2021 22:46

One of us might get covid and have to stay home anyway or need to quarantine. And there were 2 recent earthquakes in Crete with a mini-tsunami. The chances of this holiday going well are pretty slim.

OP posts:
BootsScootsAndToots · 16/10/2021 22:47

I couldn't imagine leaving my DC, especially if it were my fault.

That's pretty shitty OP.

FuckingFabulous · 16/10/2021 22:48

@blueshoes

If the OP’s DS was like yours and didn’t want to go on holiday with his parents, you have to wonder why she included him in the holiday in the first place.

We would include our dcs on holiday. We have so few holidays, both dh and I working ft, all our holidays are with dcs. Plus both will be in university soon so these are the final days of holidays with them.

It is devastating for this to happen. We did mess up.

Wait. Hold on.

You're taking other kids and he's left behind while his siblings and parents are treated to a break in Crete?

GiltEdges · 16/10/2021 22:49

@blueshoes

One of us might get covid and have to stay home anyway or need to quarantine. And there were 2 recent earthquakes in Crete with a mini-tsunami. The chances of this holiday going well are pretty slim.
Wouldn't worry about it OP, your blasé attitude to the whole thing would have you taking any unfortunate events in your stride I'm sure Hmm
Original poster
blueshoes · 16/10/2021 22:51

A lot of what we are dealing with at the moment is due to Brexit. There is no denying. EU travel and passport validity are a known issue. Yes, we should have checked earlier but got distracted by the ever-changing PCRs/Covid-19 situation so forgot about passports. Covid meant none of us has travelled for a long time and so were not regularly attuned to checking passports.

OP posts:
freckles20 · 16/10/2021 22:51

OP you are choosing your holiday without DS over a staycation to include DS Hmm?

You could stay at home and spend time with him. You've said holidays are precious because you don't spend much time together, you both work FT and DS is off to uni soon.

So surely the time together is precious- more precious than a trip
Without him?

PizzaCrust · 16/10/2021 22:51

If it was me, I’d be paying for flight changes, going out later and getting the passport renewed ASAP. Or I’d be cancelling the holiday and rebooking at another time.

I wouldn’t be leaving one of my children at home and dumping them on random parents at a week’s notice.

This is really just quite a shitty read.

trimbletramble · 16/10/2021 22:52

Actually, immigration in Greece will probably let him in if the airline lets him board.

So you could try taking him with you.

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 16/10/2021 22:53

What does the covid vaccine have to do with brexit ?

Bodule · 16/10/2021 22:54

Blimey.

You don't have to be a pearl-clutcher to think that leaving a 15 yr old out of a family holiday because you failed to renew his passport on time is a bit of a rubbish move. If he didn't actually want to go on holiday with you and would rather spend the time with his friends, that's a different conversation to have with him - but it's a positive and constructive conversation to be had with him before you start booking holidays, not one that should be forced by a parental mistake (a mistake that I'd make myself - but in that case, I'd write the holiday off and say it was my own stupid fault).

Original poster
blueshoes · 16/10/2021 22:55

Wouldn't worry about it OP, your blasé attitude to the whole thing would have you taking any unfortunate events in your stride I'm sure

We were briefing the dcs 18 and 15 on what to do if there is an earthquake or tsunami. I checked our travel insurance. If ds got covid, we could actually claim back on insurance, just tongue-in-cheek of course.

OP posts:
DatsunCogs · 16/10/2021 22:56

Did this once with DS in Canada - had to have more than 6 months validity and we hadn't noticed / read the entry requirements. We said to immigration that he was hardly going to emigrate there on his own, they agreed and let him in. Wasn't a teenager though. But I'd probably risk it

Kendodd · 16/10/2021 22:57

A lot of what we are dealing with at the moment is due to Brexit. There is no denying.

Yes there is, there's loads of denying it, all over the thread.

Original poster
blueshoes · 16/10/2021 22:58

@trimbletramble

Actually, immigration in Greece will probably let him in if the airline lets him board.

So you could try taking him with you.

We did think about chancing it. But if either the airline (Ryanair, so not much hope of mercy) or Greece turned him away, the consequences are far more severe (because ds would be stranded) that if we went straight to plan B. I realise we sound heartless.
OP posts:
DandyHighwayWoman · 16/10/2021 22:58

@Notimeforaname

You pay for an emergency passport?

He's 15. A child.

The passport renewal is the parents responsibility. Pretty shitty to fuck that up and then leave him at home for an adults mistake.

This Give yer selfish head a wobble OP Hmm
Stickystickystick · 16/10/2021 23:01

Having gone through the trauma of the massive delays of getting a passport renewed recently, I urge anyone who needs a new passport to get it done ASAP. The passport is overloaded with applications at the moment and they suggest expecting 10 weeks to get a new passport. Take a look at my thread in travel. Even fast track passports are taking over a week and that's if you can get an appointment. There are more restrictions on appointments due to Covid. I just didn't want anyone to end up in a position like many others.

DrManhattan · 16/10/2021 23:02

Oh dear.
Get yourself an appointment at the passport office. I did this a while ago, went on a Monday and had the passport on the Thursday. Child's passport too. BTW if the passport hadn't come through I wouldn't have been going, cause this just mean no matter how much you convince yourself otherwise .

PinkPomeranian · 16/10/2021 23:02

A friend found herself in this position in August, the day before she was due to fly to Greece. Daughter's passport was due to expire a month after their return. They were allowed in on the basis of both parents having valid passports, with a stern warning to pay closer attention in future. Good luck to you!

Yourstupidityexhaustsme · 16/10/2021 23:03

I find this type of parenting utterly baffling.

A that you'd still be able to go and enjoy a holiday your teenage son missed out on because you didn't check the dates on his passport. How?! Surely you had to open it when you booked his ticket?

B that you'd happily travel to a foreign country leaving your minor teenager home alone for a full week whilst you're in a foreign country. ANYTHING could happen.

I appreciate you've had a tough year but leaving him home alone whilst you go away is just poor form and if that makes me a 'pearl clutcher' then so beit.

Have you even considered attempting to move the holiday?

Original poster
blueshoes · 16/10/2021 23:03

We realistically are not going to find an alternative vacation, which will have to be a staycation, in less than a week over the October half term that we would want to go or which is not extortionate in price.

The alternative will end up being the whole family stays at home over that week 22-30 Oct. Our dcs' half term is from 18-29 Oct so there isn't a further out date that gives us more time to plan towards.

OP posts:
CatJumperTwat · 16/10/2021 23:03

Your son sounds really thoughtful and lovely. Hard to see where he gets it from.

DrManhattan · 16/10/2021 23:04

@CatJumperTwat GrinGrinGrin

ChimneyPot · 16/10/2021 23:05

I know people who have gotten new U.K. passports in 24 hours in the British Embassy in Dublin.
Would flying to Dublin to renew the passport be an option?

Yourstupidityexhaustsme · 16/10/2021 23:06

@blueshoes

We realistically are not going to find an alternative vacation, which will have to be a staycation, in less than a week over the October half term that we would want to go or which is not extortionate in price.

The alternative will end up being the whole family stays at home over that week 22-30 Oct. Our dcs' half term is from 18-29 Oct so there isn't a further out date that gives us more time to plan towards.

Shits to be DS then essentially.