Question:
I'm interested in taking a day trip to France and I was wondering whether I
needed a passport?
Answer:
In theory only I believe the answer is no but in practice you will need a
passport as the ferry company etc will not allow you to board if you do not
have your passport with you.
And FWIW the requirement is driven by British immigration rather than
French.
It could be that these "new" picture driving licenses will eventually prove
suffcient for travel within the EU; certaiunly it seems a tad ridiculous to
expect someone to pay ~£30 (new passport? czn't remember how much they are
now!) just so they can "enjoy" a Daily Mail £1 return to Calais for the
first
and only time in their life...
(My nan, who passed away in the early 80s, only went to france/abroad once
in
her life, whilst in her 70s, when my dad took her over for a day trip. In
those days "1-day cards" were available (for free? exzcept the photo) to
make
this possible. Today presumably she wouldn't have been able to go without
spending a lot of dosh for a document she would never use again...
Although you should really have one, the only trouble you will have is
upon re-entering the UK, you'll need to prove you are a British
citizen, and have right of entry etc. etc. you'll probably be okay I
know of lots of people who've come back from a cross channel visit
only discovering on the way back that they've not got their passports,
I would expect lots of hassle though so you probably should get a
passport or carry lots and lots of id and be very friendly.
when I applied for my passport some years ago I was faced with that
ridiculous challenge : Find a "professional" to vouch for you.
Not hailing from the middle classes, I wouldn't have been able to find a
magistrate, solicitor or judge if one was standing in front of me juggling
sliced lemons. I considered my doctor to be a quack and a charlatan (and
still do) and the only time I'd met a policeman was when I was arrested for
possession of a grade 3 controlled substance (they don't return it either,
you know !).
Faced with this conundrum, I considered a "professional" to be anyone who
earns a living from what they do. That is true in the distinction between
amateur and professional athletes, so I applied the same logic to my plumber
friend who was earning a living from plumbing .. a professional plumber ...
a professional ! I duly entered the details of my plumber friend (who holds
various certificates : City & Guilds, &c) and posted the application
My question (eventually) : What is this piffling definition of professional
as used by the passport office and do they really believe everyone in the UK
is on first name terms with solicitors, judges, policemen or doctors ?
This is undoubtably the case, but I think as another poster pointed put
w/out
a passport you will have a great deal of trouble actually leaving these
shores
as they are normally checked by the ferry operators/airport immigration etc.
at that time.
Sympathies. This is a clear anachrnism in this day and age, although I
suspect its done because "professionals" sych as doctors, policemen, JPs etc
are "traceable" should something shonky raise its ugly head.
Our first son's passport was procurred using our neighbour's
countersignature
- a farmner's wife.
Our 2nd son's initial application was rejected on the gorunds that the
counter-signature was not a "professional". Yup - it was signed by the same
person as our first son's application!
The theory is that _everybody_ has a doctor... but of cousre
that's not the case, and it would be easy (IMO) to go several years w/out
needing recourse to one's GP ... so how can they honestly answer that "yes
this is a true likeness of someone and I;ve known him for X years" when in
reality they don;t know you from adam.
The countersignatory should be someone who can be looked up if necessary,
and also be someone who stands to lose if they tell fibs. Therefore
teachers, civil servants, doctors (they charge!) and any other permanent
responsible and qualified job.
I bet you had a teacher once - or a dentist, or a doctor.
