Passport renewal warning

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Cheaperholidays special Report : Holiday makers are being warned to never book a holiday until a valid passport is in their possession, after figures show that UK holiday makers are clueless about passport renewals, which could ruin any travel plans.

A fifth of UK residents have no idea when their passport expires, statistics from the Post Office reveal, while 30 per cent of UK travellers have experienced a ‘passport nightmare’.

Common problems UK holidaymakers incur include.

Not leaving sufficient time to renew their passport before travelling
Being turned back at their destination due to insufficient time left on their passport.
As well as being VERY late for departures because they can’t find their passport.

The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) said that while applications are usually returned within AROUND three weeks of receipt, people should never book travel until they have received their new passport.

A spokesperson for the IPS said: “The Identity and Passport Service constantly reminds customers that they should never book travel before they have their passport.

“Checks are required to be completed on all applications. Some of these checks do take longer to complete than others.”

For people that have booked a Christmas holiday but have realised they have not yet renewed their passport, she advised: “If they’ve left it too late, if they need to renew their passport within two weeks, you have to call the 24-hour passport advice line.

“If you phone them you can make an appointment at one of our offices and we also offer a fast-track one week service or a premium first-day service.”

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