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Life admin renewals, from passport to car registration
Five renewal plans that count back from each renewal date, with longer lead times for passports and short ones for insurance, so nothing lapses quietly.
What’s inside
Passport renewal· 5 items
Check the official requirements and current processing time
120 days before the renewal date
Use your government's official passport site. Processing times change through the year.
Get a compliant photo and gather documents
100 days before the renewal date
- Photo that meets the official rules
- Current passport and any supporting documents
Submit the application or attend the appointment
90 days before the renewal date
Follow up if nothing has arrived
30 days before the renewal date
Update Life admin with the new expiry date and last four characters
On the renewal date
ID card renewal· 3 items
Check the requirements and book an appointment if one is needed
60 days before the renewal date
Gather documents and photo
45 days before the renewal date
Renew and update Life admin with the new date
14 days before the renewal date
Driving license renewal· 4 items
Check what the renewal needs, like a photo, eye test or medical form
45 days before the renewal date
Submit the renewal
30 days before the renewal date
Follow up if the new license hasn't arrived
7 days before the renewal date
Update Life admin with the new date
On the renewal date
Insurance renewal· 4 items
Find the renewal notice and this year's price
30 days before the renewal date
Compare two or three other quotes for the same cover
21 days before the renewal date
Decide, then renew or switch
10 days before the renewal date
- Payment method still valid
- New policy documents saved
Update Life admin with the new date, and check the insurance bill in Money if you track it
On the renewal date
Car registration renewal· 4 items
Book the vehicle test or inspection, if your area requires one
45 days before the renewal date
Take the car in for the test
30 days before the renewal date
Renew the registration and pay the fee
14 days before the renewal date
New certificate or sticker in the car
3 days before the renewal date
Remember the date, then plan the work
Thendoo’s Life admin page already remembers expiry dates: add a passport, and it reminds you 90 days ahead by default (60 for an ID card, 30 for a driving license, insurance and vehicle tests). What it doesn’t do is break the renewal into steps. This template does.
Each document gets its own plan because each one moves at a different speed. A passport can take weeks to process, so its first step starts 120 days out. Insurance only needs a month, but that month includes comparing quotes, which is where the money is.
How to adapt the lead times
- Processing times vary a lot by country and season. If yours are slow, move the passport steps earlier. Your government’s official site is the only reliable source.
- Want the first step to line up with Life admin’s reminder? Set Remind me this many days before on the Life admin item to match the earliest offset in its plan.
- Renew something else on a cycle, like a domain or a work permit? Copy the shortest plan and rename it.
This template is a planning aid, not legal advice. Requirements differ by country, and the official source always wins.
An honest tip
Life admin stores only the Last four characters of the number, never the full number, and you can attach scans under Scans and photos. Add a photo of each document while you’re setting this up. When a renewal form asks for an old document number, you’ll have it in one place.