Brits risk missing flights home as new system for lost passports is trialled

BRITISH travellers who lose their passports abroad could miss their flights home as a new emergency replacement system is trialled.

Previously a person could get temporary papers within hours, but according to reports the Foreign Office has introduced a system where emergency applications are handled by officials in Poland and Spain instead of individual consulates.

The Foreign Office website now says “your emergency travel document will normally be ready in two working days.” The pilot scheme is intended to improve security measures according to an official spokesperson.

“They will also mean that we will be able to make decisions about a person’s eligibility for an emergency travel document in fewer places, safeguarding a secure UK border,” he said.

The data entry process and form approvals will be carried out centrally in Warsaw and Malaga, but the emergency passports will be printed at individual embassies and consulates.

Travellers are charged £100 (€113) to apply for the travel documents and must fill out a form on the UK government’s website and attend an appointment at their nearest embassy or consulate.

Proof of travel plans, a passport-quality photo and a police report if the passport has been stolen must be provided.

 

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