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spannerdude

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Bloody marvelous isn't it. without going into the long and short of it, I'm off to Brussels in a couple of weeks. Not planned, my sister was supposed to be going along with my parents but she can't now so I'm going instead.

My passport expires shortly after I get back so I thought it would be fine. I've just been informed by the PO whilst picking up a renewal form that to go to Brussels I need at least 6 months left to run on my passport :thinking:

WTF! What is the point of an expiry date? Shouldn't it say "Expiry Date - sort of 6 months before XX-XX-XXXX, maybe"? :cuckoo:
I thought the whole point of surrendering to the fourth reich was that we wouldn't even need a passport to travel in europe!

Now I've got to drive to Peterborough to get a replacement next week. Last time I went to the passport office was maybe 10 years ago and the line of illegal immigrants waiting to get in went twice round the block then, god knows what it will be like now.

:bang::bang::bang:
 
my dad has a similar problem when going to the middle east a while ago - he has an uber early appointment at the passport office (8am or something) and got there a bit early and there was very little que and was all sorted quickly.....but the 6 month thing does seem stupid.
 
Do we still need passports to go to Europe?
 
Steep said:
Do we still need passports to go to Europe?
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Yes, apart from Eire.

We chose not to join the no passports schem because it would have meant closing the open borders with Eire which could have caused all sorts of trouble, or at least been quite costly.
 
Just make sure you're not carrying your terrorist badge, erm camera, when you go to get the new passport :(
 
TheKrikkitWars said:
Yes, apart from Eire.

We chose not to join the no passports schem because it would have meant closing the open borders with Eire which could have caused all sorts of trouble, or at least been quite costly.
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You learn something new every day :)
 
badgerbaiter said:
I wasn't sure why you were so upset until I saw you have to go to peterborough
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:lol: There's a reason the locals call it Pottyboro.

It gets better, the missus has apparently rung Eurostar and they said it's fine as long as the passport is current at the time of travel. They bounced her around 5 premium rate lines, all told her the same at £1.50 per minute. So she told the last one that the passport office had told me otherwise. They gave her the number for the Foreign Office who said, "Oh no, you need 6 months remaining" :bonk:
 
I just don't get why you need six months remaining. Whats the point of the expiry date then?
 
MG TF 135 said:
I just don't get why you need six months remaining. Whats the point of the expiry date then?
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The point is the amount of time you are abroad. Let's say you travel to canada with 6 months and a week left on your passport. Canada issues you a 6 months entry period, you stay the full 6 months before returning home. As your passport still has a week before expiry you get back into the UK with no hassles. Now imagine trying to get back into the UK if your passport had less than 6 months till expiry when you travelled.

On the question of non passport EU travel, I have to disagree with another poster who said you can't do it. You can but it's very difficult to do. Technically you just need photographic ID. I'll stand to be corrected as laws change and I might be out of date. It's just easier to travel with a passport...
 
spannerdude said:
WTF! What is the point of an expiry date? Shouldn't it say "Expiry Date - sort of 6 months before XX-XX-XXXX, maybe"? :cuckoo:
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Most countries have a similar restriction.



spannerdude said:
I thought the whole point of surrendering to the fourth reich was that we wouldn't even need a passport to travel in europe!
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You wouldn't need a passport to travel in Europe - if we had a National identity Card scheme like the rest of Europe.

Having said that, I can't see you having any problem with your current passport. Mine is never looked at when traveling in Western Europe.
 
hepburn said:
On the question of non passport EU travel, I have to disagree with another poster who said you can't do it. You can but it's very difficult to do. Technically you just need photographic ID. I'll stand to be corrected as laws change and I might be out of date. It's just easier to travel with a passport...
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You're right. A photo ID, other than a workplace ID, will enable you to travel through most of Western Europe. The only place you are likely to encounter a problem is in getting back into this country :bang:
 
A friend of mine had a similar problem. Rang the passport office in Peterborough, it was the nearest, and they gave him a timed appointment. No queuing or anything. had to wait 4 hours for the passport to be produced, but all done simply and easily.

Give them a ring and see if they can do something similar for you

0870 521 0410 even got the phone numbe for you
 
Another reason for the six month thing is if you get sick (or arrested etc)and have to remain longer it's so your passport is still valid
 
2blue4u said:
You wouldn't need a passport to travel in Europe - if we had a National identity Card scheme like the rest of Europe.
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Then they can charge us £80 for a passport and £100+ for an identity card along with all the rest of the taxes
 
Chappers said:
A friend of mine had a similar problem. Rang the passport office in Peterborough, it was the nearest, and they gave him a timed appointment. No queuing or anything. had to wait 4 hours for the passport to be produced, but all done simply and easily.

Give them a ring and see if they can do something similar for you

0870 521 0410 even got the phone numbe for you
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All credit to the Passport Office. The service was fantastic! :thumbs: A very different experience from the last time I had to go. (I don't make a habit of not renewing my passport in time by the way, my ex was American with dual nationality so getting her UK passport was complicated).

The appointment system really works. I arrived on the dot and, after having all of my assorted weaponry confiscated at the door, went straight through from one counter to the next and back out in under 10 minutes.

I still think it's bloody ridiculous that I can fly from Canada on the day before my passport expires but Brussels needs their own expiry date 6 months before anyone else to make them feel special.
 
and brussels the ******** of europe? i thought that was northampton lol
 
i lived there and was born there lol that maybe coloured my view of it :P
 
born in northampton general, my birth mother lives in kingsley and i did 2 years at northampton uni in kingsthorpe
 
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