Passport advice - what would you do?

[Nearlyamumoftwo]

Flying to Lanzarote a month today and realised my son's passport expires November 2026 - technically this is ok as we ar returning to the UK in July 2026 (rule is at least 3 month validity), but would your risk it??

if not - would you renew and risk the standard service which takes approx 3 weeks?

or do fast track? And if you do fast track does anyone know if the child has to accompany you??

Depends. Are you giving us the expiry date or 5 years after the issue date.

The expiry date means NOTHING anymore. IGNORE IT.

Your new expiry date is 5 years after the issue date. You need 3 months within that time frame.

BTW, I renewed my passport a couple weeks ago using the normal service online and my new (adult) passport took less than a week to arrive.

There’s no risk in using it - it is valid and you can travel with it.
Also, our new passports arrived back within a week of applying online (and posting the old one) Very quick and smooth process now 👍

This isn’t the same, this is post office. The actual fast track involves going to the passport office itself, and you can’t do that for a 21 year old (but can for an actual child). It then comes back on the 1 week service - no option for same day for a child.

You are referring to post office check and send which is different.

Sorry - no, I went to the passport office itself at Customs House (and have done so previously when at Victoria Station). In person. Travelled by train. Booked an appointment, I did not use the passport check and send service at the Post office.

You are wrong I am afraid.

Check the date of issue and calculate the 3-months. Don’t use the date of expiry.
(usually they tally but not always).
ETA: this may not be relevant for a child’s passport but do double check.

You can’t use the same day service for a child’s passport

Not sure why people are picking on me BUT: I did the fast track service in person for both my children when they were under 16 (3-5 years ago at the previous passport office in Victoria) and the passport was issued next day and sent by registered post; and again recently for my eldest (now 21) using the same service. Only difference was that I had to be named as their agent in the later for the appointment and take my own passport/ID as DC is over 16. Did not need to previously as I was the parent/guardian.

I have never mentioned the ‘same day service’. I have only referenced the Fast Track service. Passport issued next day.

AND IT”S IRRELEVANT - OP needs to simply check the date of issue on her child’s passport to ascertain whether it will be valid or not.

I renewed my passport 2 weeks ago.

I applied on the Sunday afternoon, sent my photos and old passport on the Monday afternoon. I received my new passport in my hands on the Thursday - four days after thinking about it, and two days after they received my photos.

How is replying to your post in a thread picking on you? I think you need to be a little bit less sensitive

You need to check the issue date too, I think

Sent fast track is very quick

@Nearlyamumoftwo have you checked when the 10 year anniversary of the start date (not end date) is? If that is the earlier than the expiry (which can be the case if you renewed it early) then that can sometimes cause issues.

It’s fine. Call the advice line if you want them to confirm. If you’d rather just get a new one. Get it asap.

The passport is still valid with a couple do months spare so no issue at all. Unless your planning on going somewhere else that requires longer shortly after you get back no need to do anything yet

If it’s a child passport it’s fine as they are only valid for 5 years

Child passports are 5yrs

Stick with.
Just double check there’s the 3 months left with issue date, rather than focusing on expiry
I just travelled back from Poland with 6 days on top of the required amount, it wasn’t an issue. I didn’t expect it to be really but I got someone to confirm that I’d worked it out correctly to avoid disappointment at the airport.

The passport is valid. Assuming you don't have another holidays booked soon after, just use it and renew it before your next holiday.

I get that people stress because missing a holiday would be a big deal, but honestly it is fine. 3 months validity has been the rule for years now and most of the issues you read about in the media are to do with the extra months added on, which a child passport won't have, as it was issued too recently. It's not like you are doing something unusual travelling from the UK to Lanzarote!

Has @Nearlyamumoftwo clarified if she is referring to a child’s 5 year passport or a 10 year one? Sons can and do grow up, have 10 year passports and still go on holiday with their parents!

We flew back from Spain in October and my son’s passport had 4 months left on it. It was absolutely fine, as the requirement is 3.

You have to be 16 for an adult passport. This means if the son has an adult passport due to expire, he would be 25/26. I doubt the OP would be discussing whether to take the 'child' to a fast track appointment in that case. I think we can safely assume this is a child passport!

I had a panic last year when I thought the rule was 6 months for EU and realised two days before we left that one child’s passport only had 3.5 months validity after return date. Once I had calmed down I checked the rules and learned only 3 months is needed, and so we travelled fine, and renewed when we got home.

People saying that any extra months on your passport are irrelevant are wrong.

There are two separate rules.

When leaving the UK, if you are going to the EU or a Schengen country you need to leave within 10 years of the issue date. Extra months are irrelevant for this rule.

When returning to the UK your paasport must be valid for at least 3 months after your planned departure date. Extra months are fine here. This is because the country you are visiting wants to be confident it will be able to get rid of you. If the UK has issued you with a passport saying it expires on xxx then the visited country can rely on the UK letting you back in until xxx. The date of issue has nothing to do with it.

People are not saying extra months are irrelevant. They are saying that, as child passports are only valid for 5 years, it won't have any extra months, as we'd already moved to the blue passports more than 5 years ago. So it's not something you need to think about in this case.