no passport???

[Ronni<H3 align=left><IMG style="WIDTH: 29px; HEIGHT: 2px" height=15 src="http:forums.livingfrance.comimagesline.gif" width=301><BR><EM>Ronni<BR><EM><A class=authorlink href="http:" target=_blank><A><BR><H3>]

Has anyone had any experiance of turning up at the ferry port with an expired Passport???
A friends child who is supposed to be coming away with us tomorrow has found out that her passport run out in Feb. We `ve had no joy in renewing it at such short notice. Just wondered what advice you all might have?? and don`t say make sure you check you passport renewal date!
Many Thanks
Ronni

[JohnM]

As I understand it, it isn't actually against the law to leave the country without a passport, the passport is legally needed to gain entry to other countries. As they never check in France then you might get away with it. Getting back into the UK will be a bit of a pain, as you will need to prove her right to re enter.

However, it may now be against the law for ferry companies to allow people on board that do not have satisfactory evidence of who they are. They may decide that an out of date passport is not satisfactory.

John (99 usually, but 73 sometimes and always in my dreams)

[Josian]

we arrived in Porstmouth and discovered that my husband's passeport was...out of date ! After a lot of "talking" with different P&O personel, I talked to someone very nice in customs and they explained the problem was not in fact with P&O or with England but with France as they might not allow us in the country, but we were allowed to take our chance. I then decided to phone the customs in France in Cherbourg and I explained the situation and they replied it should be OK, took our details etc.. Of course when we arrived in Cherbourg there was no checking of identity anywhere so there was not a problem. But it might be more difficult now for half-term ? Anyway try your best but remember the problem might be when you arrive in France.

[Iceni]

LAST EDITED ON 28-May-04 AT 07:48 AM (BST)

I am a bit surprised that in these paranoid times you can take an unrelated child with you.

But back to the subject (sort of) - at what age are ID cards issued ? Wouldn't it be so much easier to scrap the outdated and useless "Her Britannic Majesty's guff" and all have an ID card acceptable Europe wide ? But of course the Brits would need a piece of paper as well.

John
http://www.iceni-it.co.uk

[Andrewjspencer]

>Has anyone had any experiance of
>turning up at the ferry
>port with an expired Passport???
>
>A friends child who is supposed
>to be coming away with
>us tomorrow has found out
>that her passport run out
>in Feb. We `ve had
>no joy in renewing it
>at such short notice. Just
>wondered what advice you all
>might have?? and don`t say
>make sure you check you
>passport renewal date!
>Many Thanks
>Ronni

The French authorities may be a bit difficult about you leaving France with this unrelated child.

My wife (french) had a few problems when our daughter was about 18 months old when leaving France to come home to England. Our daughter took my wife's name at birth (partly coz we weren't married at the time and partly coz it's so rare a surname) but when registering her at the french consulate they would only reg her under my name.

We did complete a document allowing for her to travel within Europe but foolishly forgot to take this with us.

The police detained my wife and daughter and gave her a right old grilling before they let her travel.

Regardless of the passport issue it would be worth getting a document signed by the child's parents, probably best translated and approved by one of the consulates approved list translators and carry this with you.

Hope it all works out okay.

regards
Andy Spencer

Francophile in Essex

[Kazanton]

If it ever happens again... you can call the passport service and they will let you go into one of the centres (we went to Liverpool for my daughters) and get a same-day renewal. It is a lot more expensive but, the service is there. As she had never had a UK passport, we couldn't do it on the day, only if it is a renewal. But we did use Fast-track (little more expensive) so called up and got an appointment time, went into Liverpool, gave all the pictures and documents on the Saturday and we had the passport back on the Monday! The process was quick and simple and we were in and out before the 1hour ticket for parking was expired!

SO much easier than the palaver you go through with a US passport!