Passport mess

[Harry Bloomfield]

There is a bit of a panic with lots of people finding they cannot travel because their passports will be beyond the 10 year limit and the passport office is inundated with applications.

All very different from when I urgently needed a new passport urgently, in the late 1970's. Completely out of blue, I was asked on the Tuesday morning if I could fly to Italy urgently on a contract. An hour later I rang the nearest passport office, Liverpool, explained the situation, got an appointment to go there next morning accompanied by a suitable letter from my company.

I walked in next morning, completed the forms and told I could collect it later the same day. Whilst at a loose end in Liverpool, I opened a separate bank account with a £100 deposit, for just the funds for my contract to be sent to. On the Thursday I was on the aircraft.

There was some mix up over the account, which meant my employer was unable to pay into it, so for the entire year I was in Italy, my employer had to hold onto my contracted salary until my return. I never did regain access to that account and the bank must be still sitting on my £100. I wonder what it might be worth now?

 

[Notch7]

you can’t travel to an EU without min 3 months on your passport.

just sayin

 

[crystal ball]

you can’t travel to an EU without min 3 months on your passport.

just sayin

Or more than 10 years old

 

[kingandy2nd]

Back in the day you could get a 1 year passport in the Post Office just by turning up at the counter.

 

[charliegolf]

you can’t travel to an EU without min 3 months on your passport.

just sayin

Three months left after your intended departure date.

This is all to do with changing your passport earlier than its expiry date, like having a 13 month MOT cos you did it early. The passport can become older than 10 years. I think it might have been stopped now, but not sure.

 

[kingandy2nd]

In another passport story, I had to get a second passport for work (as I was travelling frequently and sometimes you were without your passport while obtaining visas for various purposes).

My work office was next to the liverpool passport office, and every day you would see a queue of people outside before the place it opened.

I booked an appoint for 8.05am and opted for a 5 day service - which is quicker than the standard turn around, but not the quickest/most expensive service.

I walked in at 8.02, went through the metal detectors, joined a different queue to all the plebs that had been queuing outside and I was back at my desk in work at 8.15. My passport was delivered to my home the next day (even though I’d not paid for the next day service).

The other people queuing were the ones that, hadn’t planned ahead or couldn’t fill out the forms properly, or a combo of both.

I have a lot of sympathy for the passport office staff.

 

[The Samaritan]

We got oyrs back pretty quickly lat last year. Even though we had no plans of travelling at the time, my OH and daughter that lives with us all decided to go gfor the new passports as we just knew things would slip. the turnaround was between 6 and 8 days from approval inc weekend.

 

[Notch7]

Lots of people are and will be reaching their holiday date without having received their passport.

I feel so sorry for people desperately waiting every day for it to arrive.

 

[The Samaritan]

It's called forward planning mate!

The people I feel for are those that have a very urgent need. Yes, there is a fast track system but I bet you it is not easy or timely either.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Back in the day you could get a 1 year passport in the Post Office just by turning up at the counter.

Back in the day - I don't quite remember the details, but you could get a day pass at the port, where you could nip across on the ferry to places like Calais, wonder round Calais with no need for a full passport. Years later, working in Ramsgate, it was worth taking a 'stay on the ferry trip', which included an evening meal. Just jump on the ferry have the meal without getting off, then come straight back - not pass or passport needed.

 

[Bod ...]

Or more than 10 years old

Or if your a Terrapin not accompanied by an adult.

 

[crystal ball]

Back in the day you could get a 1 year passport in the Post Office just by turning up at the counter.

I remember crossing from Yugoslavia into Italy by coach, the border guard came onto the bus checking passports, he confiscated the one year types, our guide had to go and negotiate their return.

 

[fillyboy]

Ah the Yugoslavia Italy border, we got stopped because there were five of us in an Audi Quattro, border guard said there should only be four people, we explained that it was a five seater but he insisted no no no, quattro means 4, we tried to reason with him that quattro was just a name and had nothing to do with the number of occupants. After about half hour we gave up and demanded to speak with the person in charge, he told us that he was busy with two people in a Fiat Uno.

 

[Bod ...]

I had the exact same experience crossing the border from France.
We were in the London - Rome classic car rally. We got stopped and all told to get out of our Austin Seven... there was to many of us he said. We argued that we had a race to win. Well anyway he wasn't having it , and to be fair there was eight of us....and he could count...