Hi all,

I am about to send my passport to the uk for renewal and I have a general question...if my new passport doesn't arrive in 11 weeks can i travel in July on a notarised copy of passport? The existing passport is still valid, it expires 1/9/21.

Thanks for your help.

To where?

Do you at least have an ID card?

Tom

You can probably get an emergency passport from the embassy. They normally provide them for when you lose your passport. To the UK anyway, I don't know if you could travel back on it.

Edit: https://www.gov.uk/emergency-travel-document

You can use an emergency travel document to travel to your destination through a maximum of 5 countries. You can also normally use it to return to the country you’re applying from if you live there.

UK doesn't issue ID cards. Only national passport.

I wouldn't expect you'd be able to use such copy for travelling.
I mean, that'd be easy way to forge travel documents, passports have a bunch of security measures built into it that shows in UV light afaik.
Notarized copy is a piece of ordinary paper with some stamp.

I'd assume with emergency issued travel papers they inform the borders you'll be coming through or something, but I'd expect they have means to check/verify it.

Probably best bet is to call your embassy and ask how to proceed.

The answer is no, you can't, and there are no exceptions to this. But you can use the residence permit when travelling in Schengen countries.

Unfortunately, your passport is actually no longer valid in Europe and hasn't been since 1/3/21, because: f@!*ing Brexit. You now need minimum 6 months validity remaining to enter any Schengen country.


Of course, the UK must let you back in there with even a day left on it, but my understanding when I looked into it recently is this lack of 6 months validity * may * be a problem for a B permit holder... because you are supposed to carry your passport along with your permit at all times... and if stopped by the authorities and ask to produce your documents, even though you are already here, and entered when it WAS still valid, you no longer have a passport valid for entry to Switzerland as at the date you were stopped...

Now this 6 months validity issue * may * have been cleared up with the grandfathered EU/EFTA rights for B permits issued before 1st Jan 2021 - but I couldn't find chapter and verse on it.


But, you may protest. I've never been stopped and asked to show my documents. Ahahah... but you will be... at border control when you EXIT Switzerland.

As others have stated, they are highly unlikely to let you travel with a notarised copy.


I ended up applying for (and getting) a second UK passport because I needed to travel here to CH and will only arrive back the day before my 6 month early expiry.


The good news is passports are being processed quite quickly. Got my second one in just under 4 weeks from application.


Kind regards




Ian

Just for clarification: Does this mean that you renewed your current passport early, that you have a second identical copy made of your passport (common for frequent travelers to both Israel and other middle eastern countries) or that you truly have a second valid passport with a different number than the first?

AFAIK, anything besides the original ID (including passports) can't be used for international travel purposes. In the absence of main ID, a temporary document may be issued by national government authorities and that document will be a temporary ID.

I suspect it’s the latter although he won’t have much validity left on the original one and will technically only be able to use it to travel to the U.K.

My husband had two British passports with different numbers when he was travelling a lot for work and needed his passport on a weekly basis. One was often at some embassy or consulate or other for a visa application but he could still travel using the other one.
It was effectively very useful as he would use the one without the ‘problematic’ visas for travel to the US.

Or even if it has been expired for ten years. If you're a British citizen, they can't send you away. But you'll probably be interviewed. Of course if you're flying, you won't even be allowed to board the plane.

11 weeks is plenty of time though. It's very fast nowadays.

That should read ‘you may not be allowed to board’. But it is highly recommended that one clear it with the airline well in advance of travel. Don’t just show up.

Thanks. I wondered about my swiss permit being ok in the schengen area so you've cleared that up for me.

Yes as you say, Brexit strikes again I was wondering about this 6 month validity...I have a C permit but I guess its the same as B for the 6 month rule.

I'm hoping the UK passport renewal is quick...the website said allow 11 weeks!
I'm sending it off today Ill let you all know how many weeks it takes.

Thanks for everyone's comments.

Have you got a recent gas bill with your name on - they seem to love that in the UK.

But the problem, when flying, is getting out of Shengen at the airport...

Problem with trying to travel without a passport at all, is you might get into the UK, but you won't get back to Switzerland without a passport. Your new passport will be delivered to your Swiss address at some point and you'll be stuck in the UK, so you'd be screwed.

If it doesn't arrive in time, apply for an emergency passport.

True. Airlines can clear it with immigration in the destination country, then they'll take you. They just don't want to be lumbered with the costs of having to repatriate you.

It is possible to get back into Switzerland without a passport - but you have to get it all cleared in advance. Best thing - don't travel on an expired passport!

Can you not pay for expedited processing?

If you don't renew it it's actually not too much of a problem to enter the UK with an expired passport. ..but then going anywhere else will be a problem of course.

Truly a second valid passport with a different number that the first.


There is an option to renew without sending in your old one, if you provide a notarised copy and a promise to send it when you return. But having a second one allows you to send one away to get visas put in, while still travelling.


The details are very well hidden on the gov.uk site, and it is subject to manual review (so might be refused). But it is an option.



Kind regards




Ian

1) No
2) you can return to your country on expired passport taking possibly direct route (not round the world).

Got some evidence for that claim?

Legally, a Swiss can't cross the border to the neighbors without ID or passport. However the Swiss side offers to issue an emergency ID based on some other domestic document like a drivers license, but the drivers license itself has no legal relevance WRT crossing the border. I would expect the residence permit to be even less relevant abroad.