Passport renewal tips

A friend was caught out by this. Is there any way they'll see their cash again? It's very difficult getting a refund, but it's not impossible.

The sad thing is that these sites are legal. They're offering a service, some similar to the Post Office's Check & Send, it's just that they're charging up to 10 times more for it.

Saying that, if you do know someone who was caught, it's well worth suggesting they write to the shyster site (speed is of the essence so emailing is probably best), saying that they want to cancel their contract and get a refund. Beware calling their expensive phone lines though – they typically charge £1.50/min. We've written a template letter to help. Please let us know how you get on.

You can also report the incident to the Competition and Markets Authority or Trading Standards by calling the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0345 404 0506.

MoneySaver ShinyDoc managed to get a refund. "I renewed two passports using this service [a shyster site]! But I noticed almost immediately and asked for a full refund, which I received about 24 hours later. The full amount was credited back to the account I supplied."

See our Shyster Sites guide for more information about how to go about getting a refund if you've been misled by passport sites, ESTA sites, EHIC sites and more.

What about Brexit? Will I need a new passport? In 2017, it was announced that the cover of UK passports will be returning to blue after we leave the European Union. But the Government says you'll be able to keep using your current burgundy passport until it's due for renewal - the new blue passports will only be issued when you renew or apply for a new passport.

At the moment, you can travel to EU countries on your passport right up to the point it expires. That will continue to be the case for this year at least, until the end of the transition period.

The Government had warned people they might need to renew their passports early if there was a no-deal Brexit, as in that case you would have needed six months left on your passport on the day you travel to visit many European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and more. That's no longer something you need to worry about this year though.

From 2021, when visiting most EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, on the day you travel you’ll need your passport to both: have at least 6 months left and be less than 10 years old (even if it has 6 months or more left). 

This means some will need to renew their passport earlier than normal. It's worth noting though that it won't apply when visiting every EU country (for example, you won't need to do it when going to Ireland).