passport for spain

traceya89

wonder if anyone can help. just decided on spur of moment to go to ibiza for a week next week with my daughter. my friend has said she would like to come too but her passport expires on 9.9.11 and we will return from ibiza on 4.9.11. will she need to renew her passport before we go and will she be able to travel on this passport?

also if she has to renew her passport, and durham is our nearest passport place which is luckily just 5 minutes away, do you have to make an appointment or can you just turn up?

breesey24

It looks like she'll be OK on her exisitng passport

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/europe/spain?ta=entryRequirements&pg=4

PolishBigSpender

In the EU, the passport is valid up until expiry - no minimum conditions are set for entry/exit.

interstellaflyer

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

In the EU, the passport is valid up until expiry - no minimum conditions are set for entry/exit.

It may be worth checking with the airline though, I'm sure I've seen somewhere that some airlines have policies on this, I may be wrong but better safe than sorry.

dzug1

interstellaflyer wrote: »

It may be worth checking with the airline though, I'm sure I've seen somewhere that some airlines have policies on this, I may be wrong but better safe than sorry.

Airlines don't have such policies.

Most package holiday companies do - but you still check in with an airline, not the holiday company.

interstellaflyer

dzug1 wrote: »

Airlines don't have such policies.

Most package holiday companies do - but you still check in with an airline, not the holiday company.

I think the info came from TC but if the OP holiday is through Thompson or TC they surely need to check it out rather than take the risk, the check in staff will know the policies I would imagine.

PolishBigSpender

interstellaflyer wrote: »

I think the info came from TC but if the OP holiday is through Thompson or TC they surely need to check it out rather than take the risk, the check in staff will know the policies I would imagine.

It's an irrelevance - there are no restrictions in the EU, just a valid travel document is required to cross the border.

stephb34

Its ok to travel on the passport as its valid on the return a problem could occur if something happens and your friend is delayed in returning before her passport expires, if for example she ended up in hospital and couldn't fly home until after it expires then this would add stress to an already stressful situation. I don't know the answer as to whether you could in these circumstances fly home on an expired passport or if you would need to get a new one but i'm sure someone else on here can answer that.
Id give durham passport office a ring and ask them if you need an appointment if its only 5 mins away.

spiro

stephb34 wrote: »

Id give durham passport office a ring and ask them if you need an appointment if its only 5 mins away.

As stated recently on the TV several times, the '1 day' passport service is still available (about £150 I think) but it can take between 7 and 14 days to get an appointment (the 1 day bit is from the date of the appointment) and you should not go to a passport office without an appointment.

That said you dont need a new passport for this trip.

interstellaflyer

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

It's an irrelevance - there are no restrictions in the EU, just a valid travel document is required to cross the border.

How's it an irrelevance??? we don't know how the OP has booked the holiday, if it's independantly then fine but if it's with a Package opperator like Thomson or Thomas Cook then their terms and conditions require the passport to be valid 6 months after return. Personally I wouldn't want to take the risk, especialy as the passport expires within a week of return to the UK. As stethb34 pointed out, what if the friend had an accident or fell ill and was unable to fly home until passed fit by a doctor, it would only take a week in hospital or an illness like Chicken pox (a lot of it going round at the moment) and the friend would find herself with an expired passport.
I can't believe that people are advising that she will be ok, they live 5 mins from a passport office for gods sake, surely the best advice should be to renew the passport and not take the chance.

spiro

interstellaflyer wrote: »

they live 5 mins from a passport office for gods sake, surely the best advice should be to renew the passport and not take the chance.

See post #9.