Passport panic - is there any chance? Not Aibu sorry

[NewbieT]

Just realised I have more than 5 months left on my passport but it was issued more than ten years ago - no idea why - never asked for a passport extension.
Due to travel on Saturday (Ryanair to Bordeaux)
No appointments available for the passport office to do a same day passport.

is there a chance in hell I’ll get an appointment?

If I turn up at an office is there any chance they’ll see me?

if I turn up at the airport is there any chance they’ll let me fly ?? I’ve got a valid passport FFS 😭

Im so devastated, feel like such an idiot.

any advice / experience of this PLEASE??

Have you called Ryanair?

I don't think you will be able to travel and definitely won't get seen if you just turn up at the passport office. I think your best bet is to see how much it'll cost to move your holiday.

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements
This is what Gov UK says about French Entry requirements.
""Passport validity
Your passport must be:
Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.
Contact the embassy of the country you are visiting if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.""

Sounds like you could check with the French Embassy in the UK. You still have more than 5 months on it. Hope that helps.

You may get seen if you turn up at a passport office and hang around all day. Someone I know did this successfully today.

What is the issue date?
In the past up to 9 remaining months were added from the old passport. You didnt need to ask for it to be done.

On the date you travel are you within 10 years of the issue date?

You aren’t going to get an appointment before you fly
They definitely won’t let you fly

Your only hope is to start an online renewal and then turn up at the nearest passport office with your old passport.
You would have to be there about 4-5am to have a chance at being seen.

Am I missing something? or am I a bit thick If you're going to Bordeaux, you only need 3 months on your passport. So you should be fine.

Obviously if you're staying 2 months or more, you won't be OK. But I am assuming it's just a normal holiday (2 weeks or less?) So 5 months on your passport is plenty for Bordeaux.

'Your passport must be:
• Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)'

What is the issue date? If it is more than 10 years then no they will not let you travel unless you manage to get the passport replaced under an emergency appointment.

I’m really sorry that this has happened to you but really - I traveled last October and knew about the rules because I read the government pages on passport validity. How are people still unaware of this!!!?

We can't really fully advise until we know the issue date of the passport and whether on the date you fly you are still within the 10 years

It's only 3 months for France so you will be fine

OP said extra months were added and those extra months no longer count for travel in Europe. She can't travel if on the date of travel her passport she is outwith the 10 year period allowed.

Only if it was issued less than 10 years ago. People really do need to get themselves up to date on the changes. No wonder there’s so many news stories of people being turned away at the airport 🤦‍♀️

OP says in her first post it was issued more than 10 years ago

Yes but it depends whether it's over the 10 years on the day she flies out

Yes but it depends whether it's over the 10 years on the day she flies out
.... what?!

If it's over 10 years ago now it's not going to become less than 10 years on Saturday!

The passport can still be used even if its validity shows more than 10 years. The date of travel has to be within the 10 year period.

E.g. valid from 12/03/13 with expiry 12/07/23 will be ok to fly if flying before 12/03/23

It isn't just suddenly invalid because its valid for 10 years +. It depends on the date of travel.

Brexit. The gift that keeps on giving.

The OP has already said
...it was issued more than ten years ago

I can read! We don't know the date of travel or the issue date so we dont know if her date of travel is within the 10 year period. We don't know how many extra months were added

Unless she is already into the extra months?
Without further info we are just guessing

Her date if travel can't be within ten years of issue, if the passport is already over ten years old!

She says she travels on Saturday and it was issued more than 10 years ago so it won't be valid. It doesn't matter how many extra months you have if you are past the 10 years from issue date.

Meant to quote @dementedpixie there 🙄