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Passport Office

mjw

mjw

pfm Member
Anyone had recent experience?
My passport expires mid-September. If restrictions are lifted we plan to be in France mid/late August until October. Ordinarily, I’d renew now but that entails sending in my current passport and reading the UK GOV website I’m not confident I’ll get the renewal in time. I have no problem getting over to France on the current passport but wondered about allowing it to expire while I’m in France. Anyone found themselves in this situation? Or have any reassuring experience of the passport office?
 
Now we are not in the EU but in transition your passport must be valid for the whole length of your stay so if it expires mid September you will have to return mid September. I don't think you have any choice but to get a new passport - do confirm this for yourself. Last time I got a new passport online it was very quick - something like 10 days although there was no virus to mess up the system. You've got over a month to get your passport issued so I doubt it will be a problem. After the EU transition period finishes and we become a third country you have to have 6 months longer passport validity than your planned stay.
 
I would get on and change it now. Use the Post Office checking service at the counter... that will add some fast tracking to the process, or use the Online system. Probably get you new one inside a couple of weeks.

Last year I replaced some family passports via Post Office system and they all came back far quicker than even the PO estimate. The PO checking service is definitely worth it. I renewed my own personal one online with a mobile phone picture too. That worked splendidly. So I think long believed Passport ineffiencies are rather old news now.
 
Renewing an existing passport online is so easy and straightforward nowadays, there's really no need to bother with the PO checking service.

I renewed mine last year and had it delivered in less than a week.
 
Also that many countries will not accept a passport that has less than 6 months left to expiry date. So, as others have posted already get it done now.
 
It took little more than two weeks to get mine renewed with a round trip from Malaysia at the start of the virus epidemic. It was the maroon colour too.
Getting the photo acceptable is the hard part, I have a mustache and the AI thought that I was smiling, human intervention was needed. Read the guidance very carefully.
The nice part is that I got messaged by the passport office every step of the process.
The bad part is that it cost so much with the fee and couriers
 
Daughter renewed hers last week, sent via Royal Mail Next Day by 1pm at £6.50 to Glasgow, received the replacement one 5 days later. All done online, so much for up to 3 month waits as reported by MSE.
 
mjw said:
Anyone had recent experience?
My passport expires mid-September. If restrictions are lifted we plan to be in France mid/late August until October. Ordinarily, I’d renew now but that entails sending in my current passport and reading the UK GOV website I’m not confident I’ll get the renewal in time. I have no problem getting over to France on the current passport but wondered about allowing it to expire while I’m in France. Anyone found themselves in this situation? Or have any reassuring experience of the passport office?
Click to expand...

from Gov.uk France requirements


Passport validity
Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you don’t need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.

The rules on travel will stay the same until 31 December 2020.

I doubt they will let you in across the border if your passport expires during your stay.
 
Thanks all, seen enough. Been to the photo booth, obtained the code and applied online. Current passport sent 1st class signed for. Fingers crossed.
 
Bob McC said:
from Gov.uk France requirements


Passport validity
Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you don’t need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.

The rules on travel will stay the same until 31 December 2020.

I doubt they will let you in across the border if your passport expires during your stay.
Click to expand...

A friend who has a house in France recently got back after his passport had expired. It involved the British embassy, but was pretty straightforward.
 
Please ignore the above post. You must renew your passeport for the reasons everyone except the above poster has said.
 
Last edited:
Update - email from the passport office to say my application is approved, it will be printed and posted out.
Currently the process isn’t without worry. The UK GOV site suggests using a signed for method of delivery and they’ll send an email when they receive the old passport so I used 1st class signed for. I received that email this morning as well. Furthermore, according to the post office website, the local post office still have my envelope and will update the site when they are ‘able to deliver the item’. Apparently, the post office aren’t requiring signatures during the pandemic.
All’s well etc. if/when it arrives.
 
Royal Mail Special Delivery is guaranteed next day. First Class signed for is the third quality of Royal Mail services. I'm surprised the Post Office counter didn't try to sell you RMSD.
 
Me too (with hindsight). I’m also a bit nettled that they didn’t warn me that nobody at the passport end would be signing anything - could have saved a quid.
Strange times we’re living through.
 
With RMSD only the addressee can sign for it, with Recorded delivery anyone can sign it.

I think just now the postie is signing as he hands stuff over.
 
It looks like you have sorted this, but I renewed ours a while back and it was a doddle, something to do with a link between the DVLA and them, but I did it all on a mobile phone, including taking mugshots, however current passports weren't expired and we weren't in a desperate hurry for new ones. This was also pre-brexit and the current end of the world too, ahhhhh, happy times....

S
 
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