Travel mad Brits waste £64million needlessly each year on last minute passport renewals
By leaving it too late people are paying almost double what they need to and risking problems with their documents at the airport
BRITISH holidaymakers waste an incredible £64million every year by not renewing their passports in plenty of time before they travel abroad, new research has revealed.
One in nine people has experienced issues as a result of not renewing their passport in sufficient time over the last three years according to a study carried out by travel insurance specialists Columbus Direct.
Around 2.2 million people have had to pay extra for a seven-day passport renewal service and 1.4million who forked out more for a premium, same day fast track service.
Another 1.2 million adults also forked out for the seven-day service for their children.
Nearly a quarter of those aged 18-34 have had an issue with needing to renew their passport urgently compared to just four per cent of those aged over 55.
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Travellers who try to renew their passports at the last minute are paying at least 42.1 per cent more than they normally would have to.
The standard cost for renewing an adult 32-page passport is £72 and that takes around three weeks, compared to £103 for a seven-day fast track service and £128 for a one-day service.
For a child's passport, the cost of a seven-day fast track service is £87 - almost double the normal charge of £46. The most expensive premium one-day service is not available for kids.
Brits collectively spend an estimated £169 million on fast-track and premium passport services every year, which is £64.2 million more than what they would pay had they used a standard passport renewal service.
The research also reveals that 1.2million have been refused travel out of the UK or into their destination country as a result of passport issues, such as out-dated documentation or insufficient time left on the passport before expiry, in the last three years.
Rob Thomas, Head of Brand at Columbus Direct said: “Going on holiday is expensive enough without the added cost of paying for a premium passport service.
“Before booking a trip, travellers should check their passport expiry date as well as the specific country’s passport and visa requirements to make sure that they can travel abroad. The advice from the passport office is clear: do not book a trip abroad until you have a valid passport.
“Holidaymakers should also take out travel insurance as soon as they have booked a trip to cover themselves in case they need to cancel their holiday due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness or jury service.
“Not being able to travel due to passport issues will not be a valid reason for claiming a refund, although some insurance policies do provide travellers cover if their passports get stolen shortly before their departure date.
“It’s important that travellers give themselves enough time to prepare all the required travel documents if they don’t want to endure unnecessary stress at the last minute.”
“Different destinations have varying requirements around passports and visas.
“For example, British travellers flying to the US need to have an ePassport, which is equipped with an electronic chip compliant with the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP).
“Those without an ePassport should contact the Passport Office for a replacement to allow them to use the VWP, otherwise they will need to apply for a visa to enter the US on their current passport."
Other countries with specific requirements include:
- New Zealand – passports should be valid for a minimum period of one month from the date of exit from New Zealand
- South Africa – passports should be valid for a minimum period of 30 days from the date of exit from South Africa. Passports should also have at least two blank pages when presented at immigration to enter or leave South Africa
- Those travelling to destinations outside the EU to countries including Turkey, Thailand and Brazil (among others) need to have a minimum period of six months validity left on their passport from the date of entry to the country
Those travelling from the UK to the EU do need to have a valid passport but it only needs to be effective for the length of their stay.
Following the Brexit vote on June 23 The Sun launched a campaign to see British passports changed back to their original blue colour.
How to renew your British passport
You can renew your British passport in a few different ways, the easiest of which is online.
However beware scam websites that offer similar services, it is only legal to get a new passport through the government's website, www.gov.uk/apply-renew-passport.
There are sites out there that will rip you off, the cost of a standard passport renewal should only cost you £72.
It should take six weeks to get your first adult passport once your form has been received. For all other normal application types, it should take three weeks.
If you'd prefer not to do it online you can pick up an application form from a Post Office branch or use their Check and Send Service to do it on site straight away.
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