Please helllllp! Passport Panic

[Frieda]

We're going to France in two weeks time, and I've just noticed ds/s passport has just run out (a few days ago!). Does anyone know if:

A - I can get a new one in time? or

B - As he's a British Citizen and EU member, we could just take his birth certificate, or something?

I'd be really grateful if any of you can help

You can't do option b) but you can get repeat passports issued on the same day. Your best bet is to ring the local passport office and ask their advice.

The passport office can issue new passports on their emergency schemes and have about 3 levels I think - guaranteed 2 week, 1 week or within a day. My sister has just done the 1 week system. It did involve going to the passport office though and it costs more - IO think about £70.

Check here for urgent applications

You have to make an appointment BEFORE going.

There are 7 offices:

Belfast
Durham
Glasgow
Liverpool
London
Newport
Peterborough

HTH!

Thanks ever so much for the info. I'll let you both know how I get on.

Good luck

Frieda, if you can get an application form and photos sorted out and get to a main post office today, they will check the application and guarantee 2 weeks turn round for £6.

Passport office system is quicker (and possibly more reliable) but costs more. (DD2 has just applied for hers so we went through all this yesterday!) If DS's appearance has changed a lot though you will have to have form and photos countersigned.

Good luck!

Hi Frieda

i have experience of this one. the check-in assistant noticed that my passport was out of date at the airport and i could not fly!!!!

you can call the passport office and make an appt. on the day, make sure you have all the documents, photos, signatures etc and they will process it. I only had to wait a couple of hours and then picked my new passport up 4 fours later. It was pretty efficient but expensive £80.00!

One point to note, if you need the photos to be countersigned, make sure you also note the person's passport number on the form.

good luck and you should have enough time to get a new passport. the london office was really good.

Janh ? it?s just under two weeks we go ? a week on Saturday ? and DS is currently at his grandparents, so I couldn't get a passport photo of him before Tuesday when he gets back. Tempting as it would be to save £65 (ulp ? havent' told DH yet!), I think I might find to too stressful worrying that his passport got back in time. Thanks, anyway ? I'll know for next time.

By the way, do you happen to know if you have to have a doctor or someone professional to countersign the photos, or could my next-door neighbour do it (musician)?

I've made an appointment to go to Petty France next Thursday (only had to hold for about 15 mins, which amazed me for this time of year), so thanks for that link Hulababy.

I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that I fill in the form correctly (black ink, block capitals...)

Many thanks, all of you

I doubt the countersignature is really checked. Anyway, does the musician ever teach? If so then he's a teacher I've done a passport in a day, prepare for lots of queueing.

They DO sometimes check out countersignatories. There is a list on the passport form of people who can countersign an application. But if your next door neighbour wrote down that he was a teacher I doubt they'd check up on tis (but he does have to write his employer's name and address).

Our next-door neighbour signed ours - she's a retired SRN. Have also had friends who are teachers do it. I think they do check now, Tinker - post-9/11 security again - it has to be a British passport holder so that they can follow it up.

Going to the Passport Office should be fine, Frieda (apart from the money, ouch ouch) - neighbour's son had to go to Liverpool to get his, you do have an actual appt, I think the long queues were pre-Passport Office shake-up, from what neighbour said they are much more efficient and civilised now - they look at your application at the appt, then you go away for a few hours, then go back and collect the passport.

Hi Frieda,
I work at the Passport Office in Newport and I can assure everyone that all countersignatories ARE checked, (including the frequency with which they countersign applications)!
There is a huge list of those who can countersign your application at www.passport.gov.uk/faqs/faq.asp?intElement=454
If your musician neighbour has a qualification such as a degree (BA, Phd, etc) that would qualify him to countersign your form.
As for the photo, the guidelines are quite strict now, and can be found at www.ukps.gov.uk/downloads/PLE01_may2004.pdf
There's a photo booth at each office, but it's better if you have a suitable photo ready if possible, and you don't want to waste money on an unsuitable photo, especially if it then won't have been countersigned!
The appointments system works very well, though, so you shouldn't have to wait too long.
Good luck!