Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Desperate help - passport expired, travel on Wednesday

450 replies

Nowanextraone · 20/07/2024 19:10

I feel sick. I don't understand how we have overlooked this as we renewed 2 of our other children's passports, but we've just seen our daughter's passport expired in January.

We are fucked aren't we? It says a child's passport can only be renewed urgently in a week.
I feel sick

Insurance won't even pay will it as it's our fault.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
mushroom3 · 22/07/2024 01:13

It’s worth finding out who the passport is being sent out with. It seems to be sometimes a courier and sometimes Royal Mail. We once picked up a child’s passport at 5am from the sorting office. Good luck OP

Relaxd · 22/07/2024 02:45

Take your tickets/proof of flight, don’t go with a big sob story just be calm and ask if they can note the urgency of the flight. There are some examples where some people have ended up getting it sorted in 48 hours. Good luck! www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i10702-k9398676-o100-Emergency_child_passport_renewal_1_week_fast_track-Air_Travel.html

CalmConfident · 22/07/2024 06:35

Expect to stay there all day not go home and wait for post. We got a child renewal same day but had to wait until 6pm to collect in person.

CalmConfident · 22/07/2024 06:40

Thinking of you and wishing you luck, I remember the feeling when I realised and it being one of most stressful times as a parent.

ThatBlueBeaker · 22/07/2024 07:22

okay but I didn't know about this !

SmallBug · 22/07/2024 07:37

MeouwCat · 22/07/2024 00:15

So you are saying to pretend to have covid?

Show quote history

No, I was asking the question, as she said she felt sick.
But it has been explained to me that she felt sick because of potentially losing her holiday.😂

Probably my speed reading technique is faster than my absorption technique.

elcap · 22/07/2024 07:52

I had this exact situation 2 weeks ago when I realised you need 6 months remaining on your passport and not 3 months for Turkey - my eldest daughters passport had 5.5 months. I feel your pain.

I realised on Thursday due to fly out on Tuesday.

This is the process we had.

  • booked online appointment for one week fast track passport on Thursday
  • appointment Friday
  • passport back following Thursday morning
(a childs passport needs to be on the system 5 days)

My DH and DD2 flew out on Tuesday and my daughter and I flew out on Thursday. Very stressful but once we were in the sunshine it was fine and although we had 4.5 days rather than 7 it was worth it.

Good luck!

deleteitforpro56 · 22/07/2024 07:59

OP we have just done the same thing!!!

I currently in Egypt with my eldest and we are wishing and praying my son gets his passport today so he and my husband can join us today/tomorrow!!

They will legally not approve before the 5 days (even though people do say they have?? I still dont inderstand how). All officials haventold us nothing can legally happen before 5 days.

Typically then it is approved

Next day printed

Next day delivered

HOwEVER - as today is 5 days we have been told we have a chance to call when lines open and beg for it to be printed and us to go and collect (willing to travel wherever!!)

We were told this on the phone and via the chat option

Everything is crossed that this is a success. We have been told this is possible but not guaranteed

The guilt I feel mucking up the whole holiday is insane.

Best of luck OP

Fluffyelephant · 22/07/2024 09:55

Greenqueen40 · 21/07/2024 21:47

I don't understand why your DH and other child can't go as planned and you follow as soon as the passport is ready? Worse case scenario would be friday which means you only miss 2 days of your holiday, 5 days is better than nothing!

I think because OP thinks that would be very upsetting for the child (which I would agree with). Maybe if it was a very young child staying behind who wasn't really aware they were missing the holiday you could get away with that but I believe the OP said the child was 8 or 9 so she's likely been looking forward to the holiday and would be crushed if most of the family go without her.

PrimalLass · 22/07/2024 10:23

They will legally not approve before the 5 days.

I had my 15-year-old's passport back far quicker than this last year.

PrimalLass · 22/07/2024 10:24

Relaxd · 22/07/2024 02:45

Take your tickets/proof of flight, don’t go with a big sob story just be calm and ask if they can note the urgency of the flight. There are some examples where some people have ended up getting it sorted in 48 hours. Good luck! www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i10702-k9398676-o100-Emergency_child_passport_renewal_1_week_fast_track-Air_Travel.html

That's from 8 years ago.

Chardonnay73 · 22/07/2024 10:44

Just read your update op, so sorry for you, absolutely gutting.
im in a similar situation but with my Ds, thankfully he is over 18 so we have a premium appointment tomorrow to pick it up, we fly next week. Been obsessively checking the status of the application all over the weekend ( discovered it had expired on Saturday and did the online renewal then) its still showing as being checked. Dh pointed out that the passport office is closed at weekends which seems utterly crazy for a service that is meant to be fast track?!!
Wont relax until it in my hands tomorrow.
I totally understand how awful you feel. Sometimes us busy moms just drop the ball… I’ve since said to dh that we both need to be checking the passports in future. I’ve set a reminder on my phone for 3 months before our next holiday!!

PrimalLass · 22/07/2024 11:01

Edited as the Twitter acc I linked is no longer active.

Collexifon · 22/07/2024 11:02

Nowanextraone · 21/07/2024 19:06

Thank you SO much everyone.
Sadly It's bad news. We spoke to the passport office at 9am and you definitely can't get a child's passport in 1 day. We've got an appointment tomorrow morning for the 1 week priority renewal but obviously won't be ready for our holiday. The flight doesn't leave until late Wednesday evening, so we won't cancel it until Wednesday's post arrives just in case there is a teeny chance.

We are going to have to lick our wounds and organise a cheap get away in a few weeks time.

2024 has included the death of my lovely MIL, our child being diagnosed with a lifelong very serious condition, our house sale and purchase falling through and now this. I really do want 2024 to fuck off.

I know this was my fault, and I literally can't believe we overlooked it, especially when we renewed the other passports 😢

We haven't told our daughter it's her passport as she's a sensitive little girl. We've told her it is an issue with the hotel so we need to change it 😬 We've said we are sorting her passport out tomorrow because it doesn't have long left on it.

Bad luck OP. That's really sweet and thoughtful of you not to tell your dd. I hope the year improves.

Original poster
Nowanextraone · 22/07/2024 11:09

Hi all,
It's really not an option for half the kids and my DH to go and not me and the other one. My DH has said we all go together or not at all. We really are quite soft and want to all be together. My DH wouldn't want a holiday without us all, despite losing his mum. He said that's not his idea of fun. Like I said we're soppy.

We are looking at holidays for 10 days time and have told the kids it's been delayed because of the hotel having issues. We're looking at last minute deals.

It's absolutely gutting though. If her passport arrived (unlikely) this week, we will still go late and get what we can of this holiday.

OP posts:
wateringcanface · 22/07/2024 11:18

Nowanextraone · 22/07/2024 11:09

Hi all,
It's really not an option for half the kids and my DH to go and not me and the other one. My DH has said we all go together or not at all. We really are quite soft and want to all be together. My DH wouldn't want a holiday without us all, despite losing his mum. He said that's not his idea of fun. Like I said we're soppy.

We are looking at holidays for 10 days time and have told the kids it's been delayed because of the hotel having issues. We're looking at last minute deals.

It's absolutely gutting though. If her passport arrived (unlikely) this week, we will still go late and get what we can of this holiday.

Have you tried contacting the airline / hotel / travel agency etc yet. I can't see any comments that you've tried this, they may allow you to postpone holiday

Teddybearpicniccelebration · 22/07/2024 11:34

Nowanextraone · 22/07/2024 11:09

Hi all,
It's really not an option for half the kids and my DH to go and not me and the other one. My DH has said we all go together or not at all. We really are quite soft and want to all be together. My DH wouldn't want a holiday without us all, despite losing his mum. He said that's not his idea of fun. Like I said we're soppy.

We are looking at holidays for 10 days time and have told the kids it's been delayed because of the hotel having issues. We're looking at last minute deals.

It's absolutely gutting though. If her passport arrived (unlikely) this week, we will still go late and get what we can of this holiday.

I am in exactly the same boat as you my mum died last year and we decided to go on holiday but couldn't get my son's passport verified in time. We decided if our older children wants to go they can but my oldest said she's busy so none of us is going now.

spiderlight · 22/07/2024 11:48

What a nightmare. So sorry you've got this on top of all the other stress. I hope you get a miracle-worker of a passport officer today who manages to sort it for you. Presumably you'll be there by now with all your documents and flight details and your best puppy-dog eyes! Failing that, hopefully a deal will come up so you can still get away.

PrimalLass · 22/07/2024 12:17

They might even be happy to move you later because of the flight nightmares last week.

deleteitforpro56 · 22/07/2024 12:21

PrimalLass · 22/07/2024 10:23

They will legally not approve before the 5 days.

I had my 15-year-old's passport back far quicker than this last year.

And I have heard many others have had the same experience. They keep telling us there is 100% no way they will approve before the 5 days as it against the law.

It is so infuriating.

DysonSphere · 22/07/2024 12:58

Nowanextraone · 22/07/2024 11:09

Hi all,
It's really not an option for half the kids and my DH to go and not me and the other one. My DH has said we all go together or not at all. We really are quite soft and want to all be together. My DH wouldn't want a holiday without us all, despite losing his mum. He said that's not his idea of fun. Like I said we're soppy.

We are looking at holidays for 10 days time and have told the kids it's been delayed because of the hotel having issues. We're looking at last minute deals.

It's absolutely gutting though. If her passport arrived (unlikely) this week, we will still go late and get what we can of this holiday.

Ahhh you sound like such a lovely family, so sweet and soppy!

Hopefully a really conscientious person in the passport office will try and get you sorted! I would smile through any chastising. I really, really hope this works out for you like it has for a lucky few!

If you're feeling bad...my Stepmother and Dad missed a flight to Brazil because they were eating in the airport restaurant, stuffing their faces and didn't hear the public announcement for the gate closing. I kid you not! They had to buy last minute new flights costing £££ there and then and then pay to stay in a hotel till the next day.

I couldn't believe it. I was surprised they didn't just turn back frankly. But you know what? My Father passed away January this year, and my Stepmom says she's so glad they still went on that holiday, though they had almost no spending money anymore, and she actually finds the big drama of that day a comfort that makes her laugh now. So whatever you do, memories are worth it, and maybe one day you'll look back and laugh about this. Good luck!

Normallynumb · 22/07/2024 13:25

I hope you can postpone your holiday and enjoy it, once the passport is in your hands.

BloominMarvelous · 22/07/2024 14:20

There is always a chance, we had our appointment on Tuesday, the passport came Saturday morning. We didn't lose our holiday but just had to cough up for the flights to go out later. So there is every chance it can come by the end of the week, they can deliver Sundays too.

BigAnne · 22/07/2024 14:39

@Nowanextraone fingers crossed for you. Lucky you for having such a lovely husband. If that had happened in our family my husband would've blamed me. Hope it all goes well.

Mummyoflittledragon · 22/07/2024 17:19

Personally I would ask the tour operator if you can move the holiday by a few days.