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Travel

Passport renewal

(101 Posts)
anneey Wed 29-Nov-17 08:08:37

My passport is due to be renewed.
I doubt if I shall be travelling abroad again.
Mainly due to high health insurance charges.
I have a few health issues, and getting on in years.

I went to Paris last year. I didn't take out insurance just took my E.U. card.
Due to Brexit, we won't have this choice.

So I would appreciate your opinions please, on my predicament.

Humbertbear Wed 29-Nov-17 08:17:29

I appreciate your issue with high insurance. My husband can’t even get a quotation. However, I’m not sure about your passport but you should never travel with just an EU Card particularly if you already have pre- existing conditions. For a start the card only covers you for what the locals receive free of charge which may only be emergency care. Travel insurance also covers so much more including repatriation. Our travel insurers paid my 4 week hotel bill when my husband was ill in America and my daughter’s airfare out to join us.

BlueBelle Wed 29-Nov-17 08:20:10

I think you will need a passport for Paris Some years ago after the sucurity all tightened up my mum and dad were travelling with me from Stansted to Scotland with Ryanair to my daughters wedding They were refused travel on the normally accepted photo ID and without a passport they were turned away I had to get a taxi and send my Mum and Dad in their 80 s home we were all in tears
Someone else may know more about what s happening now as this was a while back but that’s what happened to us

kittylester Wed 29-Nov-17 08:26:04

A passport is good for identification purposes if you need any. I have come across a few instances lately where people wished they still had a passport.

ginny Wed 29-Nov-17 08:27:02

If you are not planning to travel abroad any time soon then why then why bother to renew your passport ? Most times of the year it only takes a couple of weeks to process if you do plan a holiday. However please never travel without insurance either within or outside the EU.

anneey Wed 29-Nov-17 08:38:03

Gosh, Bluebelle.....So sorry, it really sounds over the top.
We all know that passports aren't needed for Scotland.
How were you to know that I.D. was necessary.

cornergran Wed 29-Nov-17 08:46:55

We won’t renew ours when they expire. Travel insurance is getting prohibitive now. Must remember no flights to Scotland for us bluebelle when we switch to UK holidays. Horrible situation for you all. anneey I wouldn’t risk going anywhere out of the UK without insurance, pleased all was well.

Charleygirl Wed 29-Nov-17 08:57:42

I have recently changed banks and what a performance it has been because of ID or lack of. At present I still have my driving licence but when that is no longer an option, I have been considering renewing my passport if only for ID. I will not be travelling abroad anytime soon because of the prohibitive insurance. Every company wants us to be paperless- fine until this performance.

A friend of a friend has rheumatoid as well as OA and has been told by her GP not to travel to Thailand. I have reminded her that insurance is null and void if she does go and that is her intention. Crazy. Thailand is not Paris, it is marginally further away with more ghastly diseases to be picked up.

damewithaname Wed 29-Nov-17 09:38:03

Get it renewed. You never know if you may just need it at a last minute. ..

LazyMail Wed 29-Nov-17 09:45:28

Renewing a passport is much cheaper, and much much less hassle than starting again from scratch, which is what you'd need to do if it lapsed for a while. As others have said, it's great for ID if nothing else.

yogagran Wed 29-Nov-17 09:47:23

A Citizen Card should be be acceptable for flights to Scotland. I've certainly used mine then instead of a passport (mind you - I did have my passport with me just in case but it wasn't needed)

Niobe Wed 29-Nov-17 09:53:48

Must admit we have never had a problem flying between London and Glasgow using a photo card Driving Licence as ID but I suppose that in the immediate aftermath of an event things could be different.. That's why I prefer the train nowadays, 4 1/2 hours Euston to Central. It should be the airline's responsibility to inform you which documents you will need.

Smithy Wed 29-Nov-17 09:58:45

I would renew it "just in case" but never ever go abroad without adequate insurance.

Kim19 Wed 29-Nov-17 10:02:38

Anneey, obviously I don't know your financial situation but I would suggest you renew on the grounds that you cannot see the future and what opportunities it might present. Also I believe renewal is much more straightforward than raw application. It is also the best ID document in my opinion. I wish you well whatever you decide

kittylester Wed 29-Nov-17 10:08:46

What is 'citizen Card'?

tiggypiro Wed 29-Nov-17 10:10:44

If you were born on or before 2nd Sept 1929 the cost is nil to renew a passport. Unfortunately I guess most of us are a little younger than this !

MargaretinNorthant Wed 29-Nov-17 10:21:19

Renew your passport. I let mine lapse after my husband died. Recently I needed to do an internal flight in the UK. They needed photographic identification. The only thing I could come up with that was current was my bus pass!
Mind you, it did raise a laugh!!

sunseeker Wed 29-Nov-17 10:25:53

Anyone know how far in advance you can renew your passport? Mine runs out in 12 months but I will be going away 3 months before it runs out. Could I renew it early next year or do I have to wait until 6 months before it runs out?

IngeJones Wed 29-Nov-17 10:26:48

I don't have a passport because I don't travel. However it also means I can't get a GP. I am still not getting a passport on principle, because I object to rules requiring photo ID when the government won't do what other states do which is issue free photo ID. Therefore I may die of an undiagnosed illness because I have not been able to have my routine screenings. I have made sure everyone I know will be able to tell the world exactly why - in the hopes of pressuring the government to step up to their responsibilities.

harrigran Wed 29-Nov-17 10:27:57

A passport is handy as proof of identity, even with flights within the UK it may be necessary to show identification.
I have family living abroad so I must keep a passport but insurance is another matter, I am relatively okay now but DH has serious health issues which may cause problems.

HannahLoisLuke Wed 29-Nov-17 10:43:00

Mine lapsed last year and I haven't renewed because I don't intend travelling outside uk again and can't afford to pay £80 approx just on the off chance or for ID purposes.

glammanana Wed 29-Nov-17 10:47:27

Remember that some Countries require at least 6 mths left on your Passport for entry if it is getting near its expiry date.

Eglantine21 Wed 29-Nov-17 10:49:00

Oh dear IngeJones your post reminds me of the little jingle:

Here lies the body of Michael Grey
Who died maintaining his right of way.
His right was clear and his will was strong
But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong.

Luckygirl Wed 29-Nov-17 11:13:16

Quite Eglantine - sometimes standing by a principle involves shooting oneself in the foot!

marionk Wed 29-Nov-17 11:59:08

Sunseeker I think you can and should renew it pretty soon, some countries won’t grant you entry if you do not have a certain amount of validity left on your passport. The website should be able to help you on this