We learnt this morning that my mother-in-law had passed away in the night, so we got all booked up, ferry, hotel, etc, to head back to the UK for her funeral, which will be soon.
Whilst checking I’d got everything I needed, I found that my passport had expired last month.
Is there any emergency way around this?
If you get in touch with the British embassy in Paris they may be able to supply an emergency travel document.
Sorry to hear your news… hope your travel plans get sorted OK…
Please keep us posted about the emergency passport service… you won’t be the only person to get into such a predicament…
cheers
Thank you for the info and for your prompt response, Teresa. I’ve just tried them but they’re not open now and not on the weekend and, being Easter, I won’t get a reply until Tuesday at the earliest and we’re booked on the ferry from St Malo tomorrow morning.
I guess my wife’s going without me as the funeral is bound to be all done and dusted by midweek. I wanted to by her side to say adieu to her mum but it looks like it’s not to be. Very sad and pissed off.
But I do appreciate your input. Thanks again.
Oh dear. I am amazed at the speed of the funeral… took 1 month to get my brother done and dusted last year…
Any chance of you going… regardless… 
Thanks for they sympathy, Stella. At the moment it looks like anything I can do will be too late. I might as well just renew it as normal.
Sorry you couldn’t sort it out. It’s a tough time and made harder when travel plans go awry.
Will your wife have siblings to be with? I feel your frustration and hope perhaps you can travel later.
Depends how resolute you are. I have travelled back to the UK with no passport. As a british citizen I have right of entry to my own country, so they asked quite a few questions and then let me through. You can then get a 24 hour renewal and travel back to France with a brand new pasport.
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Hi Jane, thanks for that. We’ve already decided to try to get to the UK anyway as, apparently, you only need ID to get out and an expired passport counts. I’ll be nice to the officials at Portsmouth and see how that goes.
Where did you get your renewal in 24 hours?
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You have to apply online at least 24 or 48 hours beforehand, it costs an arm & a leg around £120, and then you go to the passport office nearest you - which in my case was central london. Process may ne a bit different now, but I got passport there & then. Try to look it up before you leave as may need to scan a photo.
I would be interested to know if the actually check the expiration date on a passport.
Good luck I think it is very unlikely that you will be denied entry back to uk.
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They might accept other identity proofs…
I always assumed the chip thingy would alert them. When we were travelling to the US they knew we had our visa just by scanning our passport. Technology is amazing and frightening in equal proportions to me.
Oop t’North now having got past boarding in St Malo - who told us “It’s no problem: you get six months grace.”
Hmm, not sure about that, I thought.
Sure enough we were also allowed through the British border control but the guy said that the Brittany Ferries check-in was mistaken and I did, in fact have to renew the passport whilst I’m in the UK - BUT, he added, “We don’t do the check-ins for Brittany Ferries so, if that’s their policy……”
Anyway, I have an appointment on Wednesday in Durham to do the biz: £206. 
I’ll keep you all posted. 
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So glad you are there with your wife, at this difficult time… 
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£206, ouch! But worth it to be able to get to were you needed to be.
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An update, as promised: the passport office in Durham was all shiny and new and in a nice central and easy to find location by the river. There’s an excellent park-and-ride service to it from Junction 62 of the A1(M).
Friendly and helpful staff and even a photo booth which lets you know if you’ve got your portraits in the correct format. We went in a bit early but were out before our designated appointment: no waiting - but then there’s four hours to kill for processing before collection.
Fortunately, Durham is a very pleasant and interesting old city with a wide assortment of old architecture to inspect and the cathedral was worth half of that time: lots to gawp at and a good café too.
I’d had a vague memory of visiting the town when I was a squaddie - but I say vague because we were on a squaddies’ night out 55 years ago. I do, however, remember the sloping town square being cobbled, not paved as it is now. To my mind it’s a pity that the cobbles are gone because it’s one of the few strong images that stick with me from over half a century ago, even though I’d forgotten the name of the town where that image belonged.
Anyway, no problem to kill a few pleasant hours in old Durham and I now have a shiny new passport. £206: but that’s for the rapid service: it’s about £50 cheaper for the regular process.
Thank you all for your suggestions and information. Now go check your expiry dates, OK? Cheers m’dears!
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Got past boarding in St Malo - who told us “It’s no problem: you get six months grace.”
Hmm, not sure about that, I thought.
Sure enough we were also allowed through the British border control but the guy said that the Brittany Ferries check-in was mistaken and I did, in fact have to renew the passport whilst I’m in the UK - BUT, he added, “We don’t do the check-ins for Brittany Ferries so, if that’s their policy……”
Anyway, I have an appointment on Wednesday in Durham to do the biz: £206.