Passports

[poppiesinaline]

DS2 had his passport photo taken last year for our summer hol. In his photo he is 3 weeks old. A friend told me that they have changed the rules and that if a child under 2 has a passport, you need to up date the photo cost of which is 45 pounds!

Is this true!? If so, why do they make you take out a 5 year passport for under 2's!!

God I hope not - just paid out a shed load for dd1 and ds1 to have theirs for another 5 yrs. Hope I dont have to get ds2 another - he's 16 mths although it doesnt expire till 2009 - so dont know. Will have a look and see if I can find out! Remember reading some new rules about babies photos but thought they'd relaxed them not made them worse!

My DD travelled on with her passport photo which was taken when she was 3 months old right up until it expired at 5 years old. We were never told we have to renew it.

We are renewing it this year because it has now expired and we will need to get the photos signed again as her appearance has drastically changed. I don't see how they can say you have to renew the photos, unless they are going to do it free of charge.

Looked on the website and dont think you have to - it says you can change it if you want. DS1 is 7 now and on his new passport doesnt look anything like his old passport - he was only about 20 months!

I remember thinking at the time how ridiculous is is getting a 5 year passport for a 3 week old baby! They don't look anything like a newborn at 3, 4 or 5!! but was assured this was fine.

does anyone know if its true you have to change pic we are going on holiday next week she is 2 now and only 2 weeks old on passport pic

Don't think you do Dd has travel with hers when she was 18 months and she two weeks in the photo. Planning to use it again in a couple of weeks and she'll be 2.
No-one has ever said anything before to us. Don't think they would issue five year passports if you needed to change to pictures every two years.
I know you can change to pictures if you want.

TBH they don't look anything like their photos within 2 or three months of having them taken. my dd and ds were days old when they had their taken now at 21 months and 3 tomorrow they look nothing like their photos, so we could take anybodies toddler away with us i guess as they would never know the difference

dd is 4 and her passport has her 2 week baby photo in it . It's due for renewal in October(5 years).

No you don't have to change their photo. DS2 is coming up to 5 and travelling quite happily on his 5 month-old-baby photo.

My ds's also travelled up till age 5 with a new born pic in & no body ever said anyhting. One Q. tho - they've (presumably accidentally) made ds2's passport valid for 10 years - he's just turned 5 & his passport should expire now, but is dated till feb 2011. Should I just leave it, or get it renewed anyway? he will definitely have outgrown his newborn 'photo at age 10! But technically is valid for 5 more years?

MY DS's runs out at the end of February.

Thanks for the reminder.

You definitely don't need to get the photos changed - the UKPA website says that:

...you can if you wish change the photograph during the five-year life of the passport, although this is not necessary.