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Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Old Mar 1st 2009, 11:16 pm
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Default Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Hi there,

I've had conflicting advice so after actual experience with this one.

My nearly 5 year old daughter is due to fly with us to the UK in June. Her UK passport is due for renewal in August.

Due to hubby starting Uni, another bub on the way, root canal treatment and goodness knows (paying for flights upfront before being paid for work) what means our cash flow is very tight. I would dearly love to avoid paying for a passport right now.

Some tell me she needs at least 6 months on her UK passport and others say it doesn't matter. Airlines tell me different things to.

Has anyone got any first hand experience with this. Thanks

Poppet
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Old Mar 2nd 2009, 1:27 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Getting into the UK might be OK with less than 6 months on it... however getting back into Australia may prove more difficult.

Have you spoken to the airline you're flying with? (oops, just realised you mentioned that already) - maybe email them and get a written response from them - that way, you'll have "proof" of their policy. You may find that they won't even let her check-in this end with an almost-expired passport
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Old Mar 2nd 2009, 3:39 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Originally Posted by TillyG
Getting into the UK might be OK with less than 6 months on it.
Any British citizen must be readmitted with a valid passport.

.. however getting back into Australia may prove more difficult.
Not with a valid passport + permanent resident visa!

The problem is usually if there is a need to stop-over en route, some countries in between will not accept less than 6 months.
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Old Mar 2nd 2009, 4:27 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Originally Posted by PoppetUK
Hi there,


My nearly 5 year old daughter is due to fly with us to the UK in June. Her UK passport is due for renewal in August. Poppet
Hi Poppet,
Am I correct in thinking that your daughter will only have approx 2 months left on her passport when travelling. If so I doubt very much if she would even be permitted to check-in. Airlines get heavily fined for boarding passengers with incorrect documents were countries stipulate a requirement i.e. 6 months remaining on a passport.

As you cannot fly direct you will have to transit another one or two countries probably Singapore or Dubai being the favourites. Dubai will not allow anyone with less than 6 months from their departure date from that country to enter.

Supposing your daughter or another member of your family was taken ill or had an accident and was unable to travel onwards from one of these countries and their passport expired what would you do then?? Believe me it happens more times that you can imagine. These countries will not allow you to leave until all medical bills & services have been paid for.

So my advise would be to renew her passport and make sure you have adequate travel insurance which includes medivac to home destination.
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Old Mar 2nd 2009, 7:52 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

As a previous poster said, any British citizen must be readmitted with a valid passport.

Even transitting other countries enroute you are not actually entering the country, therefore no passport control.


Originally Posted by ray2gill
Hi Poppet,
Am I correct in thinking that your daughter will only have approx 2 months left on her passport when travelling. If so I doubt very much if she would even be permitted to check-in. Airlines get heavily fined for boarding passengers with incorrect documents were countries stipulate a requirement i.e. 6 months remaining on a passport.

As you cannot fly direct you will have to transit another one or two countries probably Singapore or Dubai being the favourites. Dubai will not allow anyone with less than 6 months from their departure date from that country to enter.

Supposing your daughter or another member of your family was taken ill or had an accident and was unable to travel onwards from one of these countries and their passport expired what would you do then?? Believe me it happens more times that you can imagine. These countries will not allow you to leave until all medical bills & services have been paid for.

So my advise would be to renew her passport and make sure you have adequate travel insurance which includes medivac to home destination.
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Old Mar 2nd 2009, 10:23 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Any problem in this case is likely to result from the airline's policy (or, possibly, from the attitude of inadequately trained airline check-in staff). As noted above, a British citizen with a valid passport must be admitted to the UK, and the Australian immigration authorities will have no problem with a valid passport plus residence visa. No six-month-validity rule applies in either case.

You could check with the airline. Some airlines may have a genuine blanket six-month-validity rule (whatever the actual legal requirements), and if that is the case there is nothing much you can do about it, at least not in the time frame you're talking about.

If that is not the case, your enquiry might nevertheless be greeted with a knee-jerk-like, reflex response ("must have six months' validity remaining on your passport"). If that is the response, it is probably worth persisting by asking to speak to someone more senior, armed with the facts.

As noted above, some countries have a six-month rule, and therefore stop-overs that involve passing through immigration control into the country might well not be possible.
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Old Mar 4th 2009, 1:24 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Originally Posted by sassie
As a previous poster said, any British citizen must be readmitted with a valid passport.

Even transitting other countries enroute you are not actually entering the country, therefore no passport control.
Passports are checked though before boarding and if someone picks up that there is only 2 months remaining on a passport the airline could deny onward transportation because if the passenger is denied entry in to the UK they would be heavily fined.

With so many forged passports and documents in circulation in certain parts of the world airlines are very suspicious of any irregularities.

Personally I wouldn't be prepared to take the risk, but then I am not the poster and they are not me.
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Old Mar 4th 2009, 2:27 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Originally Posted by ray2gill
Passports are checked though before boarding and if someone picks up that there is only 2 months remaining on a passport the airline could deny onward transportation because if the passenger is denied entry in to the UK they would be heavily fined.
A British citizen won't be denied entry on arrival!

There is absolutely no legal basis for an airline to refuse to accept a valid British citizen passport, for a United Kingdom bound passenger.
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Old Mar 4th 2009, 3:54 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Originally Posted by PoppetUK
Hi there,

I've had conflicting advice so after actual experience with this one.

My nearly 5 year old daughter is due to fly with us to the UK in June. Her UK passport is due for renewal in August.

Due to hubby starting Uni, another bub on the way, root canal treatment and goodness knows (paying for flights upfront before being paid for work) what means our cash flow is very tight. I would dearly love to avoid paying for a passport right now.

Some tell me she needs at least 6 months on her UK passport and others say it doesn't matter. Airlines tell me different things to.

Has anyone got any first hand experience with this. Thanks

Poppet

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Passports-Six_Month_Rule

Stopovers are the main issue.
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Old Mar 4th 2009, 6:09 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Hi Poppet,
Sorry am running out the door but have had the experience and do NOT want to do it again!!
My passport was ok and then 2 days before flying back to UK realised kids were not (only 5 years for kids) and they were due to expire in August too.
Anyway to cut a long story short, decided to risk it as I knew getting into UK would be ok, leaving my husband here with new passport apps to go into Perth and process kids new passports. BAD idea, can't get new passports without old passports and presence of children.
I got into UK ok but comng back I spent hours in emirates boarding area with immigration etc, you name it they were there. All was ok in the end as I could prove we lived in Oz etc but would not recommend it to anyone. I would find out from the British Passport office if there is anyway to process an emergency passport from this end.
Good luck
Kind regards
Gail
Originally Posted by PoppetUK
Hi there,

I've had conflicting advice so after actual experience with this one.

My nearly 5 year old daughter is due to fly with us to the UK in June. Her UK passport is due for renewal in August.

Due to hubby starting Uni, another bub on the way, root canal treatment and goodness knows (paying for flights upfront before being paid for work) what means our cash flow is very tight. I would dearly love to avoid paying for a passport right now.

Some tell me she needs at least 6 months on her UK passport and others say it doesn't matter. Airlines tell me different things to.

Has anyone got any first hand experience with this. Thanks

Poppet
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Old Mar 4th 2009, 6:57 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

No. I find the plane a more reliable choice.

Last edited by spartacus; Mar 4th 2009 at 7:07 am.
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Old Mar 4th 2009, 7:20 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Originally Posted by Gwaily
Hi Poppet,
Sorry am running out the door but have had the experience and do NOT want to do it again!!
My passport was ok and then 2 days before flying back to UK realised kids were not (only 5 years for kids) and they were due to expire in August too.
Anyway to cut a long story short, decided to risk it as I knew getting into UK would be ok, leaving my husband here with new passport apps to go into Perth and process kids new passports. BAD idea, can't get new passports without old passports and presence of children.
I got into UK ok but comng back I spent hours in emirates boarding area with immigration etc, you name it they were there. All was ok in the end as I could prove we lived in Oz etc but would not recommend it to anyone. I would find out from the British Passport office if there is anyway to process an emergency passport from this end.
Good luck
Kind regards
Gail
That's pretty much what I needed to hear. Thanks for all the replies. I hate the fact that no one at emirate. Immi and UK passport can email me the policy. They just pass the buck.

Will apply as it appears neccesary and travelling with 3 small ones I don't need the hassle.
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Old Mar 5th 2009, 2:09 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Originally Posted by PoppetUK
That's pretty much what I needed to hear. Thanks for all the replies. I hate the fact that no one at emirate. Immi and UK passport can email me the policy. They just pass the buck.

Will apply as it appears neccesary and travelling with 3 small ones I don't need the hassle.
What policy?

If you want to look at the Immigration Act 1971, it states quite clearly that a British citizen may be readmitted to the United Kingdom on possession of a valid passport. There is no "6 month requirement" in United Kingdom law.
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Old Mar 5th 2009, 3:40 am
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Default Re: Has anyone actually flown to UK on a passport nearly expired?

Hi

We put off renewing our kids passports because of the cost, and wish we hadnt, it was a right pain getting a British Passport while in Australia, and more expensive, and getting someone to sign the photos who had known them for the required time, we ended up sending the photos back to the UK to get them signed.

I would recommend that you sort it out before you leave.
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