Help!!! I'm traveling to France with an expired passport?!

[Kit-]

Tomorrow I'm traveling to France (by car and ferry) and we have just realised my passport has expired!

I have tried to get an emergency one but the waiting list for an appointment is like a week long, so I will miss the holiday!

I am traveling with my two young cousins and my auntie and uncle. Luckily they speak french so discussing the situation will be easy but WILL THEY LET ME IN TO FRANCE?! and if so WILL I GET LET BACK FLYING HOME?

Any solutions?

[New Judge]

You cannot just turn up. For the “Premium” (same day) service you have to make an appointment (which must be before lunch time at the provincial offices or before 4pm at the London office). Provided your application is straightforward and in order you should get your passport the same say. Oh, and I nearly forgot, it will cost you £129.50.

Somebody I know did this last week. The only appointment she could get was in Durham (she lives in Kent) and she had to be there at 10.30am.

So good luck !!!

[boxtops]

I don't think anyone will let you out of Dover these days without a passport - it's round the corner from us and security is so much tighter than it was even a few years ago. We went by bus to the ferry from the foot passenger terminus and we all had to get off the bus and be individually checked. It's a bit like the airport these days - show us your passport and your ticket. The five of you will need to produce five passports, or one of you will be left behind.
Kit - if you can get out by ferry, you certainly won't get back by air, the airport security won't let you - passport control at one end or the other will see to that.

[Maydup]

Don't waste your time risking it Kit as you'll feel miserable when you find yourself stuck at Dover and having to make your way over to the railway station and all the way home by yourself.

No doubt Auntie and Uncle will all feel awful leaving you there and it'll spoil their holiday more than it already has. Much fairer on them to bow out now.

[dzug2]

<<You cannot just turn up. For the “Premium” (same day) service you have to make an appointment >>

When I needed a passport in a hurry a few years back there were certainly people turning up - and being seen - who did not have appointments.

Maybe it's changed.

[dzug2]

<<...or....Rub garlic all over yourself....and when you reach
Passport Control, begin by shrugging your shoulders and
then proceed to gesticulate in a wild manner repeating
over and over, "Je ne comprends pas" ,and "Merde..Zoot Alors"
...dunno..might work! ;-p >>

Given that the only passport control (as opposed to security, etc, checks) you will meet outbound is French, that could backfire +:))

[Maydup]

Here are the facts about thr Premium One Day service at the Passport Offices

To get your passport within two weeks, you will need to apply in person at a Regional Passport Office. You can use:

•the Fast Track one-week service
•the Premium one-day service

To use either service you must first make an appointment. You can do this by calling the IPS Passport Adviceline on 0300 222 0000. The line is open between 8.00 am and 8.00 pm Monday to Friday and 9.00 am and 5.30 pm on weekends and public holidays. You'll need to bring a completed application form and any supporting documents to your appointment.


Premium one-day service
The Premium service is a guaranteed service in which you deliver your application and collect your passport on the same day. It's available on weekdays for appointments before:

•4.00 pm in London
•1.30 pm in Liverpool
•1.00 pm in Peterborough
•12.30 pm in Glasgow and Newport
•12.00 noon in Belfast and Durham
And on Saturdays for appointments before 11.00 am.

The waiting time for your passport will be four hours from when the application is accepted and the cashier gives you a receipt.

[New Judge]

Thanks maidup for the detail.

Yes dzug, it must have changed.

[BAKERS DOZEN]

Mr BD and I travel to France twice a year usually via Eurotunnel. Each summer we take our grandson and then in Sept/Oct just the two of us travel. Two years ago we changed our travel and went by ferry from Poole to Cherbourg. Having driven all the way from Manchester I showed the two passports to Passport Control only to find I had shown them mine and my grandson's passport and not my husbands. After he (husband) had finished swearing at me we asked what we could do. They said it was not uncommon and as long as my husband had a photo driving licence we just had to dirve to an office at the ferry port (about 50yds away) complete a form and he would get a temporary "passport/document". While we were doing this I was still searching through my folder because I was convinced I had checked it was there and lo and behold I found it. We did a quick about turn and just managed to get on our ferry. The point being is there was something in place for someone with no passport and all the time we were there no-one mentioned a fee, or possibly we left before that part. Maybe things have changed but that was only two years ago.

[dzug2]

<<Yes dzug, it must have changed.>>

Well yes - but even then the 'official' advice was appointment only

[New Judge]

Let's not quarrel, dzug. As I said, my friend only did this last week. She was told she would certainly NOT be seen without an appointment. If there was any possibility that she would |I don'think she would have travelled from Kent to Durham if she could have just toddled over to Victoria with a good book!

[Gromit]

Zuehl

That made me laugh out loud.

[scotman]

"Help!!! I'm traveling(sic) to France with an expired passport?!"

From what I have read here it seems that the consensus is "No, you're not!"

[sophie_1003]

When I went on a day trip to France with the school I didn't have a passport; just a card one with my photo on (it was an official thing; not just something I made!) are these still available and would they be suitable for kit?

[emmie]

isn't Kit supposed to be travelling today?

[puzzled54]

Think what Sophie means is a group passport which used to be ok for school/club groups, but are no longer available. Now on a group trip, everyone has to have their own passport.