Passport dilemma for secret holiday

[james_tigerwoods]

s2art said:

What about this new law coming in where you have to inform the authorities about any trip abroad? Can you inform on someone elses behalf without them knowing?

Do what?

I resent having a passport anyway (why should I have to pay ££ just to be able to pay more to travel abroad)....

You could see if you can get his employer/boss in on it and get them to ask for "2 pieces of Valid photographic identification" - Driving licence and **sharp intake of breath** an invalid passport?!?! Quick - get it renewed....

Done

[Mr POD]

ninja-lewis said:

Any other reason he might need proof of ID/residence? Might be worth asking his boss if they could make up a reason to ask him for it to force him to get it sorted?

That's a good plan.

[s2art]

james_tigerwoods said:

s2art said:

What about this new law coming in where you have to inform the authorities about any trip abroad? Can you inform on someone elses behalf without them knowing?

Do what?

I resent having a passport anyway (why should I have to pay ££ just to be able to pay more to travel abroad)....

You could see if you can get his employer/boss in on it and get them to ask for "2 pieces of Valid photographic identification" - Driving licence and **sharp intake of breath** an invalid passport?!?! Quick - get it renewed....

Done

See;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4987415/All...


Not sure of the details, but it seems we have to have provided personal data, maybe including credit cards etc, in advance of a trip.

[Cupramax]

Feck me, just read that artical, we'll need to give notice of breathing before long. This government needs a wake up call and NOW.

[james_tigerwoods]

s2art said:

james_tigerwoods said:

s2art said:

What about this new law coming in where you have to inform the authorities about any trip abroad? Can you inform on someone elses behalf without them knowing?

Do what?

I resent having a passport anyway (why should I have to pay ££ just to be able to pay more to travel abroad)....

You could see if you can get his employer/boss in on it and get them to ask for "2 pieces of Valid photographic identification" - Driving licence and **sharp intake of breath** an invalid passport?!?! Quick - get it renewed....

Done

See;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4987415/All...


Not sure of the details, but it seems we have to have provided personal data, maybe including credit cards etc, in advance of a trip.

If that's true and valid, then Bloody Hell!!

[johnfm]

How about

"I've booked us in to a swingers club next weekend, but they need passport for security purposes..."

He'll have a new passport in about 5 minutes!

[illmonkey]

Fill the form in on his behalf, let him go to the pub on a big boys night out, when he comes back get him to sign. Make a fake letter with a hole cut out where he is to sign and put it over the passport form.

The letter will have to be something like steak and BJ night, every night for a month.

[Marcellus]

1stly - you can book the flights without passport can't you??

2ndly - whay not get his mum to get him to renew it just because mums do that sort of thing.. therefour not traceable back to you.

[Demonic Angel]

Some good ideas... thanks!

Getting his Mum on board has meant she can mention it, but he's just taken that as "typical Mum nagging"

I tried booking the flights online, but they ask for the passport details for both travellers (apparently a requirement in Spain?) Also got the usual "make sure you have a valid passport before you book your flights" warnings. Just checked the Passport website for more info and they say the same and shockingly it's gone up to £72 for an adult passport..., or £114 if you go to a Passport office and do it fast-track.... I can't believe a passport is so expensive these days! It's almost like they don't want us to travel!!

It would just be easier to tell him and plan it together.... but he's had a bit of a crap year and deserves a nice surprise for his birthday - and hey, I get to go on the holiday too so it's a win-win situation!

[Marcellus]

OK - why not plan the holiday for a couple of days after his birthday.... make an appointment at the passport office the the interim period so on his birthday you give him the appointment card....

[matt12023]

i dont see why you don't just say you noticed it was out of date while doing some admin and get him to renew it. if your booking it for september he'll have forgotten about it by next week let alone then

[Tunku]

Cupramax said:

Feck me, just read that artical, we'll need to give notice of breathing before long. This government needs a wake up call and NOW.

It's not the government that needs woken up. The people need woken up and the government put to sleep.

[Demonic Angel]

• Update**

Just wanted to say thanks for all ideas.... too difficult to take him on holiday without him knowing and as luck would have it I managed to get my hands on 2 tickets to see U2 at Wembley Stadium (his favourite band), so taking him to that instead and booked a nice little 4-star London hotel to stay at for the night... considerably cheaper than a holiday and less hassle to boot!

And in the meantime I'll push him to get his passport renewed in the hope that we can arrange & book a holiday together at some point in the near future.... much more fun that way!

Cheers again!

[thehawk]

loafer123 said:

Mr Will said:

King Herald said:

Lurking Lawyer said:

shoestring7 said:

Ask the airline? Photo ID (e.g. driving licence) might be enough; Spain is in the EU.

Any form of photo ID is acceptable if you're moving around within the EU. However, I suspect that you may find that the airlines are rather more intransigent about it. A friend of mine in the Army was prevented from boarding a Ryanair flight as he was trying to use his military ID card but the check in staff refused to consider anything other than a passport....

So you reckon you can fly into the UK from abroad and not need to show a passport?

Legally, yes you can. Whether airline policy agrees is another matter...

I don't think that is right. We opted out of the Schengen (sp?) agreement, so we still have to have passports when travelling in the EU.

I think legally that is actually incorrect and it has nothing to do with the Schengen agreement. I'm no lawyer but have read various articles on forums written by lawyers and I'm pretty sure under some EU laws UK citizens are supposed to have freedom of movement and shouldn't need a passport to travel around other EU countries - whether you would want to challenge this at the airport or not is up to you but I think the law would be on your side. (even though you would screw your holiday up and pay a lot of legal fees to bring it to a European court etc)

[pokethepope]

thehawk said:

loafer123 said:

Mr Will said:

King Herald said:

Lurking Lawyer said:

shoestring7 said:

Ask the airline? Photo ID (e.g. driving licence) might be enough; Spain is in the EU.

Any form of photo ID is acceptable if you're moving around within the EU. However, I suspect that you may find that the airlines are rather more intransigent about it. A friend of mine in the Army was prevented from boarding a Ryanair flight as he was trying to use his military ID card but the check in staff refused to consider anything other than a passport....

So you reckon you can fly into the UK from abroad and not need to show a passport?

Legally, yes you can. Whether airline policy agrees is another matter...

I don't think that is right. We opted out of the Schengen (sp?) agreement, so we still have to have passports when travelling in the EU.

I think legally that is actually incorrect and it has nothing to do with the Schengen agreement. I'm no lawyer but have read various articles on forums written by lawyers and I'm pretty sure under some EU laws UK citizens are supposed to have freedom of movement and shouldn't need a passport to travel around other EU countries - whether you would want to challenge this at the airport or not is up to you but I think the law would be on your side. (even though you would screw your holiday up and pay a lot of legal fees to bring it to a European court etc)

But isn't the passport used to prove you are an EU 'national' and therefore are entitled to the free movement.

ETA just realised what you and the others are arguing, that a driving licence should be enough to prove the above, so a passport not needed. doh!

Edited by pokethepope on Monday 30th March 01:12

[port and polish]

A driving license doesn't prove you are an EU citizen, it just shows you have a license to drive. Doesn't it?

[sleep envy]

port and polish said:

A driving license doesn't prove you are an EU citizen, it just shows you have a license to drive. Doesn't it?

the photocard states your place of birth

[XJSJohn]

first - who does not maintain thier passport these days? but anyhoo ...

Second, the UK is not part of Schengen treaty, you are not getting back into the UK without a lot of hassle, assuming they let you out, without a valid passport.

RE point one, get his mum to nag him about the fact that he should keep his passport current "just in case" ...

Nagging, its what Mum's are for .... mine still does it to me, from 8,000 miles away and sometimes she doesn't even need the telephone, in fact, i think i can hear her right now ...

[crofty1984]

russ_a said:

you could always take me instead

That would certainly be a surprise.

[WildCards]

I travelled to France for Le Mans the other year on my driving licence alone as i'd forgotten my passport. We went by ferry, we were told at the port that it was at the discretion of the French immigration officer in the destination port. One phone call to him and he let me in.