Passport renewal dilemma, should I delay?

whiskysip

Hello,
my uk passport expires in dec 2020. I don’t travel abroad on business any more. I rarely go on holiday abroad but would planned to go this this year  but with the pandemic that did not happen and not sure about next year either. Do I let my passport expire and get a new one when the time is right or renew now ( is there a cost difference?) and pay for something I might now use /or won’t be able to use for a year ???
thanks in advance

CKhalvashi

The cost difference will be negligible, if any. I believe the cost doing it online now is actually less than when I last renewed my British passport in 2015.

I frequently do business abroad and have family abroad. For me personally, a passport for both UK and my home country are essential items and I'd never be without them. On top of that, they're useful forms of ID if you ever need them (my father rarely travels, but requires one for work in aerospace engineering as his airside pass is about to come for renewal, etc).

If you aren't in this position and can get by on an expired passport for ID (many banks will accept this as a temporary document for example, especially if you have a driving license), then it's likely worth waiting. It's all about your own circumstances.

Browntoa

No cost difference but there may be a huge sudden demand and backlog if people can travel again and need at least 6 months left on their passport to go to the EU

[Deleted User]

I would renew.   You never know when you may be able to travel and many holidays will be booked last minute.  As Browntoa says you don't want to find your perfect holiday, restrictions lifted only to find you haven't got a passport and there is such a huge demand you can't get one in time (passport office advise not to book holidays until you have your passport for this reason)    A straight renewal is pretty straight forward but a lapsed one (although technically same) may require some further investigation.   You never can tell but for the money you would save on a ten year passport by missing a year or even two is not worth it imo.