Travel European Travel and Holidays 2021/22

Confusion at Eurotunnel yesterday as we headed back. Having uploaded all the required documentation, unclear guidance on website & none at terminal meant we queued for checks unnecessarily.
At French passport control, the lack of an entry stamp caused problems. Resolved in less than five minutes by double stamping. Impact of Brexit fully driven home as we calculated that we can return for a maximum of three weeks only, until end of 2021. C'est la vie.
 
Any reco's for providers of the day 2 & 8 test?
Travelling back from Greece (amber, and not fully vax'd) later this week so I'd better get that sorted to avoid the fuzz.
 

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Mark Carrington said:
Confusion at Eurotunnel yesterday as we headed back. Having uploaded all the required documentation, unclear guidance on website & none at terminal meant we queued for checks unnecessarily.
At French passport control, the lack of an entry stamp caused problems. Resolved in less than five minutes by double stamping. Impact of Brexit fully driven home as we calculated that we can return for a maximum of three weeks only, until end of 2021. C'est la vie.
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We came back via Eurotunnel yesterday and it was very slow. I don’t know why as each time we went through it took about a min for the dog and ourselves. Check passport, stamp passport, on you go,
We allowed over an hour to get the 10:20 (arrived about 8:50) and we missed it as cars ahead we’re taking ages. Next train wasn’t until 11:19 so another hour to wait.
Going out it was extremely quiet and we sailed through. I guess people are the issue.
all the extra paperwork and costs are a real pain though but hopefully better for us next time.
 
One word of warning that isn’t actually very clear in most places.
Guidance is to have at least six months left on your passport. Do not assume your expiry date is the date to base that upon. Use your issue date and make sure you have six months based on that. (This applies for any passport renewed prior to 2018)
I had over 10 months left on mine but this wasn’t valid as the issue date was 9 years and 11 months ago. This also meant it met the condition that it must be under 10 years old on departure and return. It also met the condition that expiry should have at least six months.
I picked up a new passport on the day we were due to travel fortunately.
 
Paul Cantlon said:
Any reco's for providers of the day 2 & 8 test?
Travelling back from Greece (amber, and not fully vax'd) later this week so I'd better get that sorted to avoid the fuzz.
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We used Nationwide on our last trip. They seem fine but I do not believe there is much difference among them all. The most important thing is the number for your passenger locator form.
 
Mike Humphreys said:
One word of warning that isn’t actually very clear in most places.
Guidance is to have at least six months left on your passport. Do not assume your expiry date is the date to base that upon. Use your issue date and make sure you have six months based on that. (This applies for any passport renewed prior to 2018)
I had over 10 months left on mine but this wasn’t valid as the issue date was 9 years and 11 months ago. This also meant it met the condition that it must be under 10 years old on departure and return. It also met the condition that expiry should have at least six months.
I picked up a new passport on the day we were due to travel fortunately.
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Happened to a friend of my mother's last week. Refused boarding on a flight to Cyprus by the airline.
 
Alex Lake said:
Does it make any difference if you own property in the EU, or have a business registered in the EU? Maybe a different type of visa required?
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I've just cheered myself up after reading this thread by discovering that the 90 day rule does not apply to me as I married a frog (or 'one of the enemy' as my wife calls herself).

Although apparently the above rule only applies if travelling "at the same time as their spouse or rejoining him/her)". Doh!
 
Alex Lake said:
Do you think they'd be OK with the UK printed certificate? Lauren's phone is incompatible with the NHS app (why that's the case is somewhat odd!)
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I don't know Alex - my wife is using the French app which seems to work universally (and she was vaccinated in the USA), and I'm showing a PDF of my vaccination certificate from which they scan the QR code. Both have worked flawlessly. I expect a manual version would work as long as the QR code remains readable (careful folding and moisture management required). Surely Lauren could download/send a PDF to her phone as I did - I just keep it in Notes. Even if it was an attachment in an e-mail it could be opened and scanned.
 
We are due to fly to the Canaries for our first overseas trip in 27 months on Sunday 24/10.

Have just noticed that my younger son's 5 year child passport which expires on 03/09/2022 was issued on 03/02/2017.

This suggests that according to Dan's mum's friends experience and Mike's that we could get to Heathrow and be turned away which would be awful.

The Gov website given all the information above says we are good to travel to Spain with him until at least 03/03/2022 and I can see no way of getting it renewed. No sameday service for children's passports , best is one week fast track and next slot in Belfast... on Tuesday...

Don't want to panic my wife and kids who need to get away more than you can imagine but not sure what to do. We're flying with BA.
 
Neil Holland said:
We are due to fly to the Canaries for our first overseas trip in 27 months on Sunday 24/10.

Have just noticed that my younger son's 5 year child passport which expires on 03/09/2022 was issued on 03/02/2017.

This suggests that according to Dan's mum's friends experience and Mike's that we could get to Heathrow and be turned away which would be awful.

The Gov website given all the information above says we are good to travel to Spain with him until at least 03/03/2022 and I can see no way of getting it renewed. No sameday service for children's passports , best is one week fast track and next slot in Belfast... on Tuesday...

Don't want to panic my wife and kids who need to get away more than you can imagine but not sure what to do. We're flying with BA.
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BTW @Dan Baillie - the same site (https://check-passport-for-travel-to-europe.homeoffice.gov.uk/) says travel to Cyprus for my son would also be fine based on a passport issued 4 years and 8 months ago. BA site directs to the Gov website.
 
Neil Holland said:
We are due to fly to the Canaries for our first overseas trip in 27 months on Sunday 24/10.

Have just noticed that my younger son's 5 year child passport which expires on 03/09/2022 was issued on 03/02/2017.

This suggests that according to Dan's mum's friends experience and Mike's that we could get to Heathrow and be turned away which would be awful.

The Gov website given all the information above says we are good to travel to Spain with him until at least 03/03/2022 and I can see no way of getting it renewed. No sameday service for children's passports , best is one week fast track and next slot in Belfast... on Tuesday...

Don't want to panic my wife and kids who need to get away more than you can imagine but not sure what to do. We're flying with BA.
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What are the rules for Kids. Mine was it had to be under 10 years from issue and not the expiry.
I sat for two days often refreshing the fast track website and Peterborough popped up for the day we departed at 9am so we had a detour.
 
Neil Holland said:
BTW @Dan Baillie - the same site (https://check-passport-for-travel-to-europe.homeoffice.gov.uk/) says travel to Cyprus for my son would also be fine based on a passport issued 4 years and 8 months ago. BA site directs to the Gov website.
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We checked a few sites. One gov site was saying I was fine due to the expiry date and another said I may have issues.
they need 3 months clear as a min.
I also spoke to Eurostar who said it may be fine but depends on who Is checking so there is risk.
 
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