Childs passport - how long

[Quaversss]

Hi, has anyone renewed a child's passport recently, just wondering on the wait time.... nothing booked but wondering if we might go away towards end of the summer last min so dont want to send off if it's taking ages at the moment. Her passport expires beginning of Dec so have a while but would rather get it sorted

Did it in June and it took about 2 weeks via online service.

If its valid for the whole summer holidays (until early sept?) when are you planning on using it again after that? This year? Next summer?

If the passport expires at the beginning of December (say, the 3rd) and you are going to the EU, you would need to be out of the EU by the 3rd of September, and you would have to show that this is the case via your return ticket when you make the outward journey (as much for check-in staff at the UK end as for the border officials where you're going). So if your return date is less than 3.000 months before the expiry date, you would definitely need to renew.

There is another limitation on passports going to the EU, which is that they must be less than 10 years old on the day of entry, but that's always the case with a child's passport AFAIK since they only last 5 years.

For non-EU countries the rules vary - some need 3 months on the day of entry, others 6, and there are other country-specific combinations.

That's really helpful thanks all. It expires 2nd Dec so would need to be back by 2nd sept... we were looking at a holiday that arrives back around 3rd as kids are not back in school until 5th, but if it's only taking 2 weeks I've got time to send it off so think I'll just get it done!