Canadian Passport Help

Hi,
Here's my situation. I am a Canadian citizen living in the UK on a Residence Visa. My passport expires January 2012. I'm visiting home (Canada) leaving from the UK in August 2011. I don't have a lot of time to get my passport renewed in the UK, but I can get the process expedited while I'm in Canada. As far as I know, Canada does not have the six month validity rule that the UK has. My question is this: can I leave the UK on a passport with less than six months validity remaining? Will I be refused at border control? Will the airline refuse me?

Thanks for any help in advance. I'm in a bit of a tough spot as I don't have a Guarantor in the UK and the paperwork to bypass this takes far more time than I have.

Cheers,

Alex

I doubt they're going to care when you're leaving how long your passport is valid. My experience with exit border controls is that they barely glance at your details, and just stamp and send you through.

one thing to think about: I'm not canadian but as an american I found that passport renewal abroad was MUCH faster than renewing in the US. I dropped off the paperwork at my local embassy on monday and on thursday I received a call that my passport was ready. You might actually have the time to renew.

Thanks very much for you're quick response. The processing time isn't the real problem. The big issue is completing the Declaration in Lieu of a Gaurantor. The standard processing time for a passport renewal is 15 working days. To complete the declaration can take up to another three weeks, and then the processing time of the application is lengthened as the passport office has to confer with the local autority that notarised my declaration.

So with all that said. You're pretty sure I should be ok leaving the uk? I haven't found it in print either way anywhere.

Cheers,
Alex

I am of course speaking without any concrete written evidence behind my theory but it just doesn't make sense why they'd care how long your passport will remain valid when you're leaving. You're not their responsibility anymore in any way once you walk through that gate. Your passport will still be valid when you're leaving, and your destination is outside their area of jurisdiction.

I'm assuming that you'll be returning with an extended passport after your visit though, right? So when you return to the UK, you'll have a passport with plenty of valid time on it.

of course if you're still worried, best to call your embassy and find out.

Cheers, Thanks very much. I've asked around and it does seem to be only when you're coming in. I'll contact the airline when booking my flights to make sure they don't have some policy that will prevent me going.

Thanks for the advice.