Renew now or later?

September 6, 2009 9:55 PM

Possibly studying in the U.K. in September 2010, E.U. passport expires in Sept. 2011. Do I need to renew now?

Yes, I know I am throwing out dates that are far in the future, but I have a lot of planning to do and I need to get things right.

So basically I am considering entering a 3-year PhD program in the U.K. Assuming I get in to my school(s) of choice, and get the necessary funding, I'm in, though things are far from certain.

I am an Irish citizen, and hold a passport that expires in Sept. 2011. If I get in to school, I'll be entering the U.K. a year earlier.

I know that most E.U. countries will let you in on a valid passport no matter what the expiry date, but I wanted to make sure that this applies to the always-stricter United Kingdom. I also wanted to make sure that it was all right that my passport expired before my 3-year school stay was up (of course I'll renew when I'm there).

If you don't know the answer, perhaps you could point me in the right direction in terms of contracting the proper officials. And please no "you better renew your passport just in case" replies, unless you know that I really have to renew -- I'd rather not add more to my already lengthy to-do list, especially for something that's still in the realm of the hypothetical.

posted by hiteleven to education (9 comments total)

I did a study abroad as a US student in the UK for a semester, and one of the requirements listed by my internship employer (the State Department) was that the passport had to be valid for the entire stay within the country and then some. I do not know which nation was responsible for this requirement.
Researching a bit it seems that any nation that is a participant of the Schengen Agreement has a common requirement that your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of return from your trip. So I'm guessing that you'll want to renew prior to leaving to ensure that you have enough time on the Passport following your exit date.
Some info from the UK Home Office
posted by msbutah at 10:23 PM on September 6

Also, previously on AskMeFi.
posted by msbutah at 10:26 PM on September 6

So basically I am considering entering a 3-year PhD program in the U.K. [...] I am an Irish citizen, and hold a passport that expires in Sept. 2011.

Doesn't that mean you're part of the Common Travel Area? There's talk of getting rid of it but it hasn't happened yet.
posted by Mike1024 at 12:09 AM on September 7

Renew it when you get there.
posted by mdonley at 12:15 AM on September 7

They've tightened the rules somewhat, and you need to prove right of residence (or to study/work) at any time, I think, even if you're an EU citizen. But like mdonley says, just renew it once you're here.
posted by mahke at 12:32 AM on September 7

Ireland has an open border with the UK. Strictly speaking, you don't even need a passport to cross it, just some form of ID. See Mike1024's links and also the wiki article on the UK-Ireland border.

Anyway, passports can be renewed at the embassy...
posted by nielm at 1:52 AM on September 7

Sorry, to clarify, I am a dual citizen living in North America, not Ireland. But clearly it's ideal to use the Irish passport when/if studying in the U.K.
posted by hiteleven at 2:14 AM on September 7

nthing renew it later, via the Irish embassy (see nielm's link).

I know that most E.U. countries will let you in on a valid passport no matter what the expiry date, but I wanted to make sure that this applies to the always-stricter United Kingdom.

It does apply in the UK. Here is the relevant document from the UK Border Agency. The key bit is this (found on page 9, number 11): An EEA national must be admitted to the United Kingdom if he produces on arrival a valid national identity card or passport issued by an EEA State.
posted by peanut butter milkshake at 3:59 AM on September 7

Irish citizens don't actually need a passport to be in the UK, or to enter it from Ireland. Airlines, on the other hand, mostly won't let you on board without an equivalent photo ID and since you don't have one, you'll need either a passport or to restrict your travel to and from the British mainland to the ferry.

Go with the passport you have, and renew it in London at the embassy, which is 50 yards from Hyde Park Corner.
posted by genghis at 4:35 PM on September 7