How much time

[tamaris]

Do I need left on my passport to travel ?
My 10 years runs out in October this year ?

[Ellipsis]

It depends where you're going, but many places demand at least six months.

If you renew your current passport now then the 10 years will be added to when the current one ends ... so it will run to October 2021 even if you renew in May 2011.

[tamaris]

Thank you Ellipsis.
I am going to Spain from England end of August.
I am pleased that it is added to when the current one ends.

[dzug2]

Assuming it is a British passport, it just needs to be valid for the duration of your trip to visit Spain.

[boxtops]

I would change it now to give you plenty of time - then you get the extra months tagged on the end, as ellipsis says.

[237SJ]

You don`t get extra months tagged on. My passport runs out in August 2011 and I renewed it in January 2011. It runs out in January 2021,

[ABerrant]

@237SJ - it sounds like a mistake was made on your passport as it has been standard practice for many, many years to have unexpired time up to a maximum of nine months added to passports renewed ahead of expiry (as was the case for my renewal last year)...

http://www.direct.gov...ourpassport/DG_174096

[carmalee]

agree with all the other posts saying the unexpired time is added on - have just done mine.

[237SJ]

The swines diddled me out of 6 months! I don`t think they`ve made a mistake. It must be because when I renew my passport I don`t hand the other one back which puts me down as a first time applicant.

[boxtops]

Isn't there a box you tick to say that it's a renewal? I had to send my old one back when applying for the renewal, I'm sure I did.

[carmalee]

I didn't send mine back BTs - have them all sitting in a suitcase (although don't ask me why)

[237SJ]

(we get a lengthy list of instructions when we renew our passport) and I have to tick the first time box even though it`s a renewal because I need to keep the old one. The old one is then automatically cancelled after three months. I have 10 years visas in the old one which don`t expire for another 2 years which is a pain because I have to carry two passports about. Such is life

[spudqueen]

Carmalee - why don't you send your passports back? You get them back you know, cancelled, so you can still keep them.