Passport expiration sanity check

Forums › Travel (planes, train, cruise) › Passport expiration sanity check

1 | 2

hsvhel

1273 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 596

ID Verified

#3431724 6-Nov-2025 19:34

A new passport at $247, even if there are no intentions to travel, would it not be usefull to have it as an ID document?

And failsafe for any further unplanned international travel?

Referral Link Quic

Free Setup use R502152EQH6OK on check out

mattwnz

20523 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4798

#3431808 6-Nov-2025 23:44

hsvhel:

A new passport at $247, even if there are no intentions to travel, would it not be usefull to have it as an ID document?

And failsafe for any further unplanned international travel?

I have never needed one. Drivers license has always been fine

nova

260 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 143

Trusted

#3431836 7-Nov-2025 08:13

hsvhel:

A new passport at $247, even if there are no intentions to travel, would it not be usefull to have it as an ID document?

And failsafe for any further unplanned international travel?

$247 !!! You just about gave me a heart attack. The prices have gone up a lot since I last renewed my passport in 2019. It was $215 at the start of this year, and when I got a 10 year passport in 2005, it was $71. That was the year when they switched to the 5 year biometric passport, and the price went up to $150, but luckily I had renewed it before the switch.

Personally I always keep my passport up to date, for travel, but I don't think it is strictly needed for domestic ID purposes.

alasta

6896 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3376

Trusted

Subscriber

#3431850 7-Nov-2025 08:56

I never travel overseas these days, so I won't be paying $247 to renew mine just for the sake of an ID document. I recently made some changes to an investment fund which required me to follow anti money laundering procedures, and a driver's licence was the only ID I needed.

SpartanVXL

1504 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 667

#3431922 7-Nov-2025 12:20

Drivers licence is okay, but I’ve been told before that passport is gold standard for identity. Someone will have to confirm this, but drivers licence needs more checks in the background, customers won’t see this though.

With friends and family overseas, especially Aus, $250 is a no brainer even if I only travel once a year. Renewing online via Realme makes it incredibly easy to do.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
9345 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6228

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3431944 7-Nov-2025 14:09

SpartanVXL:

Renewing online via Realme makes it incredibly easy to do.

Was definitely not the case when I needed to renew our passports a few months ago. It was a nightmare.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

AliExpress

Shop now on AliExpress (affiliate link).

Rmani

295 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 98

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#3431951 7-Nov-2025 15:32

Recently renewed it for my son. Submitted the application on a Wednesday, received the renewed passport the following Tuesday. It was a breeze.

Rmani

trig42

5893 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2100

ID Verified

#3431958 7-Nov-2025 16:17

Same experience here. Renewed Wife's passport online. Took the photo (a few times to get it 'just right'), submitted on a Sunday afternoon. Passport was delivered on the following Wednesday.

invisibleman18

1420 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 427

#3435955 19-Nov-2025 14:47

My passport expires in April and I went to Sydney 2 weeks ago for the Oasis concert with no issue. I had checked the requirements in advance for Australia and it only had to be valid for the duration of the trip - figured if asked I could show my return flight was in a few days. Noone even looked at the passport on departure from Wellington or arrival in Sydney - was all Smart Gate. Only had to show it to check in at Sydney coming home as I'm on a UK passport with NZ permanent residency so someone had to see my resident visa before I could check in and I couldn't do it via the Qantas app.

It's a bit more of a process to renew from here compared to renewing an NZ one and receiving it in a few days and as I also did a Europe trip earlier this year I figured I'd get onto renewing now that those two trips are done and I won't need it again for a while.

Behodar

11117 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6116

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3435971 19-Nov-2025 15:29

Thanks all. I'd unsubscribed from the thread after getting the answer directly from Air NZ so didn't see the subsequent replies until now.

Behodar

11117 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6116

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3467685 8-Mar-2026 00:36

For a bit of closure, I just got home again. No problems with the passport whatsoever. When doing online checkin it popped up a reminder to check validity in the destination country, but that was it.

Lego

Shop now for Lego sets and other gifts (affiliate link).

MikeAqua

8036 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3827

#3471056 17-Mar-2026 10:12

Australia are reasonable but ... The Cook Islands, not so much ... a friend was recently denied boarding for a trip to Raro because her (NZ) passport had less than six months left.

Travel Advisory | Cook Islands

Mike

1 | 2