to be annoyed about passport fees

[Madsometimes]

My passport is in my maiden name and has years left to run on it. I mostly use my married name now, so my dh has booked me airline tickets for this summer in my married name. Obviously I will need to change my passport or I will not be let on the plane.

I find now that I have to cancel my current passport and buy a new 10 year passport for £72. I may get upto 9 months extra on my new passport for time remaining on my previous passport, but that's my lot. I think this is rip of Britain aimed at married (& divorced?) women. Rant over

People wonder why I didn't change my name when I married...this is one of the reasons.
And don't get me started about the tax office!

yes, the passport fees here are crazy!
Thankfully me and the children also have German citizenship, and passports there cost a fraction of what they do here (the children's passports cost about £7 each, mine was maybe £20 if that). It does feel very much like a case of rip-off Britain, particularly as the EU passports are all pretty much the same.

It costs a heck of a lot more in some countries.

Yes, I find the cost astonishing. Once upon a time they cost less than Italian passports, now the cost is way higher.

For your trip, wouldn't it be cheaper to change the name on the airline tickets?

My dc passports expired this month and mine later in the year so I had to renew all 3 for our holiday. Chose to pay a bit extra to get them back quicker and total cost was £190!!!

Wouldn't mind but mine doesn't actually expire till October but needed 3 months left to run on it for a holiday in Cyprus in August

canofworms they should add on up to 9 months of unexpired validity so you don't lose out.

Oh I know I don't lose out but timing wise would have been better not to have to pay all in one chunk

Cor I didn't bother changing mine, I figured I am legally entitled to call myself what I like (in terms of Mrs Married name, Miss Married name, MRS maiden name etc. etc.) so just make sure I have my marriage cert. floating about.

i don't think it's that expensive, tbh, not at all. it's ten years worth. plus, i wanted to get one in a week and it came in two days, and the staff at the passport office were absolutely exemplary, especially given how much admin there was involved. smoothest-run part of the civil service i've ever encountered.

this nis one of the reasons I'm not totally aginst ID cards. I resent that I'm expected to have driving licence or passport. What if I dont want either, but need ID?

DC even more of a rip-off because they only last 5 years. Are they 50% cheaper? Oh no!

Not sure I get you LynetteScavo - ID cards are likely to cost a lot more that £72...

they're a good bit cheaper, aren't they? and you will go wanting one of those children that grows...

seriously, have you seen the new passports? very much swankier and more complex to produce than the old 'pop an unflattering picture under some sticky back plastic' ones, plus they knock back pics all the time thanks to new guidelines, loads more admin.

Madsometimes...

I travelled (on BA) using my maiden name for ages (SA passport office took 3 years to change my passport!!) - all I had was my passport and my marriage certificate ...

Would this work??

Agree with Nagapie. I totally disagreed with the fee's and travelled for about 2/3 years using a passport with my maiden name. Took my marriage cert with me too, and it was fine. Got into Malta, Barbados & St. Lucia no problems (flew with Virgin & Air Malta)

I can beat that !!
I travelled for 5 years to -tenerife, gran canaria, portugal, south africa, cuba turkey and new york, all on my maiden name with my marriage cert. It's a joke that you have to PAY for a name change, so I wouldn't do it! ( yey me!!)
If you are worried though, just change the ticket name..

talking of rip-offs, its just cost me 119 pounds (no pound sign on my computer) to renew my passport at the British Embassy in Tokyo. Had to remortgage...

This thread has reminded me - does it matter if your child's passport has a baby photo in, but child is now 4 years old and looks completely different now? Do I have to fork out for a new passport for her?

No you don't Millarkie - just get her a new one after 5 years (get one early, as the OP said, they give you 9 months extra, that is you can apply up to 9 months before the old one expires).

YABU IMO. I think the cost is quite reasonable. I'd also like to remind you that it's only necessary because your dh booked the tickets in a different name, so if you want to be annoyed at someone, be annoyed at him.

I'm impressed that they now give you the extra 9 months in the uK - I've just renewed ds's and lost out by 2 months, but as you don't know how long they will take you can't risk it really. All NZ passports are now 5 years and as some places want it valid for 6 months they are really 4.5

Thanks Sakura - we go on holiday in 8 weeks so I'd left it a bit late to get a new one anyway!

I think that if we are lucky enough to have the money and freedom to travel we shouldn't moan about the cost of a passport. Foreign holidays are a luxury. This said, children's passports should be cheaper, it just makes sense.

I am a little bit annoyed that dh booked holiday in married name but I do think that passport service should give a rebate for years unused when you have to change your passport details. I got married three years ago and have delayed changing my passport until now because I resented paying twice for a passport.

I am very against ID cards etc, so the only thing which makes me happy about renewing my passport is that I will avoid the biometric b*llocks for another 10 years