Do I need a passport in the EU?

[QBee]

I have been invited to a car event in the Netherlands next weekend.
My passport expired 18 months ago and I haven't needed it since then so haven't yet renewed it.

I thought one could travel anywhere in the EU without a passport, indeed I have in the past crossed from France to Germany in a car - no border controls.
I would be travelling to the Netherlands with my car, either by ferry or Eurotunnel.

I have always had to show my passport in the past at airports, even on flights from Germany.
So can anyone please tell me if i will get further than Folkestone without a valid passport?
I do have a valid UK photocard driving licence as proof of ID.

[Hi]

You will need a passport to enter or leave the UK yes.

I seem to remember there was a short period, around 2007 ish I think where you could travel in/out of the UK with your driving licence but it was soon abandoned.

[hutchst]

You can get one same day if you make an appointment and go to the passport office in person. Pricey though. I've done it at the London office in Victoria you might be able to do it in regional offices.

[Ahbefive]

Yes, you need a passport.

[DaveH23]

Hi said:

You will need a passport to enter or leave the UK yes.

I seem to remember there was a short period, around 2007 ish I think where you could travel in/out of the UK with your driving licence but it was soon abandoned.

Never knew it was abandoned. Not that i've tried but I thought you still could.

[Gav147]

You will need one but as someone else posted above you can go to the nearest office and get one same day (4 hour wait) I had to do it last year, pretty straight forward just make sure you take everything you need with you, think it cost me ~£120 as apposed to the usual ~£70 so not too bad really.

[generationx]

Same day at a Passport office is what I have done the last two times. As mentioned read the form carefully (available at any Post Office) and it will be very painless.

You will not exit the UK without one.

[TooMany2cvs]

QBee said:

I thought one could travel anywhere in the EU without a passport, indeed I have in the past crossed from France to Germany in a car - no border controls.

That's because of the Schengen borderless area, not the EU. The UK is not a Schengen country, never has been, and had a permanent opt-out of it if we were staying in the EU.

QBee said:

So can anyone please tell me if i will get further than Folkestone without a valid passport?

No, you won't.

The short term passport that you used to be able to get over the counter at a PO was binned 25 years ago.
Your only choice is to fast-track an application for a replacement passport. It'll cost you, and you'll need to go to a passport office.
https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently

[croyde]

Same replies as above although my wife managed to get my son out to Turkey on an expired passport.

No one said a thing until she got back to the UK.

Got pulled over and questioned in an office.

They were more concerned that he'd been taken out of the country without my permission as we are separated.

[Dog Star]

You can also pay people to do it for you - I remember once doing this with a consular services company. This was back when there was a vast backlog - not a paltry 4 hours. Claimed the fee back on expenses though.

[EU_Foreigner]

You won't get far as there is a 100% passport check at the Eurotunnel as well, sometimes the French don't bother but there is no way you can get through both.

[vetrof]

I think this covers it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identity_ca...

Basically you need to have a valid form of State ID with you. As the UK doesn't issue one, then a passport should be carried.

[tigger1]

Once you're in mainland europe, you won't need to show it, as it's assumed you've shown one to get "in" to the Schengen area - hence being able to move freely between countries.

You can either try to sneak into france at night on a rubber dinghy, or you can get yourself a passport (or a national identity card, which the UK doesn't have...).

[JagerT]

Just renewed mine online and it took about a week and a half,but they won't process it until they receive your old one and mine was expired too.

[Shelsleyf2]

I turned up at Dover presented my passport and was told it had expired. The gentleman handed it back and said " you might have trouble getting back in , see how you go" and waved me goodbye. As I was only travelling in the schengan states I had no problem travelling in Europe. Upon my return I presented my expired passport and my driving licence and was reminded to renew my passport before travelling again. This was about 14 years ago, I am not sure what might happen today.
The old passport is a an expired travell document its not as if you have no passport.

That was my experiance

[EU_Foreigner]

tigger1 said:

Once you're in mainland europe, you won't need to show it, as it's assumed you've shown one to get "in" to the Schengen area - hence being able to move freely between countries.

You can either try to sneak into france at night on a rubber dinghy, or you can get yourself a passport (or a national identity card, which the UK doesn't have...).

Except that in most countries you need to have ID on you, so if you are stopped for anything - that is the first thing they ask (car / pedestrian).

[QBee]

Thanks everyone. Useful information on and around the subject, and much appreciated.

[S. Gonzales Esq.]

I renewed last year using the beta online same day service. Took my own photo, filled the form in online and then went to Newport to pick it up.

It cost a bit more, but I was only in the passport office for 8 minutes.

[sgtBerbatov]

DaveH23 said:

Hi said:

You will need a passport to enter or leave the UK yes.

I seem to remember there was a short period, around 2007 ish I think where you could travel in/out of the UK with your driving licence but it was soon abandoned.

Never knew it was abandoned. Not that i've tried but I thought you still could.

You can do that getting the ferry to Ireland.

But if you get a plane to Ireland you need to produce a passport.

[mygoldfishbowl]

It seems as though you need one to leave the country but a lot of people seem to enter without one.