COVID-19 – use of expired UK passports

July 2020

Passports

AccessNI understands that, as a result of Covid-19 and lockdown, there are currently some delays in processing applications and renewals for UK passports.   In response to this, AccessNI will temporarily allow expired UK passports that are within 6 months of the expiry date, to continue to be acceptable for AccessNI identity checking purposes.  The applicant must be in possession of the expired passport to use it as an identity document.

Driving Licences

Driving licences expiring between 1 February and 31 August 2020 have been extended for an additional seven months from the expiry date.

If your driving licence expires between this period, it will automatically be valid for a further seven months under an EU Regulation which came into force on 4 June 2020.

For some drivers this will remove the requirement to have a medical assessment conducted at this difficult time.

Note the extension does not apply to provisional driving licences that expire in this period.  Provisional licence can be renewed online.