Client has asked for a meeting in Germany in 2 weeks, but my passport is away getting renewed and I’ve no idea if it’ll be back in time. I know in theory it’s possible to fly without a passport between EU countries, but has anyone actually done it? I suspect it’ll lead to a lot of hassle!

How long has your passport already been away? Mine was recently back with me a week to the day after I posted it (post office check and send).

It’s possible for others in the EU as they have national ID cards, we don’t and I don’t think a driving license is sufficient.

Note – it depends on the airline. Ryanair won’t let you fly on anything but a passport.

I needed a passport to fly from Manchester to London 😯

I suppose your company will have to cough up for a visit to the passport office too then!

Video conference /Skype?

My passport came back within 8 days in February, you will probably be OK.

And our glorious government opted out of the EU’s excellent idea of being able to travel using pieces of ID we already have 🙄

“I needed a passport to fly from Manchester to London”

and a lifejacket 🙄

if desperate you used to be able to get an appointment at passport office for a same day issue, need proof of intended travel – think you have to cancel existing application which costs and pay up big time plus waste a day – once spent a day wandering around Liverpool after leaving passport in a jacket pocket on roof of car as left airport (pre being able to work wirelessly)

Thanks all, I suspected it wouldn’t be possible. Passport has been away for a week or two already, but just had to send off new photos as the last lot were apparently too light :oops:. Hopefully it’ll be back in time, if not the client might just have to be flexible!

Road trip opportunity, pop the bike in the car…

UK is not in the Schengen zone.. maybe thats not helping. I have flown from France on a UK photo driving licence to the UK

Road trip opportunity, pop the bike in the car…

you’ll still need a passport to get out through a port/chunnel.

I’d rate your chances of being able to fly from the UK into to Germany, but I doubt you’ll be able to get back in to the UK again 😆

They’re a bit touchy in Europe at the mo. We were staying in Munich last weekend and fancied taking the train to Salzburg but had left our passports in the hotel safe. The plod at the Haubt Bahnhof said we’d likely be checked at the border and fined and likely checked on the way back and fined again. I can’t honestly remember the last time I was asked for my passport once in Europe. (Maybe ’87 at checkpoint Charlie?).

i got a telling off from Bavarian plod at the border crossing back in November for not having a passport. told him that i only took my passport with me when travelling north of the Danube… he laughed. (Bavarians consider anything north of the Danube to be Ausland). and he didn’t fine me either…

have always had to show passport at both frnechga nd UK side of the channel when driving.

don’t think you can even fly within Germany/Europe on a UK drivers license.

I needed a passport to fly from Manchester to London

You don’t need a passport to fly within the UK but you do need photo ID. I fly regularly to the Channel Islands on just my driving license.

Isn’t it the Schengan agreement (which we are not part of) that means you can travel across the borders of mainland Europe without a passport (but with ID)?

Less than 2 weeks to get both mine and Mrs hoppys done a month back. You should be fine.

Yeah you’ll need a Passport to leave the UK, or more importantly to return.

I hadn’t realised they’d got stricter on the Continent, I’ve only ever been stopped once going between Switzerland and France by a grumpy looking Copper, he didn’t care about my passport though, just that my Motorway tax sticker thing was out of date.

France customs officer said to me they don’t care about me leaving without a passport to the U.K. lol

She did say she couldn’t use my driving licence to get in.

Isn’t it the Schengan agreement (which we are not part of) that means you can travel across the borders of mainland Europe without a passport (but with ID)?

You can if it’s a National Identity Card, like one from Spain or Holland.

The UK doesn’t have such a scheme so you have to use your passport if you’re British.

You can turn up at the UK border with a Spanish ID card and you’ll be let in.

you’ll still need a passport to get out through a port/chunnel.

I’ve never been checked on the way out of Dover. Coming back though we always get checked by British customs.

The bother I had trying to get out of Germany last year on a 1 year passport extension (basically a badly photocopied sheet of A4), you’d be as well waiting for you proper passport.

Literally just got my passport back – 8 days from application to landing on my doorstep

Awesome news that your passport’s back.

This has all changed now –

jon1973 – Member
you’ll still need a passport to get out through a port/chunnel.
I’ve never been checked on the way out of Dover. Coming back though we always get checked by British customs.

We got proper passport checks crossing the channel both ways at the end of March and also Police checks driving over to Germany and back from Alsace.

I once rocked up at Manchester Airport for a flight to Dusseldorf and forgot my passport. I told Lufthansa and they contacted Dusseldorf Police who were waiting for me at the other end with a temporary German passport! (3 days IIRC). It caused a bit on ‘interest’ on my arrival back in Manchester.

It’s possible for others in the EU as they have national ID cards, we don’t and I don’t think a driving license is sufficient.

Reminds me of the old Bryson story – he was suprised to find he needed a passport to fly domestically in the US, all he had on him were books with his author picture on (not on the list of allowed ID) and his driver’s licence. Exapserated and running late, he offered the driver’s licence but when they examined it, they informed him that it had expired. He replied “then I won’t ask to drive the plane”.

I like Bryson. 🙂

I needed a passport to fly from Manchester to London

I think that’s in case of a hijacking and the plane being diverted to another country, or identification when the plane goes down. 8)

I flew to Hollandaise and Belgium using my British Cycling ID…back on ’02 so not current at all.