Expired Passport - Urgent Help Required

Sweet_Wine

I have a relative in Spain that needs to return to the UK for family emergency.

However their passport expired in the last couple of months.

Can they use an expired passport or can they get an emergency return passport from an embassy etc.. Can this be organised easily? What's the timescale, costs?

Many thanks

custardy

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports/

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 08:30 - 13:30

We aim to return your new passport within four weeks. We do not offer a fast track service for passports except in the most extreme compassionate circumstances such as a death, accident or serious injury. If this is the case, please mark your date of travel on the front of your application form and enclose evidence of your urgent travel needs (eg. a doctor’s letter).

If you have an urgent need to travel, you may be able to apply for an Emergency Travel Document from your local British Embassy/Consulate.

Sweet_Wine

Thanks didn't want to appear too lazy to find anything myself but just wanted to ask the question quickly

custardy

all it required was google "UK embassy spain"
click on passports
passports from spain
quicker than posting

Sweet_Wine

Well I'm sorry I didn't do it that first but by asking my questions on here, I also thought I might get replies from others who had had similar experience of the process.

Pollycat

I think the only thing wrong with asking questions like that on here is that you'll get people's experiences (and maybe those of a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend) but no guarantee that you have the right answer.

So always best to check the proper place.

Hope your relative gets things sorted.

alanrowell

There's no legal requirement for a UK citizen to have a valid passport in order to enter the UK.

HOWEVER trying to convince an airline / ferry company / train company of that is liable to prove problematical

Myrtle0204

I sent off for my new passport a couple of weeks ago and it arrived exactly one week later - not sure how long you have but the service was very quick :0)

PompeyPete

On the basis of nothing ventured, nothing gained.
The rules on the timing of issuing passport renewals aren't cast in stone.
Give the Embassy Consular Section a ring.
Insist on speaking to a UK based Vice Consul, nobody else.
Be polite.
Tell the Vice Consul your dilemma.
They are human beings, and will listen to you.
Good luck.

Chester85

You've hit a tricky time as Embassies and Consulates have just stopped printing their own passports, this has been moved to the UK, hence the increase in time scales.

The consular and embassy does have the right to issue you with a travel warrant, depending on your circumstances.

It's basically a passport with 3 pages in it and they retain your current main passport

Sweet_Wine

An update on what happened with our original problem:

Indeed a UK citizen does not need a valid passport to re-enter the UK, it speeds things up if they can easily confirm thier identity though. However as mentioned, the problem lies with the travel provider.

Airlines that refused travel with an expired passport were Ryanair and Easyjet. Monarch Airlines were more than happy to allow travel back to the UK for up to 5 years so my relative travelled with them. I phoned ahead to the airport's passport control to warn of his arrival so they were able to carry out checks in advance. He was through the airport in minutes.

He then renewed his passport back in the UK but could actually have travelled back to Spain on the same expired passport, up to one year out of date! Monarch told us this and sent a IATA supporting statement. He also checked this with the Spanish passport control on departure and they confirmed this to be correct.

So as long as you check & choose the right airline you can use an expired passport for at least one year when travelling between UK and Spain.

However I should add that this is only our experience and is no guarantee that it is right Maybe it will be useful to someone to see how it can be done without paying any emergency fees through the official channels