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Original poster

Urgent advice needed!! Passport expiration time

196 replies

NSWK · 08/02/2024 23:15

We are travelling last minute (hopefully) to Spain tomorrow for half term, and have just realised our child's passport has two months and three weeks until it expires. It looks like we need to have a full three months on a child's passport to travel. We have only just realised this and are travelling tomorrow afternoon so it is too late to renew the passport.

Does anyone have any experience? We are hoping to fly with BA from Gatwick to Malaga, both parent's passports have, in excess of, 6 months. Is there a chance they will let us fly (we are only going for five days) or are we mad to even go to the airport?

Thank you in advance, all advice gratefully received.

OP posts:
Sodndashitall · 09/02/2024 21:36

I went abroad with the kids and realised too late that the passports needed 6 months and 1 kid had 5.5 months. No time to get another

Did extensive research and ultimately its down to the border guard to determine.

I chanced it, sweated the whole flight. Placed his passport at the bottom of the pile and made sure I was mean to the kids so rhey were a bit grizzly and whingy/crying at the passport control. Guy didn't barely look at the passports and waved us through!

friskybivalves · 09/02/2024 22:44

Still 45mins to go and I was dying for an early night. But cannot leave it...

TedWilson · 09/02/2024 23:00

Following!!!

GLC789 · 09/02/2024 23:08

Following!

I feel so invested in your adventure!!

goingslightlyinsane · 09/02/2024 23:23

Is she nearly there yet?? 🤞🏻

dalmatianmad · 09/02/2024 23:31

Fingers crossed for you 🙏

Clearinguptheclutter · 09/02/2024 23:32

goingslightlyinsane · 09/02/2024 23:23

Is she nearly there yet?? 🤞🏻

Plane has landed she’ll be getting off about now

DiveBombingSeagull · 09/02/2024 23:38

Fingers crossed you sail through immigration and have a great holiday

shreknjumps · 10/02/2024 00:27

Landed! 😬 put the kids passport at the bottom OP and be the smiliest most carefree passenger they've had all day!

samarrange · 10/02/2024 00:32

shreknjumps · 10/02/2024 00:27

Landed! 😬 put the kids passport at the bottom OP and be the smiliest most carefree passenger they've had all day!

There was a flight coming in to Malaga from Morocco at about the same time. Moroccans need visas (or a residency card) to enter Schengen, so with a bit of luck the border officials will have been waving the Brits through to save time for the long process of checking visas etc, in the hope of getting home to bed by 2am.

Original poster
NSWK · 10/02/2024 02:04

So sorry not to update sooner, but we made it!!!! It was pretty terrifying approaching the passport check, but totally uneventful -Amazing! Can't quite believe it, thank you all for for caring, I felt surprisingly supported.

OP posts:
TreesAtSea · 10/02/2024 02:15

Fantastic news! Have a great holiday 🙂

fluffycatkins · 10/02/2024 03:36

Great news, enjoy your holiday OP!!

ScullysMate · 10/02/2024 03:48

Yay!!! So genuinely happy for you!

samarrange · 10/02/2024 05:16

NSWK · 10/02/2024 02:04

So sorry not to update sooner, but we made it!!!! It was pretty terrifying approaching the passport check, but totally uneventful -Amazing! Can't quite believe it, thank you all for for caring, I felt surprisingly supported.

Congratulations, and well done for taking the risk. You will be telling the grandchildren about this, I'm sure.

Did the border people not notice the too-short expiry date at all?

friskybivalves · 10/02/2024 06:34

Brilliant news.

matup · 10/02/2024 06:43

NSWK · 10/02/2024 02:04

So sorry not to update sooner, but we made it!!!! It was pretty terrifying approaching the passport check, but totally uneventful -Amazing! Can't quite believe it, thank you all for for caring, I felt surprisingly supported.

Amazing news!! Did they not use a machine to check the passports?

Have a fantastic holiday op!

Ridiculous24 · 10/02/2024 06:49

Great news!

Helplessandheartbroke · 10/02/2024 07:06

Well done!!! Very happy for you all have a great time

Jewelanemone · 10/02/2024 07:34

Woohoo, what a relief! Have a fantastic holiday 😘

Clearinguptheclutter · 10/02/2024 08:01

Yey!

so pleased you made it. And surprised tbh.

but have a lovely week. Don’t worry about coming back, the worst that can happen is a telling off.

Pushkinini · 10/02/2024 08:05

Fantastic. Have a lovely holiday.

ScarlettDarling · 10/02/2024 08:21

Am I the only one worrying about the return journey? Obviously I get that it’s different returning to the UK but I’d be crazy nervous in case I wasn’t allowed to fly!

goingslightlyinsane · 10/02/2024 08:25

What great news to wake up to!!! Have a brilliant holiday ☀️

WarningOfGails · 10/02/2024 08:41

ScarlettDarling · 10/02/2024 08:21

Am I the only one worrying about the return journey? Obviously I get that it’s different returning to the UK but I’d be crazy nervous in case I wasn’t allowed to fly!

I wouldn’t be worried - don’t they always want to send you back to your home country in immigration cases? Which is what Op wants!