Stolen passports - help

[Lanby]

Hi,
We're in Cologne at the moment and some lowlife scumbag stole my missus bag containing wallet, credit cards, phone, ipad and most importantly all our passports

The German Police said we should be able to travel on the Incident report, but in usual UK government dept efficiency, the embassy, consulate, border control, PO ferries (not govt I know but just as bad!) all hide behind the official line of 'no passport no travel, you must get an emergency travel document' which will be a load of hassle (and 125 euros each) for a single journey.

I have my driving licence, and we have access to copies of 3 of the 4 passports (missing the babies), and copies all 4 birth certificates.

What is the chance of getting on the ferry and back in to the UK?

Any suggestions?

Cheers

[oilslick]

Will your travel insurance cover you for the cost of the emergency documentation?

[HereBeMonsters]

I've blagged my way back more than once, purely because I couldn't be bothered to go into the boot and get my passport out.

[Lanby]

I forgot to add them to the unhelpful list!

They said 'we can send you a claim form, oh and if it's a business trip you have to prove it!'

Thanks for your help insurance company

Edited by Lanby on Monday 1st September 17:14

[Lanby]

HereBeMonsters said:

I've blagged my way back more than once, purely because I couldn't be bothered to go into the boot and get my passport out.

If it was just me I'd be more inclined to take that risk, but with my missus and 2 kids I'm getting earache.

I don't if it would make any difference but we are on the Rotterdam-Hull ferry rather than Dover-Calais

[numtumfutunch]

Well OK then, how brave are you feeling?

The missus lost our passports in France 3y ago, we found them 4 days later but in the meantime I had an interesting chat to the British consulate asking advice

The guy told me I could make a 7h round trip to him for the emergency £££ documents you mentioned or else just turn up at the ferry with other ID and we'd be fine. I was too much of a chicken to do this, despite his protestations I was almost on the way to him when SWMBO remembered where she'd stashed them for safe keeping

I suspect youre screwed if youre travelling by air though

Best of luck, and try the consulate for current advice too

EDIT: just reread that youve already spoken to consulate

[paranha]

Turned up at Dover, in a New 7 series which I had brought back from Regio Calabia after the press days testing.Had left passport with launch hotels reception-----who have a lie-in when I left at 05-00am.Remembered the passport after 800K,s but too late.Stopped at French customs after a few hours sleep--Deserted---so foot down.Dover were Very amused at my tale of woe--Showed the cars paperwork and authorisation from GB to drive it----Which Calais had also accepted----

They all had a good laugh--a few comments on Other border security services ---and GO!!!.
PS---Passport arrived back a week later C/O BMW Concessionaires UK Brentford---BMW GB-were Yet to arrive-----

[Vipers]

Go to Calias and jump in a truck, sorted.

You'll probably qualify for benefits when you get here as well.

[Lanby]

numtumfutunch
I think I'll speak to the consulate myself and see what they say, and then take a gamble.

Vipers
I said that.. and got in trouble

[Vipers]

Lanby said:

numtumfutunch
I think I'll speak to the consulate myself and see what they say, and then take a gamble.

Vipers
I said that.. and got in trouble

Oh dear..............

[audidoody]

MRs AD had her passport nicked on the way bad from France three years ago. We turned up at Eurotunnel where the goon in the passport control booth said "why are you here if you have no passport". Showed him the police report form and blagged that "Eurotunnel HQ said we'd be OK with a driving licence. I also have her passport and NI number". He gave it his best harramphing "josbworth" routine and then called over a delightful female border control officer who took the driving licence, went away for five minutes, came back and said "all OK. Sorry you have had to wait".

If you've got copies of birth certificates, passport pages and screaming kids in tow I thin you'll be absolutely fine.

Edited by audidoody on Tuesday 2nd September 16:44

[Silent1]

paranha said:

Turned up at Dover, in a New 7 series which I had brought back from Regio Calabia after the press days testing.Had left passport with launch hotels reception-----who have a lie-in when I left at 05-00am.Remembered the passport after 800K,s but too late.Stopped at French customs after a few hours sleep--Deserted---so foot down.Dover were Very amused at my tale of woe--Showed the cars paperwork and authorisation from GB to drive it----Which Calais had also accepted----

They all had a good laugh--a few comments on Other border security services ---and GO!!!.
PS---Passport arrived back a week later C/O BMW Concessionaires UK Brentford---BMW GB-were Yet to arrive-----

I'm impressed at how unreadable this is whilst outwardly being perfectly comprehensible!

[Piersman2]

Silent1 said:

paranha said:

Turned up at Dover, in a New 7 series which I had brought back from Regio Calabia after the press days testing.Had left passport with launch hotels reception-----who have a lie-in when I left at 05-00am.Remembered the passport after 800K,s but too late.Stopped at French customs after a few hours sleep--Deserted---so foot down.Dover were Very amused at my tale of woe--Showed the cars paperwork and authorisation from GB to drive it----Which Calais had also accepted----

They all had a good laugh--a few comments on Other border security services ---and GO!!!.
PS---Passport arrived back a week later C/O BMW Concessionaires UK Brentford---BMW GB-were Yet to arrive-----

I'm impressed at how unreadable this is whilst outwardly being perfectly comprehensible!

I read it and hoped he wasn't there as a member of the press!

Unless he writes for Dyslexia Monthly of course.

[Lanby]

Update...

I couldn't be bothered to call the consulate as I knew I would be fed the official line we'd already heard numerous times...'No passport, No travel'.
So we decided to take the gamble and turned up at Rotterdam, explained the situation, showed them copies of most of the passports (thank you for the Cloud!), they spoke to immigration in the UK and everything was fine.
The nice immigration lady in Hull was even expecting us

[furtive]

Lanby said:

The nice immigration lady in Hull was even expecting us

She had her rubber glove on?

[numtumfutunch]

Good result!

Are you in Belmarsh?

[Lanby]

One of our German customers offered me a present of a cake with a file in it and some extra long bedsheets

[PurpleTurtle]

Good skills! I have twice had passports stolen, once due to my own stupidity, drunk on the last night of a lads holiday in Greece, passport last sighted in the pocket of my cargo shorts (for safe keeping!) which were jettisoned at 4am to go skinny dipping with some Aussie girls. Shorts found later on beach, passport never seen again. The second was stolen from a Canadian hotel room, alas no naked Aussie chicks involved.

In both cases: total ball-ache and £££'s to get an emergency travel document to get home, but that was involving a flight in both cases, airlines are understandably tighter on whom they let on board without a passport. I kept the replacement for its full 10yr life, was a minor achievement in life for me! It goes under lock and key whenever possible nowadays.