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Original poster

HELP! Child passport expired and we travel on Saturday!

89 replies

Endoftethermum1 · 30/07/2023 21:03

I feel so stupid but we have realised our 10 year old sons passport expired 11 days ago and we fly to Italy Saturday from Manchester.
we’ve looked at the gov.uk website and it seems to say child passports can’t be renewed in the office and you have to wait up to a week after an appointment to receive it urgently.
I am in Scotland on holiday with the kids but without the passport and could book an appointment only available in Glasgow for Tuesday but would have to chance it being delivered by Friday.
has anyone been in this situation before? What can I do? I feel sick thinking about it (& very silly)
ANY ADVICE WELCOME !

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 30/07/2023 21:07

Not much you can do tbh. You need the old passport and an appointment and a passport form filled in with a countersignature. And the fastest service for a child is the 1 week one.

lavenderlou · 30/07/2023 21:09

See if you can transfer the dates of your holiday?

WallaceinAnderland · 30/07/2023 21:10

You need to cancel the holiday. Do you have cancellation insurance?

ConnieTucker · 30/07/2023 21:10

lavenderlou · 30/07/2023 21:09

See if you can transfer the dates of your holiday?

This would be the best bet i think.

Readyplayerthr33 · 30/07/2023 21:12

You have to cancel or change your holiday. How does this happen? Don’t people check when booking a holiday?

KateyCuckoo · 30/07/2023 21:14

Yeah you're not going to get the passport by Saturday I'm afraid.

mumofboys8787 · 30/07/2023 21:17

An shit yeah you've had a stinker. The fastest service for a child passport is the 1 week service so even if you get an appt tomorrow you've got no chance of it arriving in time.

pamplemoussemousse · 30/07/2023 21:19

This happened to me 4 years ago. I made an appt at my local passport office a week before we were due to travel, the passport arrived 3 days after my appt. It was CLOSE. Have also missed a flight due to non arrival of passport, it can go either way. God speed OP

pamplemoussemousse · 30/07/2023 21:21

For a child's passport, I should add. Both times. I'm disorganised (if you can't tell)

Whowhatwherewhenwhy1 · 30/07/2023 21:21

We had similar a couple of years ago. Got an appointment and they were really helpful. Said no guarantees but they would do their best. We were travelling for a bereavement. Appointment Monday and passport arrived on Thursday the day we were travelling! All you can do is try! God luck!

meatbaseddessert · 30/07/2023 21:25

WallaceinAnderland · 30/07/2023 21:10

You need to cancel the holiday. Do you have cancellation insurance?

No travel insurance will cover an expired passport.

MintJulia · 30/07/2023 21:26

Do it now, online.

It's a replacement passport, not brand new. I renewed ds' passport in Feb and it arrived in three days.

Good luck.

Valhalla17 · 30/07/2023 21:27

If you do the 1 week service then you need to beg the staff and tell them about the holiday. I did this some years ago, but I got an appt and was following up every 48hrs with the office. Then at something like 3pm the day before travel they called to say I could come and collect it. It was seriously stressful! This was may years before Covid, in London and the staff clearly must have been wanting to be nice. You will just have to hope for the same, unless you can move your holiday by another week or two.

StillWantingADog · 30/07/2023 21:29

I’d go with your plan and hope. Take travel confirmations to the appointment and hope they take pity on you.

are you flying with another adult.
in which case worst case scenario they take one kid and you and the other kid fly out later when you can.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 30/07/2023 21:29

I’d try and move the holiday by a week and pay the penalty

Floofydawg · 30/07/2023 21:31

WallaceinAnderland · 30/07/2023 21:10

You need to cancel the holiday. Do you have cancellation insurance?

Insurance doesn't cover stuff like that.

Muststopeating · 30/07/2023 21:31

Surely it's worth trying... And simultaneously trying to delay the holiday. If the latter doesn't work then send rest of family ahead and you (or DH) and son travel as soon as passport arrives.

It's an awful awful feeling (I once missed 3 days of my honeymoon because I hadn't properly read the visa requirements and was exceptionally lucky not to miss the full 2 weeks) but all you can do now is try. I really hope it works out for you.

AuraBora · 30/07/2023 21:37

Obviously there's no guarantee it will be faster than a week but I just recently had my daughters appt on the Thursday and passport arrived 2 days later on Saturday. This was Peterborugh office. All seemed v efficient.
So its possible but yes back up plan to delay holiday if needed?

AuraBora · 30/07/2023 21:38

Also appointments can go quickly so get it booked in now! As early in the day as you can manage!

Pushpull · 30/07/2023 21:40

I'd try and move your holiday too because you'll also need the passport number for the API so it's kind of the day before you fly you need it?

Overthebow · 30/07/2023 21:42

You can try, it might arrive in time but there isn't a faster service.

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 30/07/2023 21:44

WallaceinAnderland · 30/07/2023 21:10

You need to cancel the holiday. Do you have cancellation insurance?

No travel insurance company will pay out for this.

Original poster
Endoftethermum1 · 30/07/2023 21:49

Thanks so much for the helpful replies and good luck messages ( less so readyplayertfr33- I hope you never have an experience like this. In answer to your question my husband was booking this after a family holiday as my sister died 4 months ago and we’ve had a lot on our plate)
I have an appointment booked in Glasgow Tues morning and if it doesn’t come by Friday I’ll have to stay behind with my son and book flights separately next week. We live near Durham but I just can’t get an appointment there til Thursday.
I think I’ll ring the passport helpline tomorrow and see if the have any drop-ins there.
I am dreading telling my kids. I can’t cancel the holiday as we both work in NHS where leave is fixed weeks in advance.
Wish me luck

OP posts:
PrimalLass · 30/07/2023 21:49

We've done the 1-week service twice recently and have had the passport in a couple of days.

Legolegends · 30/07/2023 21:51

My DD’s new passport arrived 6 days after our Liverpool appointment. Hopefully yours might arrive sooner. If you are travelling with family, could you stay behind with DD and join the others later? If it’s not possible to push the holiday back?
I know that sick feeling. We once booked a holiday without getting the right visas! (Obvs weren’t allowed to travel there - turned back at the airport and had to wait at a connecting flight city for them to arrive). In the end, you do what you can and it is what it is. Things work out eventually but it is very annoying to lose holiday time! Hope the passport comes through in time x

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