Order new passports by NEXT WEEK if you want in time for school summer hols

PASSPORT renewals must be done by next week if you need the travel document in time for the start of the school summer holidays.

Official advice currently states passports will take 10 weeks to be delivered after the application is submitted, meaning next week is the deadline for when schools break up in July.

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It’s estimated that 4.5million Brits had their passports expire during the Covid-19 pandemic when travel restrictions put the tourism industry on hold.

Waiting until now that most restrictions are lifted, this has created a huge backlog of renewal requests with the Passport Office, leading them to double the usual estimated time of five weeks.

British schools will break for summer in the week commencing Monday July 18, with exact dates depending on a local basis.

The cost for a passport renewal ranges from £75 to £85 and applications can be submitted digitally via the Government’s online service, or via a local Post Office.

If you’re in an urgent rush, there’s the option of applying for a fast-track passport, although people are struggling to find appointments due to high demand.

The service costs more than the regular passport application, with a charge of £122 for a child passport, or £142 for an adult passport.

Desperate Brits have flocked to Twitter to direct their anger at the Passport Office and the ongoing delays, with several worried that they will miss out on their long-awaited holiday.

One person wrote: “I’m heading into week 12 and still waiting. No appointments available for fast-track now and phone lines being cut off. What an absolute disgrace of a system.”

Another put: “It’s appalling isn’t it? After two years of Covid restrictions, wouldn’t it have been foreseeable that there would be a surge in passport applications? I’m probably going to miss my honeymoon now.”

Brits have also been warned of the three essential things to check on your passport immediately, to reduce likelihood of a ruined holiday.

There should be no damage or missing pages to the passport.

It must also be no more than ten years since it was issued and you’ll need a minimum of three or six months to gain entry into many destinations.

Martin Lewis has issued a warning to holidaymakers planning on travelling abroad this summer.

The MoneySavingExpert founder has warned that tourists could be caught out if they don’t check the expiry dates on passports and GHIC / EHIC health cards.

If your passport is all in order, it’s also important to check your GHIC (Global Health Insurance Card) or EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), which gives you access to healthcare across the EU for the same prices as a local.

The GHIC has replaced the old-style European Health Insurance Cards, although your EHIC will stay valid if it is within its expiry date.

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