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Passports
If you want to travel abroad you will need to have a passport. Everyone, including babies, must have their own passport if they are travelling oversees.
- To apply for a passport you can pick up a form at your local post office and apply by post. You can also apply online through the Passport Office's website
- From the time they receive your application, the passport office tries to get your new passport to you within three weeks, but at busy times, such as the summer holidays, it may take longer. Therefore it is important you make sure your passport is up to date with plenty of time before you go on holiday
- In emergencies (if you need to travel in less than two weeks) you can go to a passport office near you and queue to get a passport on the same day. There is a passport office in Newport, south Wales, and also one in Liverpool
- Some countries will not let you in if your passport runs out within six months of the date you are travelling, or if you only have a few blank pages left in it for visas. You should check before you go away if this is the case with the country you are travelling to
- Your passport is a very important document. If you have an accident or something happens to you when you are on holiday you will need your passport to get help from a hospital or the police
- Keep your passport in a safe place or with you at all times while you are away
- If your passport is lost or stolen overseas, you should contact the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or Consulate immediately for advice
- It is a good idea to make a photocopy of the photo pages of your passport and keep it in a safe place separate to your passport when you go on holiday