Passport renewal

I've required my passport a lot recently when selling/buying property. The lawyers needed it for proof of identification for money laundering purposes and the Bank needed 2 forms of identification., (not including a bus pass!). I used my driving licence as well as NI information. I would always keep a passport up to date even if I had no reason to travel abroad.

That’s exactly the point I was making Marmight

Yes, I really think you should renew your passport for various reasons. ID for a start and you never know when you might have the chance or might want to travel abroad.
Like a cruise....

I think the rules for internal flights must have changed fairly recently BlueBelle
D's partner flew from Scotland to England late 2015 or early 2016 without a passport. Oddly for a young man, he's never had one.

More importantly Tell you may not receive a card or it may not be genuine and leave you without health cover.

Personally I would never be without a valid passport- but I travel a lot - and I cross a border several times a week (between France and Switzerland) - perhaps OTT but I have 2 passports and 1 identity card ;). But as others have said, a passport serves so many other uses anyhow.

My big worry about your post is about you recently travelling without health insurance and only EHIC card. This only covers you for the emergency part of treatment, and no repatriation If you had an accident, heart attack, stroke, etc - the costs would be massive for continuatin care then specialised repatriation with medical staff in attendance, etc.

Remember the woman on the news this Summer- who had a stroke in Turkey whilst on holiday- and only had an EHIC card?! Of course in her case, she was not even covered for the emergency part- as she was not aware Turkey is not in the EU! It just does not bear thinking about.

Mind you, on a happier note- my mum's last visit to the UK was for our eldest's wedding when she was 90. When she gave her passport to the Border guard at Luton- he said to her 'I am sorry Madam, but your passport has expired by several years'- she looked at him from her wheelchair and replied 'young man, at my age those things are no longer important - I am going to my grand-daughter's wedding' - he smiled back and said 'hope you have a wonderful time'. Wonder what would have happened if her tone of skin had been a bit darker and she had come from somewhere more 'exotic' than Switzerland.

My aunt, at the age of 92, declared that she was going to renew her passport - she hasn't been abroad for years, but she says "you never know!" It would be an easier decision for her than for most, as she's old enough to qualify for a free one . We love her positive attitude to life, although I am sad to say that she's recently had a heart attack and it looks very unlikely she'll be travelling far now.

My mum has just decided to renew her passport, both for extra ID, and 'just in case' with regard to travel.

In case any of you are not aware, it is now very easy for most people to renew online as long as no key details such as name and address have changed. Last Friday, when Mum was visiting us, I got DS to take the required digital photo. We then filled in the online form in about 10 mins and uploaded the photo and paid. The old passport has to be sent to them by snail mail, obviously, which Mum couldn't do until Monday. Yesterday, Tuesday, they acknowledged receipt of it and today they both approved the application and dispatched the new one. Assuming it arrives within the two days that they promise, that's what I call service!

I renewed mine earlier this year it took 6 months, my original had expired 20 years ago and I had just binned it so they had to hunt for the copies, I sent photos signed by a friend and they were returned as he had not signed them correctly, I took some more and he carefully signed again, they were returned as he had not centered the signature, He is 90 and did his best. Then they kept ringing me asking all sorts of questions about my background it was such a hassle, I am british and should not have this hassle. finally I received my new passport. So anyone renewing it be very careful with the signature.They also told
me I shouldn't have binned it but it was expired so I thought it was ok.Good luck anyone renewing

I’ve never used it but there is some sort of checking system the P.O. offer for a fee that people say is really good

I have used the PO service a few times and well worth the additional cost. DH and I renewed last year and the new ones arrived in a week!

My passport is due for renewal I think about August next
year . My buss pass by the end of the year and my driving licence in February. I still have a paper one which I have bloody mindedly hung onto since we moved here 30 yrs ago.

I too have had paper licence since we last moved 25 years ago. A couple of years ago I was stopped on the way to work by the police doing random checks. The officer asked for my licence and I duly produced a very tatty paper one. He held it up to look at the faded print, the wind caught it and the rest is history. He was not amused when I asked him if he thought I could sellotape it back together again. It was so easy to get a photo ID one, I just renewed it online, using my passport photo.

My passport expires in March so I am about to renew it on-line. Thanks for the tip mamacaz . We are going on a cruise in May from Oban, around the Hebrides and back to Oban and have been told that we need valid passports for this trip.

I have serious health issues and get travel insurance without any problems you tell him all your issues tablets ,treatments and last time to have been admitted to hospital not for routine appointments.
It costs more but not that much more than my friends insurance .

I am a what if .You never know when you will need identification for some reason or another and an up
to date passport is to me an investment against issues that can crop up from time to time Even if you never need to or want to travel again I personally would still get one.

I applied last Thursday on-line and posted the old one same day. New passport arrived yesterday. I must say that the Passport Office website is EXCELLENT, totally user friendly, unlike AerLingus where I had an awful time booking our flights.

We have twice flown Glasgow to/from Isle of Barra, DH with photo driving licence and me with only my bus pass. Leaving Barra after a fortnight there, we were not asked for ID. When I proffered it I was told - no need, we know you now.

It's not a scam as such, the card is genuine. Just companies seeing an opportunity to make money. On a similar subject my husband renewed his ESTA to travel to the US. It clearly said on the official site it wasn't necessary to travel with a copy of the document. He was then asked for it at Schiphol airport and there was a mad dash to the website, download a copy, scan and email it.

My son was forced to change his G.P. earlier this year. He needed to produce his passport and a utility bill in order to register with a new doctor. I suspect that in the future we may need to show a passport to get hospital treatment. So would recommend having One.

Your son’s practice was acting against NHS guidelines - NHS England are quite clear about this. But the passport is clearly the easier way to prove your ID if you have one

maryeliza54, my son moved last year and his GP required photo id and as he does not have a driving licence he had to use his passport. He was also asked for proof of residency, council tax bill for the current year.

I've just registered with a new GP; filled in a form, gave my NHS number and was accepted immediately. No mention of passport or proof if residency. You'd think there would be an overall national requirement for joining a practice!

of

There is Marmight NHS England have set that patients shouldn’t just accept what they are told.

Always useful to have. I needed it for Jersey