Dover to Calais

utab007

Hi,

we are all UK born British citizens. I booked a family holiday to france for a weeks break. Unfortunately my youngest daughters passport was overlooked. By the time we travel it will have expired by around 2 weeks. By chance I happened to check the passport 2 weeks before our holiday. We opted for the post office check and send service. This service recently only took 1.5 weeks for passport renewals for my other children. But unfortunately they found a problem and asked for the birth certificate and means i won't get her passport back in time.

My friends who have been recently have told me the passport checks are very relaxed from Dover to calais, but are always checked on way back to UK. I'm thinking i can try making to France and on way back I can show all necessary documentation to prove she is my daughter with letters from passport agency explaining the situation. Please advise...

thanks

mcfisco

Getting out of the UK is the issue, you may be OK
If you have nothing to lose, you may as well try it.

Coming back may cause a bit of delay but you won't be prevented from travelling, you'll just have to fill a form in and listen to a tedious lecture from a power crazy minor civil servant.
I once travelled in a group of motorbikes to France and on our return one of the party was found to have his mother's passport, he just filled in a few forms, endured a bit of water boarding, just jesting and was on his way in an hour
So give it a go

JournalGirl

For an expired passport you can pay for the one day service from your local passport office. Much safer than risking your daughter not being allowed entry back into the country

utab007

Hi Mcfisco

Thanks for replying. Yes, a bit of a gamble getting out of UK. But as you say not really much to lose by trying. The holiday just wouldn't be same without all the family there. Its been a while since i last went over on a ferry to france. But my understanding is they are supposed to be two checks. The first by French immigration and the next by the P&O ferry at check-in. Is that correct? I guess all depends on how busy they are at the time.

But may concern was getting back. How much delay will it cause and which form do they ask you to fill-in? My daughters is only 6 years old. It's a shame I don't have the old passport as it only expired this month. I wish I now kept it rather than send it off for renewal. But least they will see I made an effort to renew it. Will take her birth certificate, nhs card, red book from birth, plus any important letter I can find with her name on it (child benefit, etc). Apart from holiday snaps on my phone not much i terms of photographic id. It was her first passport which I sent back for renewal. I think that should be enough evidence.

Thanks

utab007

Thanks journagirl. Unfortunately, that is no longer an option as we got the letter on Friday. When I tried to make an appointment for 1 day service, the earliest was Tuesday as they are closed over bank holiday weekend. I am due to travel out before then. I don't see how they can refuse if I take those docs with me (mentioned above) plus letters to show renewal is in progress. I am sure I will get a bad telling off which is deserved, but can they really refuse???

mcfisco

JournalGirl wrote: »

For an expired passport you can pay for the one day service from your local passport office. Much safer than risking your daughter not being allowed entry back into the country

:rotfl:
What are they going to do? send her to the Sangatte refugee camp or maybe make her see out her days in no-mans land at the docks.
She'd be allowed in, just not without some form filling

However,
If you don't have her expired passport, I wouldn't bother trying

utab007

mcfisco wrote: »

:rotfl:
What are they going to do? send her to the Sangatte refugee camp or maybe make her see out her days in no-mans land at the docks.
She'd be allowed in, just not without some form filling

However,
If you don't have her expired passport, I wouldn't bother trying

Why is that? Are you saying I'm unlikely to get out of UK without an expired passport or back in? As I say my main concern is getting back to UK

benjus

Isn't the ferry company going to want to see passports when you check in to your outward sailing? (while I have travelled on the Dover/Calais route this year, I can't remember the process in detail)

Not sure how it works with ferries, but airlines can get hefty fines if they are caught carrying anyone without appropriate travel documents so they are quite thorough about checking them.

utab007

Do the ferry issue a boarding pass for the vehicle or each member travelling? Benjus, in theory there are 2 checks as I said in my previous post. short of hiding her, I don't think there i much hope. :-)

utab007

Mcfisco mentioned a form you fill in coming back. I would be interested to know what this form is called or at least what details i will need to complete it. Thanks

benjus

utab007 wrote: »

Do the ferry issue a boarding pass for the vehicle or each member travelling? Benjus, in theory there are 2 checks as I said in my previous post. short of hiding her, I don't think there i much hope. :-)

Well, I don't think you have much to worry about with French immigration - the post will most likely either be closed completely, or they'll be someone sitting there with his feet up and if you bother to stop the car he'll just give you a Gallic shrug in a kind of "what do you expect ME to do?" way.

I remember going to France on the ferry (as foot passengers) several years ago with my ex, who didn't have an EU passport. The French immigration post was closed when we arrived, so we just went straight through. On the way back it was open, and the guy wanted to know why she didn't have a French entry stamp. I said in broken French that it had been closed, so he just shrugged and let her go past.

As for the check-in - they just issue a single card for the car, but I *think* they ask to see the passports of all passengers. I don't remember very clearly though, so might be wrong.