If your passport is due to expire this year – here's when to apply for a renewal
05/04/2022PASSPORT delays and confusion over expiry dates is causing chaos for thousands of British holidaymakers.
With official advice now suggesting double the processing time and airlines changing their passport rules, here's all you need to know.
How long for a passport renewal?
Due to the lack of travel opportunities in the past two years with the Covid-19 restrictions, it's estimated that 7% of the UK population are due a passport renewal but have waited until now to do so.
This has caused a huge backlog of renewal requests with the Passport Office, resulting in them changing standard guidance of a five-week waiting period to ten weeks.
This means that anyone planning a foreign break for the start of theschool summer holidays will need to apply for renewal by May 9 to receive their passport in time.
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Passport renewals can be processed digitally using the Government's online service or via the Post Office's check and send service. The cost comes in between £75 to £85.
Fast-track service
However, if you're really in a rush then there is the option of a fast-track passport renewal service but it will cost you more.
To do this, you'll need to collect a form at the Post Office, which needs to be completed before going online and booking an in-person appointment.
You can also spend a little bit more to buy a frequent traveller passport which has 50 pages, rather than the standard 34.
The price points are:
- Child passport: £122 (50 page frequent traveller passport: £132)
- Adult passport: £142 (50-page frequent traveller passport: £152)
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How long do I need left on passport expiry date?
Since the United Kingdom left the European Union, some rules have changed around passport expiry dates.
Previously, Brits just needed to have a passport that was in date to be able to travel to countries across Europe, but new rules are now in place.
The government website confirms that Brits need to have at least three months left on their passport to be able to travel to an EU country, stating it must be "valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)".
Budget airline EasyJet recently changed their rules from six-month minimum remaining on passport validity, to just three months.
They risk facing numerous compensation claims from holidaymakers they had previously banned from flying due to confusion over the rules.
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Here's a full list of the countries where you need six months remaining on your passport to gain entry.
And there are three essential things to check on your passport before you travel, including damage or missing pages.
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