Passport dates - your expiry date may be incorrect

[John Bull]

OK, we all know that for travel to most countries we need a minimum of six months left on our passport when we enter a country.

Not so with EU countries - while we are members, no problem as long as our passport is in-date. But when (if?) the UK leaves the EU we'll need that 6-month minimum validity  just like other visitors to the EU.

 

But this is a reminder that rules for the expiry date have changed.

Under the old rules if your applied to renew today and your old passport didn't expire until, say, 1st April 2020 then your new passport would have an expiry date of 1st April 2030.

If you renewed it within the past year or so you'll see that it is valid for ten years from the date it was issued, regardless of whether there was still life left on your own passport. 

That's life, shouldn't be a big problem.

 

Problem is, the rule is retrospective - if you applied for your last passport early the date of expiry shown on it is irrelevant..

The date of expiry of every current UK passport is 10 years after the date of issue.

For instance, because I renewed my last passport early, the date of issue shown was 24 March 2010 and the date of expiry shown was 24 Sept 2020.

Because the allowance for early renewal has been rescinded retrospectively it actually expires on 24 March 2020.

And because I need at least 6 months left on my passport to enter many countries it's actually only good for travel before 24th October 2019. 

So I've had to renew almost a year early. 

 

You can renew your car's MOT up to 28 days early and that up to 28 days gets added to the expiry date.

So you can slot the test into a convenient date without losing out, or even sell your car with 13 months MOT. 

That's the way it was with passports(up to 6 months early), but no longer.

Add the minimum 6 months validity for travel to juggling renewal for a period when you won't need a passport (you send your current one with the new application) and your 10 year passport is worth little more than 9 years. 

 

JB 

ps Having mentioned MOT dates, here's something I learned the hard way.

Garage puts a helpful little MOT date reminder on a windscreen sticker.

I booked in to renew a couple of weeks before that date (moved house, so different MOT testing station)

It passed - but I noticed that the expiry date was in 12 months time, so I queried why the two weeks hadn't been added.

It's all computerised at the Min of Transport and printed from their site, and it turned out that the date on the windscreen was the date it was last tested, not the date it expired.

That year I had booked it in 3 weeks early. Add the two weeks early that I'd booked it in this year and it was tested 5 weeks before the old one expired.

Re-testing up to 28 days before due date adds up to 28 days to the validity.

Re-testing more than 28 days before the due date nullifies any extra days. 

 

Two rants for the price of one post 

[Heidi13]

Thanks for posting the passport info, as my current UK passport also shows more than 10 years, as I renewed early. 

[jocap]

Oh no! I renewed in October 2009, for the following March,  because the cruise line wouldn't let me check in on line without 6 months... so I'm probably passport-less now! 😮 

I'd better get on with the forms now... that's an awful thing to do to people!

[MicCanberra]

11 hours ago, jocap said:

Oh no! I renewed in October 2009, for the following March,  because the cruise line wouldn't let me check in on line without 6 months... so I'm probably passport-less now! 😮 

I'd better get on with the forms now... that's an awful thing to do to people!

Get it done. Don't wat to be caught short when a good sailing is available.

[jocap]

We have an elderly friend in Spain, who needs to fly back for something next month, but these days needs a companion to help him negotiate the airport. Normally a family member flies out and brings him back, but as they're all working, we had volunteered to go- literally one day out and return the next- if they're unable to go.

I can just see me sitting in the small room at Newcastle airport.... 😨

Off to the P.O. in the morning!

[John Bull]

28 minutes ago, jocap said:

We have an elderly friend in Spain, who needs to fly back for something next month, but these days needs a companion to help him negotiate the airport. Normally a family member flies out and brings him back, but as they're all working, we had volunteered to go- literally one day out and return the next- if they're unable to go.

I can just see me sitting in the small room at Newcastle airport.... 😨

Off to the P.O. in the morning!

 

No worries, Jo 

As per my post your passport simply needs to be in date to visit EU countries, like Spain.

That will only change when (if) we leave the EU, so not until 31st January at the earliest.

 

So you won't be stranded at Newcastle airport.

 

The Foreign Office website said allow 3 weeks for renewal, I did mine thro the post office (don't trust myself to feed my photo into the ether) and it took less than two weeks.

 

JB 

 

 

[John Bull]

23 minutes ago, John Bull said:

 

No worries, Jo 

As per my post your passport simply needs to be in date to visit EU countries, like Spain.

That will only change when (if) we leave the EU, so not until 31st January at the earliest.

 

So you won't be stranded at Newcastle airport.

 

The Foreign Office website said allow 3 weeks for renewal, I did mine thro the post office (don't trust myself to feed my photo into the ether) and it took less than two weeks.

 

JB 

 

 

 

 

Oooos !

Just re-read your first post.

Because you renewed in October '09 your current one expired last month.

Yes, get down to the post office first-thing, with a (2?) photo.

You need to avoid the Christmas mail.

 

JB .

 

[jocap]

Yes, it will have expired... we're like you, still use the P&O and the photo booth- and a friend works near by so she can sign the papers...  

OH thought that he would be having a good meal in Spain, with a bottle of Rioja, then returning next morning to bail me out.... 🙄 🤣

[MicCanberra]

LOL, did he want to be an Ex OH?

[jocap]

Reading the UK Gov page carefully, I see that I'm OK... "if the UK leaves the EU without a deal you'll need a passport that's less than 10 years old (even if it has 6 months or more left) ".

So I'm OK for now, but come January....

Anyway, the wheels are now in motion!🚴‍♀️🛴

[MicCanberra]

Good job, best to play it safe and be prepared.