My passport about to expire, should I get a new passport or is a national ID enough?

[rooibos]

Hi board, a bit of context:

- Italian citizen, in UK for donkeys' years, EU full settled status achieved in 2019.

- I am aware that a EU citizen can, at least in theory, live and work in UK and travel in/out of UK with just a national ID, as long as this document is registered with UKVI and associated with settled status

- I am aware that, from next year, non-biometric national IDs will no longer accepted by UKVI but I should be ok because new Italian ID cards are fully biometric.

- I am also aware that there have been cases (I hope sporadic) whereby legit holders of Settled Status coming back to the UK from Europe were held back from boarding a plane because they didn't have a passport. This is illegal, but there is evidence that this happened.

- I have also read of anecdotal evidence that fellow Settled Status holders were denied jobs or opportunities because they showed an ID instead of a passport.


My current Italian passport will expire in a few months. Common sense would dictate that I renew my passport, just in case. However there are incorrect details on my passport that haven't been sorted out in ages and that could theoretically be sorted out by going to Italy and fight with Italian bureaucracy and I am not ready for that.

An Italian ID is cheaper, faster and easier to get and I could link it to my Settled Status.

My question is: Am I going to call for trouble if get an ID instead of an passport?

I mean, I know that legally I should be ok, but what about practical implications?

Thanks.

[contorted_svy]

As you pointed out yourself, there have been incorrect actions that have been taken against EU citizens without a passport, which are very much unpredictable. Being Italian myself I empathise with your plea about bureaucracy, though I would very strongly recommend you renew your Italian passport as soon as possible. If i may ask, why don't you renew your passport at the Italian consulates in the UK? I know it takes time, but if you are a few months away from the expiry date of your passport, it is worth considering all your options.

[rooibos]

, why don't you renew your passport at the Italian consulates in the UK?

Because 1) It's almost impossible to get an appointment and 2) There is a minor irregularity on my passport that only the "Questura" in Italy can potentially change, if they want and if they care.

The ID doesn't have this mistake but, as I pointed out, it opens a new can of worms.

My consulate is in Manchester and it is even worse than the one in London.

[contorted_svy]

As annoying as this is, the safest course of action is to go to Italy and get a new passport there.