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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Child’s passport only has 2 months on it. Flying to Spain on Saturday!

668 replies

olympicsrock · 15/02/2022 10:39

Help!!!
Just discovered that my 10 year old son’s passport only has 2 months left on it. We have flights booked to go to Spain on Saturday. .

Has anyone travelled to Spain on this situation recently? What happened?? Were you refused permission to board the plane?
I have phoned the passport office . There is absolutely no way to get a passport for him in the next 10 days as need to do face to face for child renewal , no appointments til next week abs then a week to deliver by post.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Toanewstart23 · 16/02/2022 17:18

Huh?

Madjakelmum · 16/02/2022 17:30

Yes. My neighbours were refused boarding when there son had just over 2 months in passport. He will be refused sorry.

crowisland · 16/02/2022 17:39

Nothing to do with Brexit. We were at the airport and daughters passport had fewer than six months before it expired. We lost our flight to Italy, but we’re able to swap it to Munich -Germany did not have the requirement at least at that time.

cheekyasfish · 16/02/2022 17:42

Sorry to hear your predicament. Id be so stressed

I guess its such a new thing with Brexit
Being less than a year old and most
Of us not having travelled for a few years

Everyone go check your family passports

I thought my passport was new but turns its six years old. Have made an iphone note to renew in 5 years

riceuten · 16/02/2022 17:42

@harriethoyle

Wow. You are really rude OP. There's no need.
People just want an answer they agree with
GlitterWitch · 16/02/2022 17:44

This happened to a friend of mine last week and there DC was refused so nobody went on their holiday. They had 10 weeks left on their passport.

Dibbydoos · 16/02/2022 17:44

Got to Peterborough to get a new passport quickly - check opening times....

cheekyasfish · 16/02/2022 17:46

Three years! Envy

MaisieSunshine · 16/02/2022 17:47

I know OP may not be back but just wanted to share our experience of a similar situation about 3 years ago. Renewed all the passports apart from one child whose I was convinced was in date… realised a week before travel it wasn’t…

I got a face to face appointment asap at any passport office that would have me, no need to take the child along as long as you are sure you have all the correct docs/photos.

Appointment was 8.00am on a Monday and we had the passport in hand from the courier by 2pm on the Friday. We were travelling on the Fri eve so very very lucky and the holiday was salvaged.

So I’d say still give it a try if you can find any appointment you can get to.

Merryweather80 · 16/02/2022 17:47

I travelled to and from Norway on my passport with six weeks remaining when I left three on my way home. I guess it depends on who checks!

ElvinBoys · 16/02/2022 17:49

I got a face to face appointment for my sons and it was delivered the next day even though they said a week so keep an eye on appointments

Helloevans3 · 16/02/2022 17:52

I think you would be best speaking to the holiday company and trying to rearrange to give you time to sort passport. Or make alternative arrangement for your 10 year old to say behind. A bit traumatic to take him to the airport then get refused.

Fink · 16/02/2022 17:54

My friend got through at New Year with similar, but they actually live in the EU country and were visiting the UK for a holiday (British citizens), so it was maybe less of an issue because when they were returning to the EU country they had a lot of documentation to prove they live there. I don't know of anyone who's tried it in your direction.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 16/02/2022 17:55

@crowisland

Nothing to do with Brexit. We were at the airport and daughters passport had fewer than six months before it expired. We lost our flight to Italy, but we’re able to swap it to Munich -Germany did not have the requirement at least at that time.
Everything to do with Brexit. Previously Spain did not require an additional 3 months on the passport, in fact it even allowed you to travel on an expired one. What Italy require is irrelevant to this thread.
PoleFairy · 16/02/2022 17:55

Husband lost his partner one week before our holiday. We drove to Peterborough and stayed over night to renew it. Your child doesnt have to be there for the face to fave renewal as my sister did it August last year for her 10 year old and she just went up to london and did it whilst her daughter was at school

N1no · 16/02/2022 17:56

We had a similar issue with DD’s first passport. We kept checking the appointments and got one last minute for the following morning. Get your pictures ready and check between midnight and 4am.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 16/02/2022 17:57

@crowisland

Nothing to do with Brexit. We were at the airport and daughters passport had fewer than six months before it expired. We lost our flight to Italy, but we’re able to swap it to Munich -Germany did not have the requirement at least at that time.
For the umpteenth time it IS to do with Brexit.

Before Brexit you could go to an EU/EEA country with only the time left in your passport. So if you were going for a week, and had 10 days left, that was ok.

Now that is not ok. The passport cannot be older than 10 years (some had extra time in them if they were renewed early) and it has to have up to 6 months left, even if you are only going for 3 days. I say 6 months because it seems to depend on a number of factors including the border guard concerned (hence why you might have been ok going to Germany) and the airline knowing the rules.

So to everyone on the thread THIS IS TO DO WITH BREXIT!

Karenina40 · 16/02/2022 17:58

Op, there may be a way around it. Ask them if you can pick it up. It's usually takes only a day or two to actually make a passport. I would get a contact number/email of the relevant person and asked them to contact you on the same day as the passport is ready, then go collect it personally.

JuergenSchwarzwald · 16/02/2022 17:59

@Merryweather80

I travelled to and from Norway on my passport with six weeks remaining when I left three on my way home. I guess it depends on who checks!
Yes it does, that is the problem. And it's not just down to the border guards, it's also down to the airline and they are not known for knowing the rules (see the number of people turned away for having the "wrong" covid test, when it wasn't).
DerBlaueReiter · 16/02/2022 18:04

Norway is also not part of the European Union and as it amply demonstrated during its border closure of 18+ months it doesn’t care about the Schengen agreements either.

Sandwiched2022 · 16/02/2022 18:06

It was a year or so before Brexit but we travelled to Spain and back with an expired child’s passport. The only time it was picked up was coming back into the UK, where we were politely reminded to renew it. We knew we were taking a risk and were prepared to be turned away at any point. Doubt it would be the same now though.

BritMommyAbroad · 16/02/2022 18:14

Exactly this.

Imy06 · 16/02/2022 18:15

I'm sorry that I can't help your situation at all but just here to say that I feel for you, it's an easy mistake to make. And I hope you all get to enjoy your family holiday at some point. Hugs to you x

BritMommyAbroad · 16/02/2022 18:20

In a nutshell!

daimbarsatemydogsbone · 16/02/2022 18:21

Ireckon when it comes to passports, visas etc there are two sorts of posters here..those that have already been caught out by organisational issues and those who will be.
What a load of shite. I have never been caught out by this sort of issue because I always check. It’s not hard.