A travel specialist has issued a warning to holidaymakers planning trips abroad this summer, reminding them of two essential passport checks that could prevent them from boarding their flights if overlooked. Content creator and travel expert Kate Donnelly, known as @Thedonnellyedit on social media, highlighted that airport staff have the authority to deny travel if these regulations are not met.
Key Passport Rules for EU Travel
For British tourists heading to popular European destinations like Spain, Greece, and Turkey, strict rules regarding passport age apply. Following the UK's departure from the EU and the conclusion of the Brexit transition period in January 2021, UK passport holders must ensure their passports were issued no more than 10 years before their planned travel date to EU countries.
Before Brexit, UK passport holders could renew early and transfer up to nine months of unexpired validity from their previous passport to a new one. This meant some passports could remain valid for up to 10 years and nine months. However, the EU no longer accepts this transferred validity for non-EU citizens. Therefore, a passport becomes invalid if the issue date on the photo page is more than 10 years old, even if the expiry date is still current.
Two Critical Checks
Kate Donnelly recapped the rules: "For UK passport holders travelling to Europe or the Schengen zone, your passport needs to be less than 10 years old on the date you enter the country. You also need a minimum of three months validity from the date you plan to leave." She noted that the 10-year limit often catches travellers off guard. Before 2018, unused months from an old passport were transferred to a new one upon renewal.
In 2026, burgundy UK passports issued between 2015 and September 2018 are at the highest risk of being more than 10 years old from their issue date, yet still appearing valid based on the expiry date. All adult passports issued after September 2018 are valid for exactly 10 years.
Exceptions and Additional Advice
The only exception within Europe is Ireland, where a passport simply needs to remain valid throughout the stay. For non-European destinations, passengers will not be refused boarding if the passport is more than 10 years old, provided it is still within its official expiry date. Most international destinations outside Europe only check the expiry date, not the issue date.
In other travel news, budget carrier Wizz Air has advised holidaymakers to arrive at the airport earlier due to long queues caused by the Entry Exit System (EES). However, most Wizz Air check-in desks open only two to two and a half hours before departure, so only certain passengers would benefit from arriving three hours early.
