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Original poster

To talk me down from the ceiling - dd passport expired and we fly on saturday

95 replies

blackforesthotchoc · 06/08/2023 12:52

About to lose my mind - checked through passports this morning and realised that daughters passport expired in July of this year not July of next year as I thought. Can't use the premium service as its a child and no appointments available anyway. Have fast track appointment in Glasgow 0830 on Tuesday but we fly Saturday morning. Its the first time we've been abroad in 4 years. Can't believe we've been so stupid, she's been talking about this holiday non stop.

OP posts:
FlamingoFloss · 07/08/2023 05:45

Really hope it works out for you x

Aposterhasnoname · 07/08/2023 06:31

Shurleyknot · 07/08/2023 04:53

I know this is not helpful at all but how the hell do people continuously book flights without checking passports first? Baffling. Absolutely baffling. I hope you get sorted but to be honest with all the 'talking for 6 months' about it surely at one point someone looked at the passports?

This. Im obsessed with checking and rechecking passports if we so much as think about booking a holiday.

Not helpful to the OP though, I hope you get it sorted.

Peskytooth · 07/08/2023 06:46

To the posters going on about how they can’t believe people do this- how unhappy are you that you get pleasure from coming on here and making OP (who is already going through hell) feel worse?! Don’t say you’re trying to help others make the same mistake, this thread does that all by itself. It’s not just unhelpful, it’s cruel and smug because of course you’ve never made a mistake.

OP we had an issue with DS’s passport in they delays last summer. It took over 10 weeks so wasn’t going to arrive in time. I know the horrible sick feeling of panic. We joined a Facebook group called ‘passport chaos’ or something like that and people were giving live updates from passport offices and tips on what to do. The best thing to do if you were expecting to travel within 48 hours was to head to a passport office (whichever was local to you) and get in the line at 8am. They quite often issued the passport there and then. Maybe you could do that on Thursday if you haven’t received a notification that it will be delivered?

youngestisapsycho · 07/08/2023 06:57

Did you not have to give all the passport details for the flights you booked? We always have to do this?

Yabusux · 07/08/2023 07:16

If you have a fast track appointment you should be OK. Happened to us few years ago, realised a week before the flight DS12's passport has expired. All was well in the end (had to take a day off work and got told off by the clerk in the passport office for being disorganised but it was fair comment ). Make sure you have the application form, photos and witnesses all sorted in advance.

huggiess · 07/08/2023 07:29

youngestisapsycho · 07/08/2023 06:57

Did you not have to give all the passport details for the flights you booked? We always have to do this?

Isn't that just when you're ready to check in online ? Maybe it depends on who you're going with

Humpobottomous · 07/08/2023 07:30

OP I has a fastrack appt for my DD last years and the passport arrived in a couple of days.

tanstaafl · 07/08/2023 07:53

LiloP · 07/08/2023 05:41

It doesn’t run out then, this is incorrect.
if you are traveling to the EU, your passport will only be accepted 9 years and 6 months after date of issue no matter what the expiry. You can still travel to other countries (eg my husband traveled to outside of the EU with a passport issued more than 10 years ago)

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@LiloP

I believe it’s 3 months 90 days for the Schengen area ( EU countries ).

tanstaafl · 07/08/2023 07:54

Sorry, it’s 3 months ( don’t know where the extra 90 days came from )

jeaux90 · 07/08/2023 08:07

I did a fast track for DD recently. Make sure you have everything from the checklist. The passport then was sent out within a couple of days.

WellPlaced · 07/08/2023 08:10

You have your appointment OP and lots of replies here have said that there’s arrived within the timeframe you need it.

I would assume it will arrive in time and stop worryingly, as that will not change the outcome. Enjoy your week and holiday

User63847484848 · 07/08/2023 08:11

Take DD with you to the appointment, just in case there are any issues with the photos.

we had to redo ours there at the emergency appointment because of a hair braid thing that they said wasn’t acceptable. You never know so just take her.

I’ve been there too and it’s such a horrible feeling! We had s tighter timeframe so didn’t make the start of our holiday but thankfully was a flexi eurotunnel ticket so we just missed out on holiday camp fees and had a very short holiday

Matronic6 · 07/08/2023 08:25

We had to do a fast track appointment last month on a Tuesday and the passport arrived on the Thursday. So it is very quick.

UncleBryn · 07/08/2023 08:26

determinedtomakethiswork · 06/08/2023 13:32

As long as you take everything with you on Tuesday, they will issue it that day.

They don't issue child passports on the day. You have to wait up to a week even with the express service. An adult passport you can get within 4 hours we were told. We found out the hard way and my DS missed the first 3 days of our holiday as it didn't arrive in time despite going to the passport office. I really hope the OP has better luck and hers arrives in time.

Wintersgirl · 07/08/2023 09:11

They don't issue child passports on the day.
That is correct, however they do arrive in the post quickly, I had an appointment for DS in Newport on Tuesday got Passport by Thursday. As another poster said check the photos, because if they're not correct you're stuffed

tallsmallmum · 07/08/2023 10:43

User63847484848 · 07/08/2023 08:11

Take DD with you to the appointment, just in case there are any issues with the photos.

we had to redo ours there at the emergency appointment because of a hair braid thing that they said wasn’t acceptable. You never know so just take her.

I’ve been there too and it’s such a horrible feeling! We had s tighter timeframe so didn’t make the start of our holiday but thankfully was a flexi eurotunnel ticket so we just missed out on holiday camp fees and had a very short holiday

I don't recall a Photo Booth at the passport office tho? if you get the photos done at a place which guarantees they'll be acceptable then that's that. and what would you do about the signature on your new photos which you've dashed to do in the middle of your appointment? 🤔

User63847484848 · 07/08/2023 10:46

There was a Photo Booth at the one we went to in Victoria.
yes probably photos are ok if taken properly but I wouldn’t take any chances and would still take the child personally.

User63847484848 · 07/08/2023 10:46

They accepted the signature on the other photos as could see it was a likeness but said they weren’t 100% sure the photos would get through the scanner so recommended taking some more.

Mochasforme · 07/08/2023 10:48

There was a photo booth in the Glasgow office. I took my DDs with me but was told as it was a renewal they didn't have to be there.

User63847484848 · 07/08/2023 10:48

We were told to do the photos then come back to the desk at the end of the session.
I did cry when he said the photos might not be good enough I must admit, especially when I realised that since my purse had been stolen on the train on the way up I had no way to pay for the replacement photos. But that’s a whole other story and we got there in the end!

Wintersgirl · 07/08/2023 11:05

I don't recall a Photo Booth at the passport office tho?

There's one at the Newport office...

MBailey99 · 07/08/2023 11:18

I attended a fast track appointment for my son last month (am, first appointment of the day) and it arrived the day after!

Marinacat · 07/08/2023 11:48

I lost my passport last month. I had to fly to Glasgow for my appointment on a Wednesday and it was delivered to my house on the Saturday morning. We flew out on holiday that afternoon.

I’m based in NI so that list normally takes an extra day to arrive. This was the 7 day passport service .

You have my sympathy! It’s so stressful!

LiloP · 07/08/2023 13:36

tanstaafl · 07/08/2023 07:54

Sorry, it’s 3 months ( don’t know where the extra 90 days came from )

At least 3 months after the day you leave. You can’t enter with a passport that was issued 9 years and 9 months ago.

NotAMug · 07/08/2023 22:31

UncleBryn · 07/08/2023 08:26

They don't issue child passports on the day. You have to wait up to a week even with the express service. An adult passport you can get within 4 hours we were told. We found out the hard way and my DS missed the first 3 days of our holiday as it didn't arrive in time despite going to the passport office. I really hope the OP has better luck and hers arrives in time.

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They issued my friends daughters the following day as she stayed overnight London and went back the next morning to get it. Hopefully they can do something.

It makes no sense for renewals/lost passports to be so difficult. New ones I understand of course.

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