New research from the Post Office has revealed that many Britons planning to visit EU countries during August “admit they aren’t aware of the country of travel’s passport requirements”. According to the new research, a quarter of holidaymakers are unaware of the 10-year passport rule for travelling to EU destinations, while 23 percent didn’t know the six-month validity requirement for certain countries.
With one in ten admitting they booked their August Bank Holiday without checking the expiry date on their passport, thousands of travellers may mistakenly believe their passport is valid because it has not expired.
The Post Office research also discovered that in the last two years, over a quarter of travellers have faced issues because of passport expiry or validity while travelling abroad over the August Bank Holiday. This has resulted in some needing to pay for expensive last-minute passport renewals, change travel plans at short notice, and in some cases, being unable to go on the holiday at all.
Alex Brooke, a 42-year-old architect from London, was caught out when planning to run the Gothenburg half marathon in May this year. What could’ve been a memorable weekend away was abruptly ended at the airport departure gate.
Speaking to the Post office, she said: “I spent 12 weeks training for the Gothenburg half marathon and was hoping to get a personal best but when I got to the check-in desk, I was told I couldn’t board the plane. Because my passport had been issued in April 2014; that meant it had been issued 10 years and one month ago. And according to the EU rules post-Brexit, if it’s been issued more than 10 years ago, they won’t let you in.”
Since the UK left the EU, UK passport holders must now ensure their passport has been issued less than 10 years before the date they enter the EU country and be valid for at least three months after the day they plan to leave.
On top of that, many countries outside of Europe require that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your planned date of departure to cover any unexpected delays or extended stays.
Alex continued: “I was told I could buy a new ticket to go to Ireland or Morocco instead, but I was going to Gothenburg for a reason.
“This trip was also supposed to be a girls’ weekend away with my best friend, leaving the kids behind for once and doing something fun on our own. My friend had to fly to Gothenburg alone, so it was a ruined holiday for both of us.
“I was so gutted. I was in tears for about an hour as I was abruptly removed from the airport.
“I felt really angry at the change in rules around travelling to the EU and lack of information available. Like most people, because my passport still had more than six months left before it expired, I assumed it would be fine. Not any more. It was a massive let down, all the anticipation and excitement was for nothing.”
You can check if your passport will be valid for your trip on GOV.UK. Simply search for the country you’re going to and click on ‘entry requirements’.
Elinor Hull, director of Government and Identity Services at Post Office said: “Our research shows how it’s crucial for travellers to ensure their passports are up to date according to the travel rules of the country they plan to visit to avoid any unexpected surprises at the check-in desk.
“While Government guidance is that holidaymakers should not book travel until they have received their new passport, we understand that not all customers know this. With three weeks remaining until the August Bank Holiday weekend, we want to do everything we can to remind people to seize the day in aiming to safeguard their EU travel plans.
“While the expiry date on your passport might look fine, it’s important to also check the issue date to not get caught out by the 10-year rule. Post Office’s Check & Send services can help give last-minute travellers who may realise their passport has run out more peace of mind when renewing their passport as postmasters will help ensure that applications are correctly completed and submitted to reduce the risk of delays or even rejections.”