Desperate help - passport expired, travel on Wednesday

[Nowanextraone]

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.

Europe won't grant entry if your passport still has 6 or 12 months left to run

What do you even mean here @JustAnotherDadOf2? European countries require 3 months remaining on your passport from the date you leave that country

You can get same day appointments where you recieve it before you leave. I think £50/£60 more expensive but obviously worth it. I'm in Bristol so my closest is Newport

You'll have to get it signed or verified online if you do her application online because she is under 11.

I wouldn't even risk it

Risk what?

Not for a child you can't, that service is only available to adults.

I really hope you've managed to book an appointment OP and it arrives promptly meaning you don't miss too much of the trip.

For adults only; not for child passports

We had this last xmas. I got passport photos and forms done Saturday. We booked the very first available appointment at a passport office for Monday morning. My husband drove there (4 hour car journey!) and stayed overnight Sunday to be there on time Monday morning. We paid for expedited passport delivery. Received them on Thursday of that week.

We ended up missing our flights, and rebooking quite expensively once the passports had arrived. We managed to get to half of our holiday, but the whole thing was very stressful. Sorry you're going through this, OP.

Go to official Gov passport website and request s one day service. They release appointment slots throughout the day but you'll need to refresh your screen every few minutes, be prepared to travel anywhere in the UK. You may be able to get it sorted yet.

So lying is the answer, is it?

I've heard travels can't leave the country to go home even though they have 3 months left on their passport.

you can’t use the 1 day premium for children!

And thank god for that because it stops them being taken abroad by a non-resident parent.

So sorry you're going through this OP.

I always write at the end of my dairy stuff that has to happen in the next year so I can rip out the page and put it in the new one.

Where are you going and what kind of holiday have you booked? If you’ve booked flights, hotel etc yourself separately and it’s shortish haul then I’d send everyone else out and travel later with dd when her passport comes through. If it’s a charter flight hol or inherited side if the cities then obviously more tricky/expensive.

What time Ali’s your flight on Wednesday? I got my daughter’s passport delivered by post within about 48 hours of appointment even though they say a week. Keeping fingers crossed for you.

Typos 😬

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.

Sorry it's not good news and that lots of people gave incorrect information lovely but at least you have an appointment and that will get the ball rolling and hopefully it doesn't take the full 7 days for the new passport to arrive.

I really hope the year gets better for you and you eventually get what sounds like a much deserved break.

@Nowanextraone

I'm sorry to hear this and about the awful time you have had this year.

Would the travel company you have booked with be willing to re-book you on a different date for a fee?

I so hope that something is retrievable for you in all this.

Phone the passport office and afraid you’ll have to drive up there and get one done on the spot. They might do it if you ask very nicely on the phone.

Have you looked into moving the holiday if you can? This happened to close friends recently. Appointment - receipt was 5 days but covered a weekend so a monday appt might be ok. It was couriered rather than posted.

Have you got her photos done? Impressed if you're keeping it from her doing that!

In January I lost my passport - I got a new one on Tuesday, having applied on Friday. But probably a quieter time. Good luck!

Sorry commented before reading your update. As others have suggested can you push the holiday back by a fortnight for a fee?

Please ring the travel company and see if you can move the holiday. There are so many issues with flights they might bite your hand off.

Technically 3 but some border guards aren't very well informed, so 6 months to be safe. It's all stupid, either a passport is valid or it isn't.

Did you not read the update?

That really isn't true - the issue is getting into an EU country, not leaving it. Why would they care? And the British authorities will let you back in!