Passport Renewal

[user1471543683]

My passport expires mid November 2026. We are booked to go on holiday in July. I have checked the requirements for the country and it says as long as when I leave to come home I have more than 3 months left it is fine. So 3 months after would take me to 17.10.26 with my passport expiring a month later.
it just feels a bit tight and I don’t know whether I should just get new passports now. At the same time though I’m then not using the last 6 months of my current passport.
just after advice/experience.
thanks

When was it issued?

25.11.16

Mine expires even later than yours but I am renewing mine now. The main reason is so that I won't have to get the new biometrics done twice - with my expiring passport and again with my new one. A passport lasts 10 years. A few months do not make much difference.

i just renewed my passport received it on Thursday. Paid the standard fee for both me and child. The passports took 2 weeks and one day to arrive from application date and that included a verification by a friend for my child as under 18. I was initially nervous as we have a holiday booked for mid June but the process was great and it’s given me a lot of peace of mind. Like you I could have travelled (probably) as my passport doesn’t expire till end of year but so much confusion around the eligibility that I didn’t want to risk it. My trip is to visit elderly family we’ve not seen in 2 years so it just wasn’t worth the stress.

It's valid. I would renew it after your holiday. In fact if you won't travel again till next summer I'd be tempted to renew it in a year's time. It's annoying how much time you lose on a passport nowadays (I lost 7 months on my last one because I renewed it early ten years ago, and then the rules changed).

That's good, so you're ok on the 10 year thing.

If you're not someone who ever has to travel last minute I would leave it, although the EES biometrics is a good point by a pp. But that's such a confused shitshow right now (happening at airports, but not all the time in every country, but not fully at ports or on trains) you might still end up having bits of it done more than once anyway, even with the same passport.

Yes, it's a bit annoying having to repeat the biometrics thing but I'd rather do that than waste several months of a valid passport. Just renew it either after your holiday or leave it until well before your next one if you don't go away often.

I renewed mine in January after using it for the last time in December which was only 2 weeks before it got to 10 years so useless for EU entry. It came back in a week.

I am in a similar boat, we are going to a Schengen country in August, my child’s passport runs out in December (issue date is fine) I wasn’t going to renew until we got back as she probably won’t go away again until next year but have a little doubt now. Not sure why as I went away last year with 5 months left on my passport and it was fine

@user1471543683 Who are you flying with? I’ve just contacted Ryanair via their live chat and they have confirmed 3 months needed on passport

It isn’t the airline who set the rules it’s the country, you’d be better off checking gov . uk as Ryanair have bugger all to do with border control.

@Fends whilst this is true I have heard of stories of airlines turning people away as they themselves are confused about the rules, I just wanted verbal confirmation from them it would be okay. I have checked the gov website and emailed the embassy of the country I’m travelling to and they have confirmed it’s okay. They quickly responded too so worth doing for peace of mind and even confirmed the last day she could be in the country, good yo have something in writing ☺️

You emailed the embassy? Seems extreme when the info is all there on our own governments website. If the airline staff are so incompetent that they turn people away because they are confused about the rules at a particular destination then I doubt you getting verbal confirmation on a live chat will sway things!

Where are you travelling to?

I'd renew it now. The world is on the brink of war. It's good to have your papers as up to date as possible.

To be fair I can remember ringing the Spanish embassy when I was in my teens to check passport requirements. It was early 2000s so early internet days - but it doesn’t seem that totally bizarre to ask an embassy about their country’s entry requirements.

Imagine if everyone did it. Us Brits are having enough trouble without pissing off every embassy by clogging their lines 🤣

It has been 20 years, but it was just a recorded message you could get through to via the menus so at least there wasn’t someone having to answer and reply!

@Fends hardly clogging the lines, it was a quick email 🤣

If every traveller sent an email then it wouldn’t be quick would it?

I just found it odd that you checked the gov website, then emailed the embassy, then went on Ryanair live chat to triple check 😂

Where are you going?

When was it issued? It is only valid in EU/EEA up to the 10th anniversary from that date, although at the time you may have had time added on renewal if before a previous one expired.

Probably ok but what of something happens and you get stuck there? Then it’s out of date. I would renew.