Travelling from UK to France on expired passport

PokerPortal

Hi there,

I am a fool. Yes, that is correct, a complete fool.
Having spent the best part of the summer making sure my 5 months old son has a passport (had to redo photo's twice) I never checked my own passport, apart from laughing at my picture.

I assumed my passport was valid for 10 years as per usual, but it wasn't it was only valid for 5 years and had run out on 15 July 2009. I only got it in 2004! The reason for the 5 years is probably because I am not a UK citizen, but a Dutch citizen living in the UK for the last 10 years.

Can I still travel on my recently expired passport from Dover to Dunkirk by Norfolkline? Or maybe if that won't work by the Channel Tunnel? I do think that the fact that I am a Dutch citizen might actually help me here because of the Schengen aggreement. I am travelling tomorrow so there is no time to do anything about it.

How should I approach this?

newlywed

A girl I know went on a large group day trip to France and didn't realise her passport had expired... she got to France ok.... but on the way back was told by the French authorities that they could have detained her and she was lucky she was being let home!!

McKneff

I honestly dont think you will get out of England without a passport.

Evem at Hull Docks to get on the ferry to Europort they are checked twice.

Do you live near the passport office so you can get one today.

PokerPortal

McKneff wrote: »

I honestly dont think you will get out of England without a passport.

Evem at Hull Docks to get on the ferry to Europort they are checked twice.

Do you live near the passport office so you can get one today.

I have spoken to the Dutch Embassy in London and they told me that it would be 2 to 3 weeks before I can get a new passport.

Pee

I went for a day trip to France this summer, as a British citizen and our passports were not checked at all on the way over - although they were checked very thoroughly on the way back. This was the ferry from Dover to Calais. If you don't have an alternative, maybe it is worth trying? Of course if you are nervous and looking shifty, you might get very thoroughly searched for drugs which I imagine is unpleasant even when innocent.

lfc321

Do you need a passport at all? Do you have a Dutch ID card? Pretty sure that will bet you back into UK (see http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/travellingtotheuk/Enteringtheuk/arrivingatukborder/). I guess it will probably get you into France too, but haven't checked.

PokerPortal

lfc321 wrote: »

Do you need a passport at all? Do you have a Dutch ID card? Pretty sure that will bet you back into UK (see http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/travellingtotheuk/Enteringtheuk/arrivingatukborder/). I guess it will probably get you into France too, but haven't checked.

I don't have a Dutch ID card. I do have a valid driving license, proof of address etc. which I will all take with me.

lfc321

PokerPortal wrote: »

I don't have a Dutch ID card. I do have a valid driving license, proof of address etc. which I will all take with me.

That's a shame. I always thought the Netherlands had a compulsory ID card, but maybe I was wrong. I doubt a driving license will do the trick.

PolishBigSpender

I know quite a bit about this, so let's proceed.

As EU border checks are divided (in theory, it's not always like this) into two sets - EU citizens and non-EU citizens, different levels of checks are applied. EU citizens are supposed to only have a minimum check - which effectively means that they have very little grounds to refuse you entry if you produce a valid (although expired!) EU identity document.

In theory, an expired passport should be enough. Certainly, the French operate a pretty lassiez-faire regime towards the UK anyway - it's well known for them not to bother even checking at Dover. My suggestion would be to just go ahead and try - passport controls are in Dover, and you should be able to convince the Police Aux Frontieres that you're perfectly legal and heading to Holland for a new passport.

Coming back is more of an issue, however, if you comprehensively bring documentation to prove that you're legal in the UK (bank statements, contract of employment, etc) - then you should be fine.

A passport isn't always required - and border guards do tend to exercise common sense when dealing with EU citizens. It might take some checking out and I imagine that the French will be checking the Schengen database (and calling the Koninklijke Marechaussee) to let you in. Apparently the Marechaussee can issue emergency documents for travel, so you should be okay for the return. But expect to be checked thoroughly if they notice - but I would try handing over the passports and seeing what happens anyway

You've nothing to lose, try it!

PokerPortal

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

I know quite a bit about this, so let's proceed.

As EU border checks are divided (in theory, it's not always like this) into two sets - EU citizens and non-EU citizens, different levels of checks are applied. EU citizens are supposed to only have a minimum check - which effectively means that they have very little grounds to refuse you entry if you produce a valid (although expired!) EU identity document.

In theory, an expired passport should be enough. Certainly, the French operate a pretty lassiez-faire regime towards the UK anyway - it's well known for them not to bother even checking at Dover. My suggestion would be to just go ahead and try - passport controls are in Dover, and you should be able to convince the Police Aux Frontieres that you're perfectly legal and heading to Holland for a new passport.

Coming back is more of an issue, however, if you comprehensively bring documentation to prove that you're legal in the UK (bank statements, contract of employment, etc) - then you should be fine.

A passport isn't always required - and border guards do tend to exercise common sense when dealing with EU citizens. It might take some checking out and I imagine that the French will be checking the Schengen database (and calling the Koninklijke Marechaussee) to let you in. Apparently the Marechaussee can issue emergency documents for travel, so you should be okay for the return. But expect to be checked thoroughly if they notice - but I would try handing over the passports and seeing what happens anyway

You've nothing to lose, try it!

Thanks for your extensive post PolishBigSpender. It puts my mind a little bit at rest. I was already thinking on the same line. I will have with me my passport (expired 15 July), bank statements, both parts of my (British) driving license, council tax bills, credit card statements etc.

After readin half the internet, and now your message, my worst fear is in fact Norfolkine. They are just a company that will adhere to their own company rules. They might say that I can't come aboard. in which case I swiftly drive to the Channel Tunnel and try that.

If all fails, we have a week of hiding in the north of Scotland planned. :-)

McKneff

Good luck with it all